ANCD thrombectomy device: in vitro evaluation

Endovascular treatment of stroke, although highly effective, may fail to reach complete recanalization in around 20% of cases. The Advanced Thrombectomy System (ANCD) is a novel stroke thrombectomy device designed to reduce clot fragmentation and facilitate retrieval by inducing local flow arrest and allowing distal aspiration in combination with a stent retriever. We aimed to assess the preclinical efficacy of ANCD. Methods Soft red blood cell (RBC)-rich (n=20/group) and sticky fibrin-rich (n=30/group) clots were used to create middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusions in two vascular phantoms. Three different treatment strategies were tested: (1) balloon guide catheter + Solitaire (BGC+SR); (2) distal access catheter + SR (DAC+SR); and (3) ANCD+SR, until complete recanalization was achieved or to a maximum of three passes. The recanalization rate was determined after each pass. Results After one pass, ANCD+SR resulted in an increased recanalization rate (94%) for all clots together compared with BGC+SR (66%; p Conclusion In in vitro three-dimensional models replicating MCA-M1 occlusion, ANCD+SR showed significantly better recanalization rates in fewer passes than other commonly used combinations of devices.