System to Restore Blood Flow During Ischemic Stroke

A system is designed to treat ischemic stroke simply, quickly, and effectively by removing the thrombus blocking the artery and extending the time window for treating stroke from three to eight hours.

The heart of the system employs a specialized wire that relies on super-elastic linear technology to deliver a retrieval device through a microcatheter into the arteries of the brain. Upon exiting the catheter, the retriever device forms the complex shape used to ensnare and retrieve the clot. A specialized balloon guide catheter is also used as part of the system to provide blood flow occlusion during the retrieval process. The system, called MERCI (mechanical embolus removal for cerebral ischemia), has received the CE Mark. MERCI is the product of Concentric Medical, Inc. (Mountain View, CA, USA).

The company notes that available drug therapies to treat stroke by dissolving blood clots in the brain must be administered within the first three hours after the onset of stroke. The MERCI system extends the time window for treating ischemic stroke from three to eight hours, allowing many more patients to receive treatment.

"Ischemic stroke is one of the largest unmet challenges in healthcare today,” said Gary Curtis, president and CEO of Concentric Medical.




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Concentric Medical