GYEONGGI-DO

LN Robotics is leading the next wave of medical robots

 

 

AVIAR : Korea's first cardiovascular intervention assist robot system

 

Q. What kind of company is LN Robotics?

 

A. LN Robotics is a company that creates robots to assist in cardiovascular interventions.

When conducting cardiovascular interventions using traditional methods, drawbacks include frequent radiation exposure for medical staff and challenges in carrying out procedures with precision. To address these issues, our primary focus is on developing medical robots that leverage additional features to enhance the smooth execution of procedures.

 

Q. Why medical robots? And why specifically a robot for coronary artery intervention?

 

A. Currently, the orthopedic surgery market dominates the demand in the medical device industry. Orthopedics adopted robots in surgery about a decade ago, experiencing significant growth. Following this, we believe the cardiovascular field holds high growth potential. In cardiovascular procedures, tools such as wires, catheters, and stents are commonly used. Particularly with stents, since it is an expensive tool, transitioning from manual procedures to robot-assisted methods has been deemed the right direction. In order to enhance efficiency, stability, and rationality in procedures, we have decided to develop cardiovascular surgery robots.

 

Q. What is the current status of the industry, especially considering the recent withdrawal of Siemens’ Corindus?

 

A. LN Robotics’ robots stand out technically from competitors, and their development has been tailored to meet the demands of healthcare professionals in the field. Since there is still a consistent demand for the technology itself, we believe that by effectively leveraging LN Robotics’ strengths, we can adequately satisfy the requirements of medical professionals.

 

AVIAR combines advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, robotics, and biomaterial to improve the outcome of intervention procedures and reduce radiation exposure through remote operations.

 

Q. What are the strengths of LN Robotics products compared to competitors?

 

A. The primary advantage lies in having a greater number of channels than competitors, allowing for the application of the technology in intricate procedures with precise force control. In this context, think of these channels as performing a role akin to the hands of a person.

 

Secondly, the inclusion of Haptic functionality stands out. Many doctors express satisfaction with the robot’s ability to create a sense of touch artificially, allowing for more nuanced movements, as opposed to simply moving with no sensation using a joystick.

 

Lastly, although it is currently under research and development, a significant strength is our early initiation of research on utilizing AI for automatic interpretation of lesion locations and medical imaging, surpassing competitors in technological capabilities.

 

Q. Description of a recent successful robotic PCI procedure.

 

A. In 2019, there were already two successful cases of using the initial model to insert guide wires. However, achieving success in the entire process, including stent and balloon insertion, entirely through the use of a robot instead of human hands marks a significant milestone as the first successful instance of a domestically developed medical robot in South Korea.

 

CEO/CTO  Jaesoon Choi

Q. What are the plans for overseas expansion and the future direction of the business?

 

A. We have been in the process of initiating FDA approval for approximately two years now. We are currently conducting meetings with local CROs for clinical trials in the U.S. and making efforts to gather local information and stay updated on the latest industry trends through various channels, as part of our entry strategy into the U.S. market.

 

Q. What is the future development direction?

 

A. Currently, we are focused on developing a robotic system for assisting cardiovascular procedures. However, we have plans to consistently invest in technological development to apply robotics in various areas, including small vessels and complex procedures in neurovascular and peripheral vascular assistance robots. Additionally, we aim to extend our efforts to the field of rehabilitation medicine.

 

Website: https://lnrobo.com/