Localized Drug Delivery by Perfusion Catheters

A new small vessel therapeutic perfusion catheter can be used for localized delivery of therapeutic agents to the coronary and peripheral vasculature.

The ClearWay RX is a low pressure perfusion catheter which incorporates a thin, semi-compliant balloon made of microporous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, commonly known as Teflon) to deliver small quantities of medication. The microporous balloon allows for controlled infusion at very low pressures (2-4 atmospheres) for maximum local therapeutic effect at a discrete targeted location. The rapid exchange perfusion catheter is .014 guidewire compatible, allowing access to several difficult to reach target destinations throughout the body. The ClearWay RX is available in 1.0-4.0 mm balloon diameters and in balloon lengths ranging from 10-50 mm. Longer balloon lengths provide for a wide range of local tissue treatment options with a single therapeutic perfusion inflation.

The ClearWay RX was developed by Atrium Medical (Hudson, NH, USA), and has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Rapid exchange therapeutic perfusion catheters are a developing interventional drug delivery technology that offers a novel approach for localized therapeutic delivery of pharmaceutical agents with far less systemic payloads.



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Atrium Medical