Aptly-named Atheromed (Menlo Park, CA) has received FDA approval for the Phoenix Atherectomy System that treats peripheral artery disease (PAD) by removing plaque from arterial walls. The Phoenix Atherectomy System is introduced over a guide wire to the target location and uses a cutting element at the distal tip of the catheter to remove the diseased material in a circumferential manner from the peripheral arteries. The cutting blades are designed to allow the shaved material to directly enter the catheter, rather than move downstream along with the blood flow. The plaque entering the catheter is continuously removed by an Archimedes screw that runs along the length of the catheter.
The device comes in a number of sizes ranging from 1.8mm to 2.4 mm catheter size and can be used to remove plaque in arteries as small as 2.5mm in diameter. The over-the-wire delivery system allows for optimal pushability and trackability, allowing to treat lesions in tortuous anatomies. The procedure with the Phoenix system can be performed by a single user, does not require additional capital equipment, and does’t necessitate the removal of the device in the middle of the procedure to clear the shaved material.
Press release: ATHEROMED ANNOUNCES FDA CLEARANCE TO MARKET THE PHOENIX…
Product page: Phoenix Atherectomy System…