Smart Blood Vessel Connection Technology for Patient-Friendly Heart Surgery
The QUICK-LINK project is developing innovative technology to transform coronary bypass surgery into a minimally invasive procedure with short recovery times. This ambitious goal combines image-guided techniques with breakthrough vessel connection technology—Octocon®—the long-sought missing link in coronary bypass surgery. This approach significantly reduces trauma and enable quicker patient recovery. The public-private partnership brings together UMCU, OctoVascular BV, and other partners to address this critical need.
Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is the standard treatment for severe heart disease, with over 800,000 surgeries performed annually worldwide. However, the traditional method involves major surgery, long recovery times, and high costs. With the healthcare burden rising, there is an urgent need for innovation to reduce patient trauma and associated expenses. Octocon® aims to provide a reliable, automated solution for coronary vessel connection, enabling fully endoscopic CABG and offering enormous potential to improve patient outcomes while reducing healthcare costs.
QUICK-LINK focuses on developing Octocon®, a vessel connection technology designed to enable endoscopic coronary bypass surgery. The device combines laboratory and clinical research to ensure biological safety, optimize device functionality, and ensure compatibility with endoscopic systems. The project aims to achieve a breakthrough solution in image-guided, fully endoscopic CABG, offering significant advantages over conventional surgery methods.
The key deliverables include the successful design and validation of the Octocon® device, preclinical validation in animal models, and a first-in-human clinical trial. These milestones will demonstrate the technology's efficacy and lay the groundwork for widespread adoption, ultimately improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs.
