Stroke is the 5th most common cause of death in the US and the leading cause of disability with an estimated direct and indirect cost amounting to more than $100 billion each year. Current procedures of mechanical thrombectomy, an endovascular procedure to restore the blood flow after ischemic stroke, can cause clot fragmentation during removal, and often necessitate two or more passes to achieve complete revascularization.

Xtract Medical is developing a patent-protected accessory device that consists of an expandable nitinol braided tube on the end of a guidewire that is delivered through existing neurovascular aspiration or guide catheters. The proposed device will be the first accessory device for catheters that completely contains the blood clot during removal from the patient and improves first-pass efficiency, thereby improving the patient’s functional outcome. 

In the SBIR Fast-Track project, Xtract Medical will conduct pivotal benchtop and pre-clinical studies to validate the efficacy and safety of its accessory device.