Siemens Healthineers receiving $31M in federal funding to develop robotic IR stroke treatment
Siemens Healthineers is receiving up to $31.1 million to develop a remote endovascular robotic system designed to autonomously perform mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke.
Distributed over five years, the funding is being awarded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). The project is part of ARPA-H’s Autonomous Interventions and Robotics program, which advances technologies capable of performing medical procedures with a reduced reliance on direct physician intervention.
Mechanical thrombectomy is a minimally invasive procedure that uses a catheter to remove a clot that is blocking blood flow in the brain. When performed quickly after the clot is identified, the procedure substantially improves outcomes for eligible stroke patients. However, access to the procedure remains limited because it is primarily available at comprehensive stroke centers with specialized physicians and equipment.
According to Siemens, over half of the U.S. population lives more than an hour from a center equipped to perform the procedure; the company estimates that only about 12% of 335,000 eligible stroke patients receive the procedure each year. The geographic limitations are particularly consequential for stroke patients because delays in restoring blood flow increase the risk of disability or death.
This is where Siemens’ research on remote robotic thrombectomy systems comes into play. It would combine numerous technologies that enable stroke interventions to be performed remotely and eventually autonomously. The goal is to expand access to thrombectomy by allowing specialized procedures to be performed in locations that do not have immediate access to in-person interventional providers.
“Early access to the right treatment makes all the difference for stroke patients. By integrating robotics, imaging, devices, and artificial intelligence, we want to transform the way endovascular therapy is delivered, towards greater accessibility and precision across a broader range of care settings,” Philipp Fischer, head of Advanced Therapies at Siemens Healthineers, said in a news release on the funding. “The ARPA-H investment is a big step in advancing autonomous remote endovascular robotics for the benefit of patients and communities around the world.”
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In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.