Dr. Lee Butterfield M.D., interventional cardiologist with Palmetto Cardiology in Columbia, South Carolina, was the first to use a new mechanical thrombectomy (blood clot removal) system to extract a 1 inch long blood clot from a saphenous vein to coronary artery bypass graft.

The patient presented with a long blood clot in an aged saphenous vein bypass graft diagnosed during a cardiac catheterization procedure. Dr. Butterfield used the combination of a protective filter, the new ASPIRE RX-LP6 Mechanical Thrombectomy System, and a stent to remove blood clots and dilate the stenosis.

"Compromised bypass grafts may include long viscous blood clots and emboli making them particularly difficult to treat," said Lee Butterfield, MD with Palmetto Cardiology. "The ASPIRE RX-LP6 System allowed us to create continuous thrombectomy force and remove a long blood clot from the patient’s vein graft. Once the blood clot was removed, we could better define a culprit lesion and deploy a 3.5mm diameter stent."

The ASPIRE Systems allow clinicians to instantly start, stop, increase, decrease, pulse, or maintain thrombectomy force during the procedure. ASPIRE Mechanical Aspirators also aspirate up to 280ml, almost 10 times more than basic syringe systems, without multiple messy and time-consuming catheter connections, disconnections, and re-connections.

"The ASPIRE RX-LP6 Mechanical Thrombectomy System is a natural extension to the successful ASPIRE platform," said Shawn Fojtik, CEO of Control Medical Technology. "Thousands of ASPIREs have been sold and used in procedures from the ankle to the elbow. Adding FDA cleared coronary thrombectomy catheters allows clinicians to bring high-performance mechanical thrombectomy to the heart and improve patient care."

The patented ASPIRE RX-LP6 Mechanical Thrombectomy System includes an ASPIRE Mechanical Aspirator (drive unit/pump) and a low-profile rapid-exchange (RX) thrombectomy catheter. ASPIRE Mechanical Aspirators are also available alone and may be connected to any thrombectomy catheter the clinician chooses to use. Control Medical also manufactures ASPIRE MAX Mechanical Thrombectomy Systems with larger over-the-wire (OTW) thrombectomy catheters for use in the peripheral vasculature.

Control Medical Technology designs, develops, and markets innovative thrombus (blood clot) management, biopsy, and aspiration devices, including the patented ASPIRE Mechanical Aspirator, ASPIRE RX-LP6 Mechanical Thrombectomy System, and ASPIRE MAX Thrombectomy System, and other devices to improve patient care.