Instead of compressing plaque against the vessel wall – as is the case with balloon and stent therapy alone – plaque excision systems (atherectomy devices) remove the obstruction from the vessel and restore blood flow.
Volcano president and CEO Scott Huennekens said in addition to their internally developed image guided therapy products, such as the VIBE RX Imaging Balloon (commercially available in the EU only), they have looked to other medical device industry leaders to join them in differentiating therapeutic devices by adding integrated imaging capabilities.
Covidien Peripheral Vascular president Stacy Enxing Seng said by partnering with Volcano, they continue to lead atherectomy therapy, enabling physicians to visualize the diseased portion of the artery for optimal plaque excision.
"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," Seng said.
