Cardiovascular diseases are the single most common cause of death in Europe and worldwide. Minimally invasive catheter-based approaches are gaining in importance as they extend treatment to patients with high surgical peri-operative risks. Today, catheter-based treatment comes with steep learning curves, poor ergonomics and exposure to damaging radiation.

ARTERY offers a radiation-free approach based on shared-autonomy robotic catheters, with increased user engagement and easy interaction. The fusion of the information yielded by echocardiography, optical and electromagnetic sensing techniques will provide a superior view upon the cardiovascular space. Fluidic actuation paired with artificial intelligence will be the pillars motors of the next generation of robotic catheters that autonomously find their way towards the target site. Through a fully immersive augmented reality interface, the operator will monitor the intravascular route of the catheter with no need for radiation-based imaging. Once into the heart, the operator will be able to navigate the intracardiac domain as if being teleported right inside the patient’s anatomy and will define the catheter target pose by simple gestures into the holographic representation. Artificial intelligence algorithms will automatically translate this input into the set of actions to be performed by the actuators. Variable-autonomy schemes allow the interventionist to take over control at any instant.

ARTERY will showcase this new paradigm on mitral valve repair and left appendage closure, two complex yet critical life-saving interventions. Clinicians and company partners are ready to take over the technology developed in ARTERY and translate it to the clinic right after the project.