Spectranetics Corp. (SPNC) announced the U.S. market launch of the TAPAS catheter at the 2012 Vascular Interventional Advances or VIVA conference in Las Vegas. TAPAS is manufactured by ThermopeutiX, Inc. and distributed by Spectranetics.
According to the company, the TAPAS catheter is the first drug infusion system to provide a versatile solution using a single adjustable and repositionable catheter to deliver any physician-specified drug or diagnostic agent. Its dual occlusion balloon design allows for precise targeting of the treatment area, delivery and dwell time of the drug, and aspiration to minimize systemic effects.
The company noted that Mehdi Shishehbor, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH will present his study results on preclinical animal data at VIVA Continuing Medical Education event titled "Contemporary Options for Complex Lower Extremity Disease." The purpose of the study was to evaluate the uptake of a drug delivered intra-arterially via the TAPAS Catheter in a swine model.
The TAPAS catheter is a system featuring two compliant occlusion balloons enabling targeted local infusion of any physician-specified agent. A unique feature of the device is the ability to adjust the treatment zone up to 300mm, allowing for the treatment of long vessels with only one device and, in certain cases, multiple lesions with one device. The medication can be aspirated out of the catheter after treatment, providing localized intravascular treatment without systemic run-off.
The company said that the TAPAS catheter can be used in conjunction with Spectranetics' laser atherectomy or other interventional devices. Clinical studies are currently underway to investigate whether debulking with laser or other atherectomy devices prior to drug delivery improves patient outcomes.
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