Hansen Medical (NSDQ:HNSN) is touting the use of its Magellan robotic system in what it terms the world’s 1st robot-assisted retrieval of an inferior vena cava filter.
The Magellan system was used to retrieve a Cook Medical IVC filter during an endovascular procedure performed in Houston, according to a press release. IVC filters are designed to trap blood clots in patients at high risk of developing pulmonary embolism. When a patient’s PE risk diminishes, the filters can be removed using a catheter.
“Retrieval may be technically challenging or fail when a filter has tilted inside the body. By enabling a physician to change the angle and direction of the robotic catheter inside the blood vessel, Magellan may help a physician to more precisely target the hook of a tilted filter,” according to the release.
“We are pleased to report the success of this initial procedure,” Dr. Alan Lumsden, who performed the procedure using the Magellan system at Houston Methodist Hospital, said in prepared remarks. “This is another great example of how the precision, stability and control of the Magellan robotic catheters are being applied to help improve the predictability of many of the complex endovascular procedures that we perform on a daily basis.”
The Magellan system is already on the market in the U.S. and Europe. Last fall, Hansen announced that the device had been used successfully in the U.S. to perform both prostatic artery and fibroid embolization procedures.