MOUNTAIN VIEW, California, January 29 /PRNewswire/ --
Concentric Medical, Inc. announced today that it has obtained regulatory clearance for its Merci(R) L4 and Merci L6 Retrievers in the European Union. These new Retrievers, released in the United States in 2007, join the existing Merci Retrievers(R) already on the market in Europe, and provide physicians with additional choices in their efforts to restore blood flow in ischemic stroke patients.
The Merci L4 and L6 Retrievers join Concentric Medical's L family of Retrievers which incorporate filaments into the retrieval helix. These filaments provide an additional mechanism for securing blood clots during retrieval from the brain. The Merci L6 Retriever has a 2.7 mm cylindrical helix and is designed for use in larger vessels than the Merci Retrievers currently on the European market. The Merci L4 Retriever has a 2.0 mm cylindrical helix and is designed for use in smaller vessels, further adding to the Merci Retriever portfolio.
"The Merci Retrieval System(TM) has been used on many more ischemic stroke patients than any other clot retrieval system, and we continue to incorporate the knowledge gained from this experience into improved devices," said Gary Curtis, President and CEO of Concentric Medical. "These next generation Retrievers are further evidence of our leadership in bringing exciting and new life saving options to stroke patients."
The Merci Retriever is a shaped wire constructed of nitinol, a "memory wire," that allows delivery of the Retriever in linear form using standard catheterization techniques. A small puncture in the groin is used to introduce the Merci Retriever into an artery leading to the brain. Upon reaching the targeted area, the Merci Retriever is deployed and returns to its original helical shape. The Merci Retriever is designed to restore blood flow by engaging, capturing and removing blood clots.
About Concentric Medical
Concentric Medical is located in Mountain View, California, and was founded in August 1999. The company manufactures and markets the Merci Retrieval System, which is available in over 250 leading stroke centers around the world. Concentric Medical estimates that over 7,000 patients have been treated with its devices. For more information about Concentric Medical, please visit http://www.concentric-medical.com.
Media Contact: Andrew Gordon +1-650-810-1701 agordon@concentric-medical.com European Contact: Marc Hofmans +32-475-31-02-56 mhofmans@concentric-medical.com
Web site: http://www.concentric-medical.com
Andrew Gordon, +1-650-810-1701, agordon@concentric-medical.com, or European contact, Marc Hofmans, +32-475-31-02-56, mhofmans@concentric-medical.com, both of Concentric Medical, Inc.
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