FDA has approved a clinical trial that will pit Abbott’s Amplatzer Amulet stroke prevention device against a newer class of blood thinners that are the present standard of treatment. Officials at Abbott (NYSE:ABT) think data from the new Catalyst trial could alter clinical practice, eliminating the need for some people with atrial fibrillation to take blood […]
Stroke
Study: Mechanical thrombectomy no better than best medical care for stroke
An international study and meta-analysis have found that mechanical thrombectomy and best medical management produce similar results in stroke patients with emergency large-vessel occlusion and mild resulting deficits. Up to 10% of patients with emergency large-vessel occlusion treated within six hours can have mild deficits and deteriorate rapidly or gradually, leaving physicians in a conundrum […]
Medtronic inks deal for Viz.ai’s stroke tech
Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) said today that it inked a deal to distribute the stroke-detection software developed by Viz.ai. San Francisco-based Viz.ai’s LVO Stroke platform is designed to analyze computed tomography results and notify providers of potential strokes. The technology won 510(k) clearance from the FDA in February 2018. The deal with Fridley, Minn.-based Medtronic calls for […]
Balt wins CE Mark for Titan aspiration catheter
Balt said yesterday that it won CE Mark approval in the European Union for the Titan aspiration catheter. The catheter dates back to the September 2016 acquisition of endovascular device developer Blockade Medical and its Barricade coil. Blockade’s facility in Irvine, Calif., became the headquarters for Balt’s new American subsidiary, with Blockade co-founder, president & […]
Boston Scientific wins CE Mark for Watchman FLX anti-stroke implant
Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX) said today that it won CE Mark approval in the European Union for the next iteration of its Watchman anti-stroke heart implant. The Marlborough, Mass.-based medical device maker said the Watchman FLX is designed to be easier to implant during procedures to occlude the left atrial appendage and is re-capturable and re-positionable intraprocedurally. […]
Perfuze raises $3m seed round for Millipede stroke catheter
Perfuze said today that it raised more than $3 million for the Millipede catheter it’s developing to treat ischemic stroke. Although not quite in stealth mode, the Galway, Ireland-based firm is close-mouthed about its technology. CEO Wayne Allen and CTO Liam Mullins (who co-founded Embo Medical before its in 2015, $YY acquisition by C.R. Bard in 2015) founded […]
The top 10 medical disruptors of 2019
The Cleveland Clinic for the past 16 years has predicted what the top 10 medical disruptors will be for the following year. The health provider seeks input from 150 to 200 of its physicians, hailing from each of its institutes. The result is 300 to 400 suggestions, which the clinic then narrows down to 150. […]
Stryker wins expanded CE Mark for Trevo stent retriever
Stryker (NYSE:SYK) said today that it won an expanded CE Mark indication in the European Union for its Trevo thrombectomy device as a front-line treatment for acute ischemic stroke patients for up to 24 hours from symptom onset. The expanded indication lifts the previously cleared treatment window by 18 hours, according to the Kalamazoo, Mich.-based company, and […]
This visor-like device could be a defibrillator for stroke
A portable, visor-like device has shown potential for detecting emergent large-vessel occlusion with 92% accuracy in patients who may have had a stroke. The researchers suggest that the diagnostic device could be readily accessible to emergency personnel and in public spaces in the same way a defibrillator is available for treating heart attacks. Researchers and […]
Brainomix raises $10m for AI stroke imaging tech
Brainomix said today that it raised nearly $10 million for the e-ASPECTS stroke imaging technology it’s developing using artificial intelligence. The £7 million round was led by Parkwalk Advisors, joined by existing backers Chimera Partners and Oxford University Innovation Fund and the venture arm of pharma giant Boehringer Ingelheim. Oxford, England-based Brainomix said its tech is […]
FDA clears Medtronic’s Riptide clot aspiration device
Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) said today that it won 510(k) clearance from the FDA for its Riptide clot aspiration device for treating ischemic stroke. The Riptide device is designed to retrieve blood clots via the Arc catheter to restore blood flow to the brain. The clearance covers patients with acute ischemic stroke secondary to intracranial large vessel occlusive disease […]
