Export Aspiration Catheter Improves Blood Flow, Survival Rates

Medtronic Inc. will showcase its Export Aspiration Catheter at TCT 2008.

Recent results from an independent study, called TAPAS, showed that thrombus aspiration with the Export Aspiration Catheter prior to stenting can improve blood flow and survival rates in patients suffering acute myocardial infarction (AMI) compared to treatment with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) alone.

Previously published and presented results from TAPAS found that most AMI patients with ST-segment elevation achieved better reperfusion and clinical outcomes when receiving thrombus aspiration before standard PCI, regardless of their clinical and angiographic characteristics at baseline. Medtronic said prior studies of thrombus aspiration have been negative or inconclusive. New findings from the TAPAS researchers’ analysis of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) at one-year of follow-up are expected to be presented today to attendees of EuroPCR. MACE is a composite endpoint comprised of death, cardiac death, MI and target lesion revascularization (TLR).

The device is not approved for patients with myocardial infarction.

Results from TAPAS are consistent with those from Medtronic’s EXPORT study, a randomized controlled trial of 250 patients at 24 sites in Europe and India comparing the use of the Export Aspiration Catheter with conventional PCI.