Breakthrough Device Enables Clear and Real-Time Visual Guidance for Effective Cardiovascular Interventions

Image: Coronary CTO re-entry with an image-guided reentry catheter having real time augmented graphical overlay (Photo courtesy of JACC Journals)

Coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) is a condition where a coronary artery becomes completely blocked due to plaque buildup. Approximately 16-20% of patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease are affected by CTOs, which presents substantial challenges for interventional cardiologists, particularly in navigating these blocked lesions with the existing standard of care techniques. When surgeons are unable to penetrate a CTO, they cannot perform minimally invasive revascularization procedures like angioplasty or stenting, often leading to the patient being referred for bypass surgery instead. Now, a breakthrough device can help overcome these challenges by providing surgeons with enhanced visualization and navigation during procedures, thus improving the success rates of CTO crossings, procedures, and overall patient outcomes.

The groundbreaking Acolyte Image Guided Crossing and Re-Entry Catheter System from Simpson Interventions, Inc. (Campbell, CA, USA) is designed specifically to aid in the accurate placement and positioning of guidewires and catheters within the coronary vasculature for treating patients with CTOs who still exhibit symptoms despite medical therapy. In recent research, surgeons demonstrated a first-in-human case of successful antegrade dissection and re-entry using the image-guided re-entry catheter that enables real-time high-resolution visualization with graphical augmentation, and precision steering and advancement of a guidewire. The total time from over-the-wire deployment in the proximity of the distal cap to successful re-entry was less than 20 minutes. The Acolyte Image Guided Crossing and Re-Entry Catheter System has now been granted Breakthrough Device Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

"We are thrilled to receive FDA's Breakthrough Device Designation for our Acolyte Image Guided Crossing and Re-Entry Catheter System," said Dr. John B. Simpson, PhD, MD, Founder and CEO of Simpson Interventions. "This designation recognizes the transformative potential of our technology in addressing a critical unmet need in the treatment of patients with coronary chronic total occlusions. We are committed to advancing the field of interventional cardiology and improving patient outcomes through innovation."