VasoStitch percutaneous access-and-closure system featured at ACC annual meeting

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Mar 29 2012

VasoStitch, a start-up medical technology company, announced today that its technology was featured at the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) this week in Chicago. VasoStitch is developing a percutaneous access-and-closure system for the nonsurgical deployment of large-diameter transcatheter therapeutic devices, such as Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implants (TAVI) and Endovascular Aneurysm Repair (EVAR) devices. The VasoStitch system is designed to reduce procedural complexity and eliminate the need for an "open" surgical procedure.

“We now look forward to our First-in-Human milestone.”

The challenge with percutaneous catheter-based cardiac procedures is that a surgical cut-down is required for access and then closure. VasoStitch has developed two platform technologies designed to access and close percutaneous therapy sites without the need for open surgery, thus making catheter-based interventions simpler and more accessible.

"At this time, surgical means of arterial or cardiac access and closure for large-diameter, catheter-based interventions adds about 60 minutes to a lengthy and complicated procedure. Consequently, a device that can replicate the current 'gold standard' of surgical access and repair in a more rapid and facile fashion will reduce healthcare costs dramatically, enhance adoption of large-diameter cardiovascular and endovascular therapies, and improve the efficiency of patient management," said David W. J. Smith, President and CEO of VasoStitch. "We now look forward to our First-in-Human milestone."

The "unique benefits" of the VasoStitch technology include: (1) integrated access and closure; (2) optimal closure and healing; (3) ease of use; (4) universal size; and, (5) cost-effectivenes.

VasoStitch was founded by Amir Belson, MD. Dr. Belson previously founded NeoGuide Systems, a company that developed platform technology for minimally invasive surgical procedures and was acquired by Intuitive Surgical in 2009; more recently, Dr. Belson also has founded Emboline, Modular Surgical, RadGuard Medical, Thermocure, Vascular Pathways and ZipLine Medical.