Von Vascular has announced the publication of a preclinical study evaluating its Algo smart pump with adaptive pulsatile aspiration (APA) in the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery. The study found higher rates of complete clot ingestion (CCI)—which means drawing the clot fully into the catheter or collection reservoir, without leaving clot exposed at the catheter tip—and first-pass effect (FPE) complete reperfusion with Algo APA versus static aspiration via Penumbra’s Engine system.
Researchers at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (Miami, USA) performed 40 thrombectomy procedures in an in-vivo model of large vessel occlusion, using moderate and firm clot analogues. Thirty procedures used Algo APA with 0.055-inch and 0.071-inch aspiration catheters, while 10 used the Penumbra Engine with 0.072-inch catheters.
As detailed in a Von Vascular press release, key findings for Algo APA versus the tested static aspiration configuration included 83.3% versus 40% for CCI (p=0.014), and 80% versus 40% for complete reperfusion after one pass (p=0.041). Additionally, no distal embolisation events were observed in the APA group compared to a rate of 40% in the static group (p=0.002).
“Restoring flow is essential, but how we remove the clot also matters,” said Robert Starke (University of Miami, Miami, USA), senior author of the study. “These findings support closer attention to CCI and the role of aspiration dynamics in achieving it. The next step is to determine whether these procedural gains translate into benefit for patients.”
Across the present study, distal embolisation occurred only in procedures where CCI was not achieved.
“The relationship between clot ingestion and embolisation was a central finding,” commented Nadia McMillan (University of Miami, Miami, USA), first author of the study. “We observed no distal embolisation when the clot was fully ingested. That makes CCI an important endpoint to carry forward alongside measures of reperfusion.”
Algo APA combines real-time sensor feedback with computer-controlled aspiration to adjust suction during clot engagement and ingestion. The system is designed to help draw clot fully into the catheter by adapting how suction is applied, Von Vascular notes.
“We developed Algo because the aspiration source has a greater role to play in clot removal,” added Von Vascular’s Manning Hanser. “This publication adds evidence for that approach in an in-vivo model. It gives us a strong foundation for the clinical work ahead.”
The company also states that these findings are preclinical and do not establish outcomes in patients. The study applied unequal treatment groups and different catheters between groups, with results therefore relating to the tested pump and catheter configurations. Further controlled studies and human clinical evaluation are needed, Von Vascular’s release concludes.
