Ottawa hospital first to adopt new stroke tech

OTTAWA – To advance stroke care, The Ottawa Hospital has successfully adopted Vena Medical’s Balloon Distal Access Catheter (BDAC) into its stroke treatment protocol. This follows a comprehensive evaluation through OBIO’s Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN), highlighting a leap forward in mechanical thrombectomy effectiveness.

The Vena BDAC combines balloon guide and distal access catheter technologies to significantly improve the First Pass Effect (FPE) in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS), a life-threatening and debilitating condition.

FPE is the successful removal of a blood clot on the first attempt during thrombectomy, which is vital for reducing brain damage. By enhancing this critical factor, the BDAC seeks to decrease the debilitating effects and mortality associated with strokes, thereby improving recovery times and overall patient outcomes.

This advancement addresses the pressing health and economic challenges of stroke care, offering a promising improvement for those affected by this serious health issue.

The recent evaluation at TOH indicated significant improvements in stroke treatment outcomes with Vena Medical’s BDAC. First Pass Effect increased to 64%, well above the industry average of 44%.

These results suggest notable improvements in patient health at the 90-day mark, particularly in terms of functional independence. The adoption of the BDAC at TOH highlights its vital role in enhancing stroke care and improving treatment outcomes.

Michael Phillips, Vena Medical’s co-founder and CEO, remarked, “It’s great to see The Ottawa Hospital putting themselves on the map as an early adopter and champion of innovation in Canada. Through EAHN, TOH is the first in the world to adopt Vena Medical’s latest stroke technology, the Vena Balloon Distal Access Catheter as their device of choice. Canadians continue to be the first to benefit from this cost lowering and outcome improving technology developed right in their backyards before it takes the rest of the world by storm.”

“The Ottawa Hospital is always focused on enhancing patient outcomes through innovative solutions,” said Ellen Odai Alie (pictured), director of Medical Imaging at The Ottawa Hospital. “Integrating Vena Medical’s BDAC into our treatment protocol means that more patients can be treated successfully on the first try – marking a significant advancement in stroke care.”

“OBIO is pleased to support the adoption of Vena Medical’s latest stroke technology at The Ottawa Hospital through EAHN,” said Dr. Maura Campbell, president and CEO of OBIO. “This project exemplifies how EAHN can introduce innovative technologies across the healthcare system to improve treatment outcomes and recovery times for serious conditions, including stroke.”

About Vena Medical
Vena Medical, an ISO 13485 and MDSAP certified company, is creating a suite of tools to change the way physicians perform minimally invasive neurosurgery, starting with the Vena Balloon Distal Access Catheter, currently available in Canada. The MicroAngioscope is the smallest camera in the world, designed for physicians to view inside veins and arteries for stroke treatment. The need for this new product has been evident in stroke treatment through pre-clinical studies published in the American Journal of NeuroRadiology and the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery. For more information on Vena Medical visit www.venamed.ca.

About The Ottawa Hospital
The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) is one of Canada’s top learning and research hospitals where we are guided by our vision to provide the world-class and compassionate care we would all want for our loved ones. Our multi-campus hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, is home to the Regional Trauma Centre and Cancer Centre, and to discoveries that are adopted globally. Backed by generous support from the community, we are focused on reshaping the future of health care to improve the health of our diverse population of patients from Eastern Ontario, Western Quebec, and Nunavut. For more information about The Ottawa Hospital, visit OttawaHospital.on.ca.

About OBIO
OBIO, a not-for-profit, membership-based organization dedicated to advancing health technology innovation and commercialization, is prioritizing the evaluation of new technologies through its Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN). OBIO is engaged in strategy, programming, policy development and advocacy to further the commercialization of human health technologies, positioning Canada as a leader in the international marketplace. For more information, please visit OBIO.ca and follow OBIO on LinkedIn and X.

Source: Business Wire