Project Description:

Endovascular catheterization procedures are minimally invasive procedures performed by interventional cardiologists, interventional radiologists, and vascular surgeons to assess and treat various cardiovascular conditions. These treatments are typically classified as emergency surgeries and include procedures such as pacemaker and stent placement, uterine embolization, and blood clot removal, among other things. While these surgeries are the most commonly performed invasive procedures in the United States, only around a fourth of American hospitals are equipped with the catheterization labs necessary to perform said procedures. This shortage, along with a high concentration of the specialized surgeons in urban cities, leaves patients from rural areas to travel up to five hours away to receive critical healthcare treatment. This is why we are developing RoboClose, one of three steps towards fully remote catheterization procedures. Roboclose is a three part pneumatic compression system designed to deliver the exact amount of pressure necessary to close the arterial access point post-surgery safely and quickly. RoboClose includes three main parts: a pneumatic compression cuff for precise pressure application, a bioadaptive feedback system (BAS) for real-time adjustments, and a sheath extractor mechanism for seamless removal. RoboClose reads and processes pulse oximetry data in the BAS before modulating the air pressure inside our inflatable dual-balloon compression system in a way unique to each patient. This device not only has the potential to improve procedural accessibility, but provide personalized care for each user.