Medtronic Launches Arc Support Catheter in U.S.

Medtronic has announced the U.S. launch of its Arc support catheter, a device designed to improve delivery of the Solitaire stent retriever.

According to the Dublin, Ireland-based, the catheter, which received FDA 510(K) clearance in July 2015, provides the fastest route to restoration of blood flow in patients with complex anatomy suffering acute ischemic stroke.

Combining the catheter with the stent retriever will allow physicians to treat more challenging acute ischemic stroke and allow for the treatment of a larger segment of the population, says Satoshi Tateshima, a professor of neuro-interventional radiology at UCLA.

Medtronic added that only about 13,000 procedures with stent retrievers are performed annually, despite 240,000 people being eligible for treatment. — Michael Cipriano