phenox GmbH of Bochum, Germany received European approval for its pCONus Bifurcation Aneurysm Implant, a device designed to address difficult wide neck intracranial bifurcation aneurysms. The company spent effort minimizing the amount of material used in the implant so that that the metal covers less than 5% of the inner arterial surface. Some details from phenox:
The pCONus implant is a new class of endoluminal device that is designed to support the mass of coils at the level of the neck of wide neck bifurcation aneurysms that cannot be easily coiled or surgically treated. It combines features of an endoluminal stent with an intra-aneurysmal implant.
According to the company, the implant features a distal end that opens like a blossoming flower and its petals rest on the inside of the aneurysm along the neck. The body of the implant is deployed in the parent artery and anchors the device securely in place. The device can be deployed completely and recovered completely for optimal, accurate and safe repositioning. When the operator is satisfied with its position the aneurysm is then coiled by passing a microcatheter inside the stent and through a nylon net at the base of the petals. Once the coiling is complete and the physician has removed the coiling microcatheter, the pCONus Implant is detached via an electrolytic detachment process.
Press release: Phenox receives CE mark approval for pCONus Bifurcation Aneurysm Implant