Following world-first transatlantic remote procedure in October, this new study marks rapid acceleration of the med-tech firm’s surgical robotics platform toward human clinical trials

• Remote stroke thrombectomy procedures were carried out from three remote sites across two Continents by seven doctors, switching control from one site to the other in less than a minute.
• World renowned clinicians were very positive about the system, their feedback noting the system “intuitive,” “incredibly accurate” and exhibiting “even greater stability” than hands-on intervention
• It can also tackle unnecessary death and disability caused by lack of access to surgeons in remote or under-served areas

Sentante, the medical robotics company developing breakthrough remote technology for time-critical stroke treatment, has conducted its first live subject study.

Surgeons used its unique haptic endovascular platform remotely from three locations on animal subjects located in Paris. The aim: to test the effectiveness of Sentante ’s platform in delivering remote thrombectomy procedures where the specialist and patient are separated by thousands of miles. It marks a critical step in the company’s rapid progress towards human trials — and making life-saving, gold-standard stroke treatment more accessible.

The intensive three-day study involved 24 stroke thrombectomy procedures (the mechanical removal of a blood clot from a blocked artery or vein, which can lead to stroke) performed remotely from three sites — Orlando, Florida; Dundee, Scotland; and Vilnius, Lithuania — on live animal subjects located at the prestigious Veranex facility in Paris.

The test team, comprising internationally-renowned neurovascular surgeons and interventional radiologists, performed an array of procedures including diagnostics, the navigation of endovascular devices and the removal of thrombus material from the live arteries — all remotely.

“I was genuinely surprised by how effortlessly the robot handled all the steps in the procedure,” said Dr. Ricardo Hanel, MD. “It took less than a minute to shift robot control from the centre in Europe to here in Florida, and the devices did not move at all. I was able to continue the procedure from exactly the same position where the devices had been left a moment earlier by the European doctors. Navigation was smooth, stable, and incredibly accurate, giving me total control at every step. The system is ready for use in human patients.”

The study follows a world-first remote thrombectomy procedure performed using Sentante’s platform on perfused human cadaver subjects at a hospital in Dundee, Scotland by two clinicians located remotely, including one in Jacksonville, Florida. This remote interface, with haptic, near real-time feedback simulating the tactility of a bedside location, made the trial’s success a significant leap forward in the ability for specialists to perform interventions on patients suffering life-threatening or life-limiting stroke events from afar. Both specialists — Florida-based Dr. Ricardo Hanel , and Prof. Iris Quasar Grunwald MD in Dundee — also took part in the latest live trials.

“The encouraging results from our study in Dundee allowed us to accelerate our timeline,” says Dr. Tomas Baltrunas , co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Sentante. “What we’re testing here goes beyond simply removing a clot remotely; we’re validating the technology in living systems — managing fluids, avoiding injury and vessel damage, dealing with the many things that come into play when you’re working with a real living organism, and maintaining the speed and urgency to make real-time decisions. This is pre-clinical data that directly lays our route to treating patients.”

Given the acute need for this technology and the quality of the results so far, this accelerated pathway has also benefitted from Sentante’s recent FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for peripheral vascular applications, providing expedited regulatory review to bring the technology to patients faster.The live trial study invited observations from the attending specialists with a view to understanding the performance and physical experience of the technology, in particular its potential within human endovascular applications.

“Sentante’s robot allowed me to conduct five transatlantic stroke thrombectomies in an animal model in just a couple of hours,” said Dr. Vitor Mendes Pereira. “It reflects how rapidly robotic solutions for stroke care are advancing and the exciting potential for future applications. I see this technology as fully ready for use in humans, and a clinical trial should be started as soon as possible”

“In stroke treatment, achieving the optimal balance between speed and precision is always a challenge,” said Dr. Vincent Costalat .“Sentante strikes that balance perfectly for mechanical stroke thrombectomy.”

Critical tech for modern medicine

Stroke remains the second leading cause of death and disability globally, with approximately 12 million cases in 2024. Time is critical; for ischemic stroke, the difference between full recovery and permanent disability can be measured in hours. Yet access to specialised thrombectomy centres and specialist staff remains severely limited, particularly in remote and underserved areas.

Sentante ‘s haptic platform differs from joystick-controlled surgical devices by delivering authentic force feedback directly to the surgeon’s fingertips, replicating the tactile experience of manual surgery but from a distance of thousands of miles. The system works with standard catheterisation laboratory equipment and devices — guidewires and catheters — and has benefits both for specialists (reduced radiation exposure and physical strain) and patients (access to specialist care in remote locations, enhanced medical support). Data gathered during every stage of the procedures has an unprecedented richness that will further refine the process and assist training.

“Sentante will change the way we train for stroke thrombectomies,” said Prof. Iris Quasar Grunwald MD , global leader in interventional stroke treatment training. The University of Dundee is the official global training centre of the World Federation for Interventional Stroke Treatment (WIST).

Prof. Grunwald also highlighted the haptic feedback, commenting: “The haptic feedback of the robotic system is exceptional. You feel exactly what the device is doing, even though you’re operating it remotely. We are used to specific devices and with Sentante you can use the same devices as in real life – Sentante is device-agnostic, open-platform compatible with the best-in-class, off-the-shelf endovascular devices. The subtle tactile cues give you confidence in every movement. It’s almost like having your hands directly on the catheter, but with even greater stability.”

While the company’s platform for peripheral vascular interventions is already progressing toward regulatory clearance, stroke thrombectomy still must navigate an established clinical pathway: pre-clinical validation, followed by first-in-human studies, and ultimately full clinical trials.

“Remote stroke treatment requires precision, stability, safety, and tele-operation all at once,” said Edvardas Satkauskas , CEO of Sentante. “Our platform was built from day one to deliver exactly that. We’re not just developing technology; we’re developing a complex and needed solution to a growing gap in care that costs lives and independence every day.”

About Sentante:

Sentante is a medical robotics company founded in 2017 building a haptic, device-agnostic endovascular platform that enables clinicians to perform complex vascular procedures remotely with full tactile feedback. Designed to integrate with existing cath-lab infrastructure, Sentante aims to expand access, improve clinician safety, and elevate procedural consistency across peripheral vascular, neurovascular and cardiovascular applications. In October 2025, Sentante achieved a world-first for remote surgery as a thrombectomy procedure was performed on a human cadaver from across the Atlantic, expanding the possibilities for time-critical stroke treatment in remote locations.