Michael Knauth, director of Neuroradiology, University Hospital of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany, and president-elect of the German Society of Neuroradiology, presented at the ABC-WIN seminar, Val d’Isère, France, the European evaluation data on the Separator 3D (Penumbra).
The Separator 3D is a next-generation clot engagement device that works in conjunction with aspiration at the site of the lesion causing an acute ischaemic stroke to remove the clot and restore blood flow to affected brain tissue.
“Our evaluation cases at six European centres, the first cases in the world performed with this new device, show an approximately 90% recanalisation success. The device also demonstrated that it was easy to navigate and deliver to the site of occlusion, even in very tortuous anatomy. The geometry of this new device may prove to better secure the full length of the clot while aspiration removes the clot from the patient’s affected vessel. Further experience and follow-up is required to confirm preliminary, promising results,” said Knauth.
“We have performed quite a few cases at our centre with the new Penumbra 3D device,” said Olav Jansen, director of the Institute of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Kiel, Kiel, Germany and president of the German Society of Neuroradiology. “I was impressed in particular with the smoothness of delivery and resheathing of the device into the microcatheter. We have had success in a wide variety of anatomical situations already, including long clots, focal clots, and clots at difficult bifurcations. The 3D is really a substantial advancement in the technology we have available to us to treat this difficult condition.”
“The new Penumbra 3D device differs in some key aspects from other thrombectomy systems,” said Werner Weber, head of the Department of Radiology and Interventional Neuroradiology, Klinikum Vest, Knappschaftskrankenhaus, Recklinghausen, Germany. “Because of its 3-dimensional characteristics, it has a different geometry than other companies’ devices. The 3D Separator also has extremely good pushability, especially through distal, more tortuous segments due to the stability of the distal pusher wire. The combination of the 3D Separator together with aspiration allows for removal of clots, due to their consistency, which could not otherwise be removed with stent retrievers alone. We have seen several cases in which lesional aspiration together with the 3D Separator has been key to the success of the proceedure. For example, using the 054 Reperfusion Catheter just in front of the site of the occlusion enables good results.”
The Separator 3D has CE mark and is now widely available in CE countries. It is under clinical trial in the United States.
