TCT 2025 | Robot-Assisted PCI Enters a New Era: Results of the PANVIS STAR Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial

SHANGHAI, Nov. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The 37th Annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT2025) symposium was held grandly in San Francisco, USA, attracting widespread attention from the global cardiovascular community. On the morning of October 28th (local time), during the "Innovation Session: Robotics and AI-Enhanced Interventions," Dr. Wang Rui, representing the team of Academician Ge Junbo from Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, presented to the world for the first time the safety and efficacy data from the multicenter randomized controlled trial of China's independently developed PANVIS STAR Vascular Interventional Surgery Control System. The results were encouraging — in the field of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI), the introduction of robotic technology is gradually transforming traditional surgical paradigms.

I. Research Background: Why Robot-Assisted PCI?

In traditional PCI procedures, vascular interventional physicians must wear heavy lead aprons and operate for extended periods under X-ray, facing multiple occupational risks such as an increased incidence of orthopedic and ophthalmic diseases. With the advancement of precision medicine and telemedicine, robot-assisted PCI has become a key pathway to address these challenges. However, most current interventional robots rely on joystick control, making it difficult to simulate physicians' techniques and operating habits.

Additionally, limited compatible instruments restrict their widespread clinical adoption. The emergence of the PANVIS STAR system aims to break through this bottleneck.

II. PANVIS STAR  System: Design Innovations and Functional Highlights

Independently developed by Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Biomedical Robot Co., Ltd. (abrobo) , the PANVIS STAR system boasts the following outstanding features:

• Equipped with a globally unique PANVIS COF (Catheter On Finger) intuitive operating system: The controller mimics manual operation, aligning better with physicians' traditional operating habits and reducing the learning curve.
• Separate sterile cassette design: Supports operation of dual guidewires, dual rapid-exchange devices, and microcatheters, enhancing procedural flexibility.
• Multiple control motion modes: Improves the system's flexibility and adaptability, suitable for different vascular environments and various operators' surgical habits.
• Ultra-long travel design: Supports the entire procedural workflow after catheter sheath insertion, possessing pan-vascular compatibility.
• 5G remote operation support: Lays the foundation for performing long-distance remote PCI.

III. CAPTAIN-C Study Design: A Rigorous Multicenter RCT

This prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled trial, led by Principal Investigator Academician Ge Junbo, aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of PANVIS STAR in PCI.
Inclusion criteria: Obstructive coronary artery disease, coronary artery stenosis ≥50%, with clinical indication for a single PCI procedure.
Exclusion criteria: Included recent stroke, acute MI within 48 hours, severe comorbidities, and complex coronary anatomy, among others.
The primary endpoint was clinical procedural success, defined as: final TIMI flow grade 3; residual stenosis <30%; and no Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events (MACE) during hospitalization.

IV. Core Results: Safe, Feasible, and Remarkably Effective

The study results showed:
Robotic group: 71 cases; Conventional manual group: 73 cases. There were no significant differences between the two groups in age, gender, underlying diseases (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes), or clinical diagnosis at admission.
Interventional process and angiographic characteristics: Lesion type, rate of subtotal occlusion lesions, lesion length, and stent length showed no significant differences between groups. Almost all interventions were performed via the transradial approach.
The selected lesions were relatively complex, with B2 and C type lesions exceeding 60% in both groups, and approximately 20% of patients in both groups had subacute STEMI and NSTEMI.

Safety and Efficacy Results:
Clinical success rate: 97.18% in the robotic group.
Robotic technical success: 100%, with no conversions to manual procedure and no device deficiencies.
Remarkable effect in reducing radiation exposure for the primary operator: 97.2% reduction in iatrogenic radiation.
No significant differences were observed between the two groups regarding patient radiation dose and contrast agent volume.
These data not only validate the operational stability of PANVIS STAR in complex coronary lesions but also demonstrate its clear value in reducing physicians' occupational risks.

V. Innovation and Breakthrough: From "Operable" to "Well-Operable"

The breakthrough of PANVIS STAR lies not only in the technology itself but also in its human-centric ergonomic design philosophy. Its controller simulates the traditional vascular interventional operation mode and techniques, allowing physicians to achieve precise, stable, and remote operation without changing their established habits.

Furthermore, the system supports remote intervention in a 5G environment. A successful remote PCI procedure over a distance of 5,200 kilometers was performed jointly by the team of Academician Ge Junbo and Professor Shen Li from Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, along with the team of Director Chen Qingxing (an expert from Zhongshan Hospital assisting in Xinjiang), Director Abulimiti Jamali, and Director Maimaitiaili Tuerxun from Kashi Second People's Hospital in Xinjiang. This lays a practical foundation for future "cross-hospital," "cross-regional," and even "cross-border" PCI surgeries.

VI. Clinical Value and Future Prospects

The clinical success of PANVIS STAR signifies that China possesses the capability for independent R&D and clinical translation in the field of interventional robotics. Its pan-vascular compatibility further expands its application prospects in areas such as neurovascular and peripheral vascular interventions.

With the integration of 5G networks and artificial intelligence technologies, future robot-assisted interventions will no longer be limited to "replacing human hands" but will advance towards new stages featuring intelligent navigation, automatic planning, and remote collaboration.

VII. Opening a New Chapter in Precision Intervention

The CAPTAIN-C study is not just a "coming-of-age ceremony" for the PANVIS STAR system; it is a solid step forward for Chinese interventional cardiology in the direction of intelligent and remote procedures. As Academician Ge Junbo's team stated: "What we pursue is not only technological leadership but also enabling more physicians to perform each procedure safely and efficiently, allowing more patients to benefit from the warmth of technology."

Media Contact:
Yoyo Wang,
wangluyao@abrobo.com  

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