Novel Intracranial Stent Targets Wide-Neck Aneurysms

A new open-cell design stent supports embolic coiling in the treatment of neurovascular aneurysms with torturous anatomy.

The Stryker Corporation (Kalamazoo, MI, USA) Neuroform Atlas Stent is an open cell, self-expanding nitinol stent that provides support of the coil mass within the aneurysm and minimizes stent deflection. The stent has a tubular meshdesign, with 4, 6, or 8 distinct sections, depending on stent length. The sections are joined by two interconnecting struts, and there are eight radiopaque marker bands (four per end), which are secured to tabs on the stent. The stent is deployed in healthy vascular tissue; once in place, the embolic coil is delivered through the struts of the stent, which is then used to retain the embolic coils within the aneurysm.

The Neuroform Atlas Stent system is indicated for the treatment of wide-neck intracranial, saccular aneurysms arising from a parent vessel with a diameter of greater than or equal to two mm, and less than or equal to 4.5 mm. The stent is available in five diameters (2.5-4.5mm) and three lengths (10mm, 15mm, and 20mm). It is provided pre-loaded on a delivery wire, protected by a transfer sheath, and is available with an accessory pouch containing an optional stabilizer that can be attached to the proximal end of the stent delivery wire to facilitate handling and stabilization.

“The Neuroform Atlas Stent System is the most recent addition to Stryker's innovative product portfolio, providing a continuum of complete stroke care for patients suffering from cerebrovascular disease,” said Mark Paul, president of Stryker's neurovascular division. “Patients around the world are now benefiting from significant advancements in intracranial stents designed specifically for the treatment of wide neck aneurysms. This product is an excellent fit with our mission to make healthcare better.”

“The hybrid cell stent design of Neuroform Atlas is designed to improve wall apposition, ease of use, deployment accuracy, and catheter re-entry in even the most challenging cases,” said Osama Zaidat, MD, director of the neuroscience and stroke center at Mercy Hospital (Toledo, OH, USA), co-principal investigator of the U.S. Neuroform Atlas investigational trial. “The Atlas design may improve patient care by facilitating the treatment of wide neck aneurysms in tortuous and more complex anatomies.”

Wide-neck aneurysms are defined as having a neck greater or equal to four mm or a dome-to-neck ratio of less than two. They are often untreatable by surgical clipping, as many wide- neck aneurysms are in vessels deep within the brain that are not amendable to being treated by open brain surgery. Coiling wide neck aneurysms, on the other hand, could lead to coil protrusion and/or embolization, as it is difficult to achieve and maintain sufficiently dense coil packing of the aneurysm to permanently exclude blood flow.