Innovative Cardiovascular Solutions has announced the successful first European clinical cases using its Emblok embolic protection system in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) procedures. The cases were performed by Azeem Latib and Matteo Montorfano under the direction of Antonio Colombo (all at San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy)
A press release reports that the Emblok system is the first circumferential aortic filter designed to fully capture and prevent embolic debris from reaching the brain and other vasculature during transcatheter valve procedures. The company’s multicentre non-randomised feasibility study will evaluate subjects with severe native aortic valve stenosis who meet the commercially approved indications for TAVI. Study endpoints will include acute cerebral embolic burden and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) at 30 days.
Latib says: “The Emblok system is intended to provide complete cerebral protection during valve implantation and is very easy to position, deploy and retrieve.” “It is the most intuitive filter I have ever used,” adds Montorfano. Colombo further comments: “Of all the filters, this is the one I like the most, it is very straightforward to use.”
