The purpose of the present study is to design an MRI-guided robotic catheter system to significantly improve the efficacy of atrial fibrillation ablation interventions. Specifically, in this study, the investigators will develop an MRI-guided robotic intra-vascular catheter system by synergistically integrating novel real-time MRI, robotic catheter control, and advanced human-machine interface technologies. The developed robotic system will seek to eliminate recurrences resulting from inaccurate and insufficient treatment, and complications resulting from over-treatment by enabling the physician to effectively see, navigate, and control the catheter in relation to the anatomy. The system will improve the physician's ability to visualize the cardiac anatomy and allow the physician to evaluate the substrate depth and lesion created in real-time using intraoperative MRI. The precise and dexterous robotic catheter control will enable the physician to accurately and easily steer the catheter and maintain robust contact with the atrium to generate a transmural scar and ensure a continuous trajectory without gaps. The advanced human-machine interface will enable intuitive and dexterous catheter control and provide the physician with unparalleled situational awareness. The investigators will integrate the developed technologies into a complete MRI-guided robotic catheter system prototype, and validate them in benchtop experiments as well as in vivo in a large animal study.
This project aims to significantly improve the treatment of atrial fibrillation, which has an estimated prevalence of 2.7-6.1 million in the United States with 200,000 new cases annually. The proposed system seeks to eliminate recurrences resulting from inaccurate and insufficient ablation (requiring re-ablation procedures) and complications resulting from over-ablation by improving the ability of the physician to visualize the cardiac anatomy and control the ablation catheter.
