New Atherectomy System Helps Fight Arterial Obstructions

An innovative peripheral atherectomy catheter offers a minimally invasive solution to clear blockages in the peripheral vasculature, restoring blood flow and effectively treating peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in the lower limbs.

The Jetstream PV Atherectomy System has expandable, rotating scraping flutes with one-step size expansion and active aspiration for preemptive removal of both hard and soft plaque. The system consists of a sterile, single-use catheter and control pod and a reusable, compact console that mounts to a standard intravenous (IV) stand. The expandable cutting tip within the catheter holds the rotating blades that safely debulk and preemptively remove both hard and soft plaque, as well as calcium, thrombus and fibrotic lesions. Excised tissue and thrombus are continually aspirated from the peripheral treatment site through ports in the catheter tip to a collection bag located on the console. The distal portion of the catheter also possesses several ports that provide continuous infusion of sterile saline during the atherectomy procedure; this active aspiration feature minimizes the risk of distal embolization. With a simple set up procedure and an ergonomic design, the Jetstream maximizes treatment effectiveness with an average device activation time of about three and a half minutes. The Jetstream PV Atherectomy System is a product of Pathway Medical Technologies (Kirkland, WA, USA), and has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"The market introduction of Jetstream represents a major business milestone for our organization and a dramatic new treatment option for the endovascular community in fighting PAD,” said Tom Clement, president and CEO of Pathway Medical Technologies. "We expect the device to provide interventionalists with the clinical versatility they seek, while providing patients suffering from peripheral arterial disease with more predictable outcomes. Jetstream is truly the next logical evolution in atherectomy.”

Atherectomy (also known as Endarterectomy) is a surgical procedure to remove the blockages in the lining of an artery constricted by the buildup of fatty deposits. It is carried out by mechanically separating the plaque from the arterial wall. The procedure was first performed on a superficial femoral artery in 1946 by the Portuguese surgeon João Cid dos Santos. The procedure is widely used on the carotid artery of the neck as a way to reduce the risk of stroke, particularly when the carotid artery is narrowed by more than 70%. Atherectomy is also used as a supplement to a vein bypass graft to open up distal segments.

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