Stereotaxis

The NIOBE® ES Magnetic Navigation System includes two NIOBE® pods which utilize permanent magnets mounted on pivoting arms and positioned on opposing sides of the operating table.[3] The magnets are controlled by physicians from outside of the procedure room by interacting with the NAVIGANT™[4] software using a mouse, keyboard, joystick, and ODYSSEY®[5] viewing screen. The rotation of the magnets within the Niobe pods influences the magnetic catheters in the heart to make micro movements of the catheter tip (in increments of 1 mm to 9 mm) to navigate throughout the four chambers of the heart and complete the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias.[6][7][8][9]

This process differs from traditional non-robotic procedures where an electrophysiologist stands within the x-ray fluoroscopy field at patient bedside and manipulates a pull-wire catheter by making very fine movements of his or her fingers and wrists at the catheter base. This force is then transferred over the entire length until it reaches the tip of the catheter within the patient’s heart.