Bead Spheres Help Occlude Hypervascular Tumors

Innovative bioresorbable miniscule gelatin beads offer a new embolization treatment option when a permanent embolic agent is not desired.

The Gel-Bead embolization spheres are precisely sized gelatin beads that are inserted into the hypervascular tumor using a delivery catheter. The spheres form an artificial clot that is resorbed over time, providing physicians with an alternative to currently used microspheres, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), particles, and gelatin foam slurries. The spheres eventually undergo complete degradation, beginning at 4 weeks, with some spheres still present at 12 weeks. Studies showed that the majority of treated vessels showed no signs of recanalization at 12 weeks.

The Gel-Beads are supplied in 20 mL syringes, each containing 1 mL of gelatin spheres suspended in 5 mL of saline, and are available in four sizes of sphere diameter (100–300 µm, 300–500 µm, 500–700V, and 700–1,000 µm), each identified by a different colored syringe plunger. The spheres are manufactured using an emulsion system and cross-linked with glutaraldehyde. The Gel-Bead embolization spheres are a product of Vascular Solutions (Minneapolis, MN, USA), and have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“We are very pleased to announce the launch of Gel-Bead, our latest offering to leverage our biologics expertise in the field of embolization,” said Howard Root, CEO of Vascular Solutions. “With the launch of Gel-Bead, we offer the additional configuration of uniform spheres designed for smooth embolic delivery and predictable distribution, all at a very economical price. Over time, we plan to continue to add to our embolization products with future versions designed to meet specific therapeutic needs.”

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