Volcano announced the signing of a supply agreement with ev3, a Covidien company, under which Volcano will supply its proprietary intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) technology for use in ev3’s plaque excision systems. Utilising the digital IVUS transducer incorporated in Volcano’s market leading EagleEye catheter product line, this new product will be capable of running on Volcano’s global installed base of 5,000 systems.
Scott Huennekens, president and CEO of Volcano commented, “In addition to our internally developed image guided therapy products, such as the Vibe RX imaging balloon (commercially available in the EU only), we have looked to other medical device industry leaders to join us in differentiating therapeutic devices by adding integrated imaging capabilities. Covidien is an innovative company that recognises the value of onboard visualisation and is committed to bringing these new, more precise therapies to market to help improve patient outcomes. This agreement also exemplifies the value of our one system, many solutions strategy facilitated by our multi-modality platform.”
Plaque excision systems, also called atherectomy devices, are catheters that remove plaque that blocks arteries and interrupts blood flow. Instead of compressing plaque against the vessel wall‰Û¥as is the case with balloon and stent therapy alone‰Û¥plaque excision systems remove the obstruction from the vessel, thereby restoring blood flow, reducing damage to the vessel wall, and preserving future treatment options. IVUS integration offers advantages in immediate assessment of the plaque to better guide therapy.
Over 270,000 atherectomy procedures have been performed with ev3’s SilverHawk and TurboHawk directional atherectomy catheters, uniquely designed to direct the therapy specifically to the diseased portion of the vessel while avoiding healthy portions of the vessel. The latest generation of TurboHawk plaque excision catheters are designed to remove all plaque morphologies from diseased arteries, including calcified lesions.
“By partnering with Volcano, we continue to lead atherectomy therapy, enabling physicians to visualise the diseased portion of the artery for optimal plaque excision,” said Stacy Enxing Seng, president, Peripheral Vascular, Covidien. “This is particularly important as we believe preparing and treating the vessel for drug delivery, whether via drug coated balloon or stent, will create a breakthrough in treating lower extremity peripheral arterial disease.”
