Medical devices company Millipede stated that its latest delivery system incorporating a new fully integrated intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) catheter has been used for treating two patients.
Image: Millipede’s new fully integrated ICE catheter used in treatment. Photo: Courtesy of judith hakze/FreeImages.com.
Millipede stated that the catheter has been designed to improve the precise delivery and accurate placement of the IRIS annuloplasty ring implant.
The IRIS annuloplasty ring delivered by the transcatheter-transseptal delivery system follows the standard surgical approach to repair and reduce the size of a dilated mitral annulus.
The IRIS device is a complete ring designed for use as a stand-alone device or in combination with other technologies in patients suffering from severe mitral regurgitation. The system is capable of being used for treating severe tricuspid regurgitation.
University of Bonn cardiology professor Eberhard Grube said: “The company has been rapidly enhancing the IRIS system in preparation for US and EU clinical studies. The continuation of clinical evidence has allowed for a rapid advancement of delivery catheter and IRIS implant while providing a safe predictable tool for the interventionalist.”
This new system was recently used for treating two patients with functional mitral regurgitation.
The patients were discharged from the hospital the next day. The two patients along with all the other patients who were implanted with Millipede’s devices are claimed to be doing well on their latest follow ups.
Millipede president and CEO Randy Lashinski said: “Our team is very excited to see the advancement of the delivery system and implant now with integrated ICE being used in patients with functional mitral regurgitation.”
California-based Millipede is in the development of providing catheter delivery of the gold standard in mitral and tricuspid valve repair, a complete annuloplasty ring.
In January 2018, Boston Scientific closed an investment and entered into an acquisition option agreement with Millipede.
In July 2017, Millipede implanted its newest 50-millimeter IRIS annuloplasty ring with a transfemoral, transseptal delivery catheter in a functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) patient.
Furthermore, as part of Millipede’s clinical experience, a MitraClip (Abbott) was used successfully following a previously placed Millipede IRIS (18 months post implantation).