There is a new player in the AV fistula market. Nicast, a company out of Lod, Israel that specializes in the technique of electrospinning to create non-woven fabrics out of microfibers, has received the EU CE Mark of approval for the firms’s AVflo™ artificial vascular graft. The best part about the material composing the graft is in its ability to automatically close the puncture hole once the dialysis needle has been removed.
From the press release:
The AVflo is the first vascular access graft to apply the many beneficial properties of electrospun nanofabric. Its self-sealing, non-woven, synthetic fiber structure provides excellent primary and secondary patency (unobstructed blood flow); allows for dialysis within 24-48 hours after implantation; and self-seals within less than five minutes following the withdrawal of the dialysis needles. It is simple to implant and to suture to blood vessels; the needle punctures and suture holes do not bleed. AVflo is strong enough to withstand the pressure of blood flow, yet thin enough for blood flow to be easily felt through it.
From the product page:
excellent primary and secondary patency (unobstructed blood flow) early access, enabling dialysis within 24-48 hours after implantation rapid arterial and venous puncture sealing (less than 5 minutes) following dialysis needle withdrawal rapid sealing (less than 5 minutes) of suture perforations and halting of blood weeping easy suturing of graft to blood vessels easy implantation; no end-to-end twisting of graft during implantation easily palpable thrill (blood flow vibration)
Press release: Nicast’s AVflo(TM) for Hemodialysis Patients Receives CE Mark
Product page: AVflo™ Vascular Access Graft
Nicast technology page: Electrospinning
Flashback: Nanofiber-based Vascular Grafts by Nicast