The first European patients with peripheral arterial disease have been treated with a new ultra low-profile micro-balloon catheter from Cook Medical that allows physicians to treat arterial lesions in the leg below the knee, according to the company.
Cook Medical’s Advance Micro 14 PTA balloon catheter was introduced to European physicians at the 2013 Leipzig Interventional Course (LINC) in Leipzig, Germany.
“My first experience using the new Advance Micro 14 balloon catheter from Cook Medical was very positive,” said Andrej Schmidt, Angiology and Cardiology Department at Park Hospital and Heart Center, Leipzig. “The ultra low profile of the balloon allows you to pass lesions from both the antegrade and retrograde approaches with the same device.”
To date, patients have been treated with the device at medical centers in Germany, France, Sweden, Belgium, and the United Kingdom, according to a company release.
“This is an ultra low-profile balloon that was engineered for retrograde pedal approach procedures, but is versatile enough for standard antegrade vascular access procedures as well,” explained Rob Lyles, vice president of Cook’s Peripheral Intervention clinical division.
The company release reported that the Advance Micro 14 PTA Balloon Catheteris a dedicated over-the-wire micro balloon with a low crossing profile. The balloon is small enough to fit through a 3 French introducer and can even be used through the 2.9 French pedal access sheath that is also available from Cook Medical. The device has a tip entry profile as small as a 0.018 inch diameter wire. The Pliaform balloon texture and hydrophilic coating reduce friction during device insertion and retraction compared to uncoated devices. (Pliaform is available on all sizes except the 1.5 mm diameter devices.) The device is available in 50, 90 and 150 cm shaft configurations to accommodate a variety of access points.
The Advance Micro 14 Ultra Low-Profile PTA Balloon Catheter is intended to be made available soon in many European Union markets. The device is not approved for sale in the USA. Schmidt is a paid consultant to Cook Medical with respect to its medical devices.
