Microvention, a wholly owned subsidiary of Terumo, has announced that the Eric retrieval device is now commercially available in the USA for ischaemic stroke treatment, having received 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on 31 March 2022.
“The Eric retrieval device’s ability to rapidly interact and trap the embolus, coupled with its low-profile design, facilitates synergistic use with SOFIA catheters [Microvention] and reduces time to recanalisation,” said Adel Malek (Tufts Medical Center, Boston, USA). “We are excited to have been the first centre in Massachusetts to have clinical experience using the Eric device and since then have integrated Eric into our stroke practice.”
Eric delivers thrombus control inside and outside of the device; offers no clot integration wait-time to drive procedure efficiency; and offers versatile treatment options for mechanical thrombectomy, as per a press release from Microvention.
The device is a self-expanding, laser-cut clot retriever with multiple retrieval cages, located on a pusher wire delivery system. Unlike tubular stents, in which the ends are open, Eric is designed to control the thrombus through its cage-like design. It has an atraumatic design that conforms to the natural vessel, offering soft, outward radial force, minimal vessel wall contact, and an exceptionally flexible design, the release also states.
Eric is offered in three sizes that treat a wide vessel size range of 5.5mm down to 1.5mm, and is compatible with Microvention’s Headway 17 and Headway 21 microcatheters. As part of an initial limited release, the first Eric cases in the USA were performed by the neurovascular team at Riverside Methodist in Columbus, USA—consisting of Peter Pema, Abdulnasser Alhajeri and Ronald Budzik—in February 2023.
Microvention states in the release that ERIC delivers safe and effective outcomes, showing similar results in terms of successful revascularisation, and clinical and safety outcomes, when compared to other retrieval devices.
With the introduction of the Eric retrieval device, the company now claims to offer a “comprehensive and streamlined” portfolio of stroke solutions, delivering compatibility, versatility and speed “unlike any other”. In addition to Eric, Microvention’s integrated stroke solution portfolio includes the Sofia catheters, Bobby balloon guide catheter, Wedge microcatheter, Headway microcatheters, and Traxcess guidewire.
“Today’s introduction of the Eric retrieval device is guided by our continued commitment to meaningful advancement in stroke innovation,” said Carsten Schroeder, president and CEO of Microvention. “Eric underscores this commitment to offering physicians and patients vital versatility when every second counts. We are thrilled to now offer a comprehensive, fully integrated stroke portfolio that delivers compatibility, versatility, and speed—a true standout in the neurovascular space. This is the result and honour of working side-by-side with leading physicians around the world to identify the evolving needs in patient care, and then transform those insights into innovative technologies that help to save patient lives.”
