Abbott has announced in March the launch of Voyager NC Coronary Dilatation Catheter, a next-generation balloon dilatation catheter with high-pressure capability designed to optimise the treatment of patients with coronary artery disease during angioplasty procedures.
The device is now available in the USA, Europe and select countries in Asia and Latin America.
Voyager NC system can be used for both pre-dilatation and post-dilatation procedures. Physicians can use Voyager NC to navigate tortuous anatomy and open up lesions before a stent is delivered, or expand a stent more precisely against the vessel wall after it is implanted.
The device is available in a wide variety of diameters (from 2mm to 5mm) and lengths (from 6mm to 25mm) on a rapid exchange delivery system.
“When choosing a dilatation catheter, one of the key attributes interventional cardiologists look for is the ability to accurately deliver the balloon to the target lesion, particularly in challenging coronary anatomy,” said Dr Dean J Kereiakes, The Christ Hospital Heart and Vascular Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. “Voyager NC delivers on its promise as a high performance balloon dilatation catheter with high-pressure capability, frequently making difficult cases easier, even when treating the most challenging lesions.”
Proprietary technological advancements that Abbott engineered into the Voyager NC include a specialised tip with a smooth, rounded shape designed to deflect off stent struts and enhance balloon delivery through stents; flexible tungsten markers designed to help physicians navigate through arteries and properly position the balloon within a treatment area; and bilayer balloon material designed to make the balloon thinner and more flexible, enabling controlled balloon growth.
