PITTSBURGH, Sept. 14 Driven by the emergency-room maxim, "Time is brain," NeuroInterventions, Inc. is prototyping an innovative stroke treatment device designed to speed up the restoration of blood flow and thus minimize brain damage.
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Michele Migliuolo, NeuroInterventions President and COO, will describe the development and his company's background in a presentation at the 3 Rivers Venture Fair in Pittsburgh on Sept. 16.
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"In stroke treatment, every lost second means decreased brain function," he says. When a blood clot plugs an artery, blocking the flow of oxygen-rich blood to part of the brain, "the 'window' during which surgery can help is just a matter of hours."
"But, even after a patient reaches a hospital, it can take as long as 60 minutes just to introduce a conventional catheter through the femoral artery and steer it to the site, before you can start to deal with the clot."
NeuroInterventions systems can dissolve or extract clots and, if necessary, deliver medication. Among the key innovations are a shorter, faster path to the brain, and exceptional maneuverability for negotiating the circulatory system's complexities. "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," Dr. Migliuolo says.
Founded in 2007 and based in Pittsburgh, NeuroInterventions is prototyping a family of patent-pending catheters for addressing conditions that include deep vein thrombosis, carotid stenting, traumatic brain injury, and stroke. The technology also facilitates localized drug and stem cell delivery.
The management team includes world leaders in interventional radiology, neurology and neurosurgery, as well as successful entrepreneurs, among them: Lawrence Wechsler, M.D., chair of the Department of Neurology and director of the Stroke Institute at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; Mark H. Wholey, M.D., founder and director of the Pittsburgh Vascular Institute; Tudor Jovin, M.D., co-director of the Center for Neuroendovascular Therapy at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; Ender Finol, Ph.D., associate research professor for the Institute for Complex Engineered Systems and Biomedical Engineering Department at Carnegie Mellon University; and Dr. Migliuolo, a high-tech entrepreneur and former executive in residence at the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse.
Media contact: Michele Migliuolo, Ph.D. [email protected] 412-663-0109
SOURCE NeuroInterventions, Inc.
