Inaccurate radiographic percutaneous procedures, including biopsy and ablation, can negatively impact patient outcomes. Between having to reposition the patient and needing to insert the instrument multiple times to reach the target, this radiology procedure can result in increased operating time, or worse – readmissions, which can increase costs and be detrimental to the patient. Also, if goals are too difficult to reach manually, sometimes patients have to watch and wait for small goals to be reached, which can lead to anxiety. [Percutaneous refers to puncturing the skin, as opposed to more invasive, open surgery.]
a company– XACT Robot — is trying to solve this problem in radiology and makes a bold claim: it is itself a true surgical robotics company in interventional radiology, as it relates to percutaneous procedures. It claims it can prevent readmissions, which are costly to hospitals, when hospital revenue is strained.
The Israeli company combines real-time monitoring and guided image planning with precise robotic insertion and nonlinear steering, its founder Harel Gadot explained in an email exchange.
“With its unique capabilities, it was designed to improve the accuracy, consistency and efficiency of image-guided percutaneous procedures and can now help healthcare professionals accurately target small hard-to-reach areas in a consistent and efficient manner,” Gadot said. in the email provided by the representative.
The XACT ACE robotic system is about the size of an iPad, rather than the typical footprint of other radiology systems that require a dedicated room. Because it does not require dedicated space, it can be used in a variety of settings, from operating rooms to CT/MRI suites to clinics or other departments. In addition, the product comes with an optional remote control component so people can operate the system from different rooms, protecting users from radiation, Gadot explained.
The potential benefits of this robotic surgery option for interventional radiology appear to extend beyond the initial goal of achieving difficult goals.
“Traditional manual insertion of percutaneous procedures incurs additional expenditure, stimulates HCP strain, and exposes patients to radiation for extended periods of time,” Gadot said. “Today’s hospital systems are looking for process efficiencies, especially with staffing shortages, so process duration is more important than ever.”
The XACT ACE robotic system received FDA clearance in 2020. Gadot claims XACT is the only true robotic surgery system on the market for the types of radiology and oncology interventions his system is handling.
“While other solutions claim to have robotic components, they are pure navigation systems, and while some have additional hardware to keep the instrumentation at entry level, none of them address the multiple unmet needs in the field program,” Gadot clarified. “No competitor has the robotic insertion and nonlinear steering capabilities needed to overcome obstacles in these procedures.”
Gadot said that due to issues such as soft tissue movement and flexible instrumentation during surgery, radiation robotic products currently on the market may not achieve optimal results. He added that during the procedure, many patients were awake and problems were growing.
“The real competition for XACT is the status quo: manually executed programs,” Gadot declared.
One reason for adopting his system is that the success of manual surgery depends heavily on the skill of the surgeon, a difficult goal that is difficult for even the most skilled to achieve.
According to Gadot, XACT started with radiology applications but has expanded into other areas, including thoracic and orthopedic surgery.
“[These areas] The same challenges are faced when trying to perform percutaneous procedures. Therefore, professionals in every department, even those outside of radiology and oncology, must understand solutions that enhance patient care and increase efficiency,” he said.
Photo: PhonlamaiPhoto, Getty Images
