Innovative cardiac catheter prevents cardiological repeat surgeries

At the end of February, the spin-out Kaminari Medical started from Erasmus MC. The company is based on an invention by the Department of Biomedical Technology of the Thorax Center; a cardiac catheter that for the first time can simultaneously and accurately reflect both the shape and the composition of coronary artery blockages. In the development of this ‘First-in-Man study’, Kaminari Medical work together closely with all disciplines within the Thorax Center and with TU Delft, Medical Delta and TNO.

Every year, around three million people worldwide undergo treatment for narrowed or blocked coronary arteries caused by cholesterol in the artery wall. Usually, these patients receive a stent that holds the vessel open. However, ten percent of them return within a year because of a new blockage - at the treated site itself or elsewhere in the coronary arteries. This number can drop considerably when the innovative heart catheter from Kaminari Medical is ready to enter the market.

Cost reduction

With the new catheter, during stent placement the interventional cardiologist can see the composition of the plaque and thus the sometimes life-threatening amount of cholesterol and other fats. Also in places that are not the direct cause of the complaints at that time. Due to the information obtained in this way, a plaque can be treated preventively or a stent can be placed in such a way that it does not cause new clots. The Kaminari catheter hopes that this will at least halve the ten percent recurrence of the procedure, which can prevent approximately 150,000 treatments worldwide, at an average of €10,000.- per treatment . In the Netherlands alone, this would save around 20 million euro.

It will be a while before cardiologists can deploy Kaminari technology, a combination of a catheter and a control device. Initial funding is now available to take steps towards a clinical application. According to planning this is in two and a half years.