Innovative stroke treatment device to minimize brain damage

Driven by the emergency-room maxim, "Time is brain," NeuroInterventions, Inc. is prototyping an innovative stroke treatment device designed to speed up the restoration of blood flow and thus minimize brain damage.

Michele Migliuolo, NeuroInterventions President and COO, will describe the development and his company's background in a presentation at the 3 Rivers Venture Fair in Pittsburgh on Sept. 16.

"In stroke treatment, every lost second means decreased brain function," he says. When a blood clot plugs an artery, blocking the flow of oxygen-rich blood to part of the brain, "the 'window' during which surgery can help is just a matter of hours."

"But, even after a patient reaches a hospital, it can take as long as 60 minutes just to introduce a conventional catheter through the femoral artery and steer it to the site, before you can start to deal with the clot."

NeuroInterventions systems can dissolve or extract clots and, if necessary, deliver medication. Among the key innovations are a shorter, faster path to the brain, and exceptional maneuverability for negotiating the circulatory system's complexities. "Our devices will benefit patients, physicians, hospitals and insurance companies by improving outcomes through shorter, more effective treatment; by permitting more complex procedures; and by reducing recovery times," Dr. Migliuolo says.