Concentric Medical

Overview

Founded in 1999, the company has gathered together a dynamic team of medical professionals, engineers, and employees in Mountain View, CA to deliver our commitment to opening the pathway to stroke treatment. The company is working hand in hand with stroke centers to provide new options for stroke treatment and develop new solutions to make a difference in the lives of stroke patients.

Stroke Management: Merci^® Retrieval System

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel in or around the brain becomes plugged or ruptures. When a stroke occurs, the area of the brain supplied by the affected blood vessel fails to work properly, and in some cases, that part of the brain dies. Depending on the severity of the stroke and the part of the brain affected, severe disability or death can occur. Therefore, rapid medical intervention to remove the clot and restore blood flow is critical.

The Merci Retriever from Concentric Medical, Inc., was recently cleared by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the removal of blood clots from patients experiencing an ischemic stroke. The Merci Retriever is a novel therapy that removes the clot, restores blood flow and offers hope for ischemic stroke patients with no other options. The FDA granted clearance after a thorough review of patient data obtained in a clinical study at 25 medical centers in the United States. The MERCI (Mechanical Embolus Removal in Cerebral Ischemia) Trial evaluated the device in 141 patients who were ineligible for "clot-busting" drugs which can only be used within three hours of stroke onset.

The Merci Retriever is used in conjunction with the Merci Microcatheter and the Merci Balloon Guide Catheter and employs standard catheterization techniques. Once the location of the clot has been identified using angiography, the Merci Balloon Guide Catheter is inserted through a small incision in the femoral artery in the groin. Under x-ray guidance, the Merci Balloon Guide catheter is maneuvered up to the carotid artery in the neck, a guidewire and the Merci Microcatheter are deployed through the Balloon Guide Catheter and then placed just beyond the clot. The physician then deploys the Merci Retriever device to engage and ensnare the clot. Once the clot is captured, the Merci Balloon Guide Catheter is inflated to temporarily arrest forward flow while the clot is being withdrawn. The clot is pulled into the Merci Balloon Guide Catheter and completely out of the body. The balloon is then deflated, and blood flow is restored.