A new device from NeuroInterventions, Inc, is designed to minimize brain damage by dramatically speeding the delivery of post-stroke countermeasures.

"Stroke is the third most frequent cause of death, and the number-one cause of permanent disability," said NeuroInterventions president and COO Michele Migliuolo. "When a clot blocks the flow of oxygen-rich blood in the brain, the 'window' for surgical help is only a few hours wide. Every second can mean a drop in brain function."

So, driven by the emergency-room maxim, 'Time is brain', NeuroInterventions has developed groundbreaking technology that enables surgeons to reach and remove clots in much less time than conventional approaches.

"Even after a patient reaches a hospital, it can take up to 60 minutes just to introduce a conventional catheter through the femoral artery and steer it to the site, before you can deal with the clot," Dr Migliuolo says.

Capable of dissolving or extracting clots and delivering medication, the NeuroInterventions system takes a shorter, faster path to the brain. With exceptional maneuverability for negotiating the circulatory system, "Our devices will benefit patients, physicians, hospitals and insurance companies by improving outcomes through shorter, more effective treatment; by permitting more complex procedures; and by reducing recovery times."

Based in Pittsburgh, NeuroInterventions is prototyping a family of patent-pending catheters for addressing deep vein thrombosis, carotid stenting, and traumatic brain injury, in addition to stroke.