New EkoSonic™ Endovascular System With Rapid Pulse™ Modulation Technology 4 Times Faster Than Conventional Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis

Main Category: Cardiovascular / Cardiology
Also Included In: Blood / Hematology;  Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Article Date: 05 Sep 2008 - 6:00 PDT

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EKOS Corporation announced the launch of the EkoSonic™ Endovascular System (EkoSonic ES) with Rapid Pulse Modulation (RPM) for the dissolution of vascular blood clots. EkoSonic ES is the only endovascular system that can deliver microsonic energy and thrombolytic drugs simultaneously, providing a safer, faster and more complete way to remove clots by accelerating dissolution. The EkoSonic ES recently received FDA clearance.

Shortening Lysis Time With RPM, The Innovative Safe Technology

Intermittent bursts of microsonic energy effectively increase the permeability of the clot to the thrombolytic - 4 times faster than conventional catheter-directed thrombolysis with no evidence of thrombus breakage or hemolysis.

"Unlike mechanical devices, EKOS technology does not fracture the thrombus or damage red blood cells. Faster clot dissolution means a lower lytic drug dosage, resulting in fewer complications. Physicians can treat patients in less time, with even greater clinical confidence," said Robert Hubert, EKOS president and CEO.

User-Friendly Design Features

In addition to its unique RPM technology, EkoSonic ES design features include an advanced control unit with an easier, more intuitive user interface, making set up and operation simple. EkoSonic ES is also compatible with a new line of endovascular devices, EkoSonic™ Mach 4 Endovascular Device, (Mach4). The Mach 4 was specifically created to be compatible with the RPM technology.

The Mach 4 offers a variety of treatment zone options. Each Mach 4 consists of a MicroSonic™ Core within an Intelligent™ Drug Delivery Catheter. This combination device enables the system to deliver microsonic energy and drugs simultaneously to accelerate clot dissolution. Reduction in time translates to fewer drugs, lowering the risk profile of the procedure while the convergence of technologies results in a safer, faster, more complete outcome in the treatment of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and Peripheral Arterial Occlusions (PAO).

Over the past three years, physicians have responded favorably after performing nearly 6,000 cases utilizing the EKOS technology. "We predict that the EkoSonic will become the new gold standard to treat patients with vascular thrombosis," concluded Hubert.

Major U.S. medical centers utilizing the EkoSonic ES include Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute (Miami, FL), Cleveland Clinic Foundation (Cleveland, OH), Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (Lebanon, NH), Emory University Hospital (Atlanta, GA), Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston, MA), The Methodist Hospital (Houston, TX), University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago (Chicago, IL), and the Swedish Medical Center (Seattle, WA).

About Deep Venous Thrombosis

The Vascular Disease Foundation (VDF) states that DVT occurs when a blood clot, or thrombus, develops in the large veins of the legs or pelvic area. Some DVT's may cause no pain, whereas others can be quite painful. With prompt diagnosis and treatment, the majority of DVT's are not life threatening. However, a blood clot that forms in the invisible "deep veins" can be an immediate threat to your life, as compared to a clot that forms in the visible "superficial" veins, the ones beneath your skin. A clot that forms in the large, deep veins is more likely to break free and travel through the vein. It is then called an embolus. When an embolus travels from the legs or pelvic areas and lodges in a lung artery, the condition is known as a "pulmonary embolism," or PE, a potentially fatal condition if not immediately diagnosed and treated.

About Peripheral Arterial Occlusion (PAO) Disease

The arteries are the vessels in the body that supply oxygenated blood to the tissues. Acute peripheral arterial occlusion results in the sudden cessation of blood flow to an extremity of the body. The main cause of a sudden blockage of arteries leading to the extremities (peripheral arteries) is due to the local accumulation of cells (thrombus) and material within the artery or because a clot has been brought to a site by the blood stream (embolism). A common site for PAO disease is in the extremities.

Typically, the affected limb shows pallor, feels cold and becomes painful. The local nerves may become severely damaged, leading to paralysis (inability to move the limb). The lack of oxygen in the limb due to the obstruction of the artery can lead to gangrene (a loss of viable tissue). Restoring oxygen to the effected tissues requires fast and quick treatment of the affected artery. Reperfusion is important to minimize debilitating and potentially life-threatening negative outcomes.

About EKOS Corporation

EKOS Corporation pioneered the development and clinical application of microsonic technologies in medicine, introducing its first system for the treatment of vascular thrombosis in 2005. Today, interventional radiologists, cardiologists and vascular surgeons at leading institutions across the nation use EKOS MicroSonic™ Accelerated Thrombolysis (MSAT) to provide faster, safer and more complete dissolution of thrombus. In 2008, the company introduced 2nd generation EkoSonic™ Endovascular System with Rapid Pulse™ Modulation. The EkoSonic System is FDA-cleared for controlled and selective infusion of physician-specified fluids, including thrombolytic, into the peripheral vasculature. It is currently used to treat patients with peripheral arterial occlusions (PAO) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and additional applications are being investigated.

EKOS Corporation