Basecamp Vascular (BCV) has announced a “major step” in the development and evaluation of steerable mechatronic guidewires for stroke treatment via its GECKO system.
A first-in-human case with the device was conducted by Michel Piotin (Foundation Rothschild Hospital, Paris, France), and presented for the first time at the 2022 European Society of Minimally Invasive Neurological Therapy (ESMINT) congress (7–9 September, Nice, France).
“Physicians face many challenges with neurovascular pathologies in navigating to the treatment site rapidly and safely,” said Piotin. “GECKO, through its design versatility and electronic navigation, facilitates the management of complex arterial manoeuvres, saving time and minimising device exchanges. We are very pleased to be the first users and look forward to realising the many benefits of this device on our patients.”
As per a BCV press release, more than 12.2 million people suffer a stroke globally each year, and the estimated global cost of the condition is more than US$721 billion.
A key issue in stroke treatment—the release continues—is speed to intervene, as each minute represents nearly two million lost neurons. During stroke intervention, complications can arise that delay access to the clot and cause issues in patient recovery, with current approaches sometimes involving excessive time and devices to obtain access to the stroke location, depending on anatomical complexity.
“Because ‘time is brain’, at BCV, we developed the GECKO—a sterile, Class 3, single-use steerable mechatronic guidewire intended to facilitate the access and positioning of a catheter to reach the obstructing clot,” said Raphaël Blanc (Foundation Rothschild Hospital, Paris, France), CEO of BCV.
GECKO was designed to allow faster navigation and reduce complications, especially in tortuous vessels, according to the release. The system is compatible with existing catheters and image-guided platforms, and has potential applications in any procedure requiring guidewire access, including cardiovascular, urological, gynaecological, oncological and bariatric procedures.
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