Summary:
The Korean company, established in 2019, has been developing a bio-medical micro-robot system using electromagnetic fields for the treatment of vascular diseases. The company is looking for partners amongst companies, research institutes, hospitals and other organizations with capabilities to carry out pre-clinical studies (i.e. animal tests) and clinical trials for validating the company’s bio-medical micro-robot system under a subcontracting agreement.
Description:
Company’s medical microrobot system is composed of magnetic guidewire-microrobot, current control unit, user interface software, and electromagnetic coils. Electromagnetic coils which are fixed under patient bed, are designed to be compatible with conventional medical image equipment such as X-ray according to the clinicians’ feedback. This allows the medical team and the operator to easily approach the patient when in need. These coils can be uninstalled/unfixed after use, and kept secured separately. Once the equipment has been removed, the surgery room is ready to be used for other general procedures. Hence, there is no need for an exclusive surgery room.
The company is prioritizing medical microrobot system for interventional treatment. However, its applicable in the field of active target therapy. With the identical principle, different types of microrobots could deliver therapeutic agents to a specific lesion inside the body using 3D magnetic field control system.
Conventional methods of drug treatment include oral intake and injection. These methods face major weakness which the drug also affects the normal tissues simultaneously. As result, the amount of drug delivered to target area is often inadequate, along with risk of side effects on unwanted areas. With magnetic microrobots and 3D magnetic field control system for its manipulation, it is able to deliver drugs to specific lesion for full efficiency.
The company is one of the leading entrepreneurs in developing medical microrobot system. Core members have the largest number of patents applied for the past 5 years, with more than 10 years of experience in microrobot research and for its use as medicine. Research papers are one of the top influential papers in the world with publications in Science Robotics, Science Advances, Advanced Materials, Soft Robotics, Micromachines and more.
Company is looking for partnership with any organization, research institutes, hospitals, and others that are interested in utilizing microrobot as the next generation medical device. Partner should be able and willing to carry out preclinical studies and clinical trials under a subcontracting agreement.
Type (e.g. company, R&D institution…), field of industry and Role of Partner Sought:
The Korean company is looking for partnership with hospitals, research institutes, and companies of related field in the European region under a subcontract agreement. The partnered company is expected to have the capacity to carry out preclinical study (i.e. animal test) and clinical trials for validating the company’s medical microrobot system for further development and improvement.
Company’s partner shall carry out preclinical studies including animal tests (e.g. mini-pigs) and clinical trials. Under a subcontracting agreement, partner organization is expected to collect according information and data. Analytic results/data from the tests and trials should include steering of guidewire-microrobot inside the test subject’s blood vessels, time consumed to reach the desired lesion, time consumed for the completion of procedure, amount of radiation exposure from radioactive equipment, etc.
Technical Specification or Expertise Sought:
The company is seeking partnership with European hospitals, research institutes, and related companies through subcontracting contracts. The partner is expected to have the ability to conduct not only preclinical studies such as animal studies but also clinical trials for validation of the company's bio-medical microbot system for further research and development.
Partnered organization is expected to carry out preclinical studies including middle size animal tests such as mini-pigs, followed by clinical trials under a subcontracting agreement. The Korean company expects the partnered company to gather information and data based on the test results including guidewire steering inside blood vessels, duration to reach the targeted lesion, whole procedure duration, etc
Stage of Development:
Prototype available for demonstration
IPR Status:
Patents granted
External code:
BRKR20210924001
