Medtronic has launched the Export Advance aspiration catheter, intended for thrombus removal in the peripheral vasculature in the US.
The new aspiration catheter, which was recently cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is designed to help remove blood clots from coronary arteries during angiographic procedures.
The Export Advance features a core wire running down the shaft that prevents the catheter from kinking and improves pushability when navigating to the target.
The new thrombus removal system is built with full-wall variable braiding technology that offers stiffness to the device to improve flexibility and pushability for optimal catheter performance.
University of Arizona associate programme director of the interventional cardiology fellowship Dr Hoang Thai said: "With the Export Advance aspiration catheter, Medtronic has taken the power and deliverability of manual thrombectomy devices to a new level."
In May, the Export Advance aspiration catheter received CE mark and has been introduced in various international markets since then.
It is the latest addition to Medtronic’s portfolio of thrombectomy devices, which also includes the market-leading Export AP aspiration catheter.
Medtronic coronary business vice-president and general manager Jason Weidman said: "Our next-generation device offers high-performing aspiration power that physicians have come to expect from Export aspiration catheters, which to date have been used to treat more than one million patients worldwide."
According to GlobalData estimates, the cardiac catheters market in the US was valued at $387.3m in 2012 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.0% to reach $476m by 2019.
Image: Medtronic world headquarters, Minneapolis, Minnesota, US. Photo: courtesy of Medtronic Inc.
