Gentuity has today announced the first human use of the Vis-M high-frequency optical coherence tomography (HF-OCT) imaging system and probe. As per a company press release, this represents a “significant technological advance for the field of neurointervention”, making high-resolution intravascular imaging in the brain possible.
The procedures were performed at St Michael’s Hospital—a site of Unity Health Toronto in Toronto, Canada—by Vitor Pereira, the centre’s director of Endovascular Research and Innovation. They were performed in the neuro-angiography suite with a minimally invasive, endovascular approach, the release also notes.
“This is an incredibly exciting milestone,” said Pereira. “The direct visualisation technology we evaluated here offers unprecedented potential in the diagnosis and treatment of aneurysms, stroke, intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) and other neurological pathologies. I am proud and honoured to have the opportunity to perform the first cases. The system and imaging probes performed very well, integrating with our workflow seamlessly, and provided us with important information that we cannot obtain with any other technology—very impressive.”
Gentuity’s Vis-M neuro-intravascular imaging probe has been designed to specifically address the challenges of navigating through the tortuous and delicate blood vessels of the brain. This imaging probe enables in vivo micron-level resolution at 250 frames per second, providing high-resolution images not only of the arterial wall and interventional therapies but also beyond the vessel wall.
These first-in-world experiences will be presented at this month’s ABC WIN Seminar (15–20 January, Val d’Isère, France).
“Because of neuro HF-OCT, we will now be able—for the first time—to analyse and better understand different pathologies, and the results of our neurointerventional therapies,” said Pedro Lylyk (ENERI [Equipo de Neurocirugía Endovascular y Radiología Intervencionista], Buenos Aires, Argentina). “It is a real gamechanger in the cerebrovascular field.”
“Today, we welcome the new era of intravascular imaging in intracranial circulation with this new technology,” added Matt Gounis (University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, USA). “Revolutions in neurointerventional imaging, from the discovery of X-rays over 120 years ago, to three-dimensional imaging in the angiography suite 20 years ago, occur roughly once in a generation. The work demonstrated by Dr Pereira and his team in these first human cases is profound—direct imaging of the pathology and its relationship to devices transforms treatment decisions, and the fundamental understanding of cerebrovascular pathology.”
“We are very pleased to have had the opportunity to work with the team at St Michael’s Hospital and to contribute our novel high-resolution intracranial images to the care of these patients,” said David Kolstad, CEO of Gentuity. “These procedures reflect years of technical innovation, development and extensive testing. They are an important step in our mission to develop a platform that will improve the understanding of target diseases, facilitate the development of novel therapies, and ensure optimal treatment delivery for the benefit of patients worldwide.
“Gentuity is committed to accelerating the improvement of neurovascular patient care. With our proprietary neuro-intravascular imaging system and AI [artificial intelligence] data platform, we are able to work closely with our clinical and preclinical partners to collaborate and enhance our understandings and patient care together. We have been very fortunate to work with leaders in the field of neurointervention, including Dr Pereira, Dr Ajit Puri [University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, USA], Dr Gounis, Dr Lylyk, Dr Demetrius Lopes [Advocate Aurora Health, Downers Grove, USA], Dr Ricardo Hanel [Baptist Neurological Institute, Jacksonville, USA], Dr Conrad Liang [Kaiser Permanente, Oakland, USA], Dr Vania Anagnostakou [University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, USA], and others, to reach this important milestone.”
