Biotronik announced the limited release of its Oscar (One Solution: Cross. Adjust. Restore) multifunctional peripheral catheter and start of promotional activities at LINC, the Leipzig Interventional Course held June 6-9 in Leipzig, Germany. 

As indicated per Instructions for use, the Oscar catheter is intended for dilation of stenotic segments in peripheral vessels. The device is comprised of three fully user-adjustable components (support catheter with integrated lock grip, extendable dilator, and length-adjustable PTA balloon). It was developed to provide support during access into and to dilate stenoses in femoral, popliteal, and infrapopliteal arteries. 

The multifunctional system will be featured in the first symposium focused on the Oscar catheter at LINC 2023, with presentations from Drs. Koen Deloose, Peter A. Schneider, Ralf Langhoff, and Mariano Palena on Wednesday, June 7 at 12:30 PM in Main Arena 1 during the session “Versatility Without Compromise: The PAD Workflow of the Future With a New All-in-One Solution.”

The first commercial procedure with an Oscar catheter in the United States was performed by Peter A. Schneider, MD, Professor of Surgery, Division of Vascular & Endovascular Surgery, University of California, San Francisco in San Francisco. “With the Oscar catheter, I have a platform, support, pushability and crossability that I don’t have by cobbling together multiple other catheters and wires,” says Schneider. 

Prof. Christoph A. Binkert, MD, Chief of Interventional Radiology at Kantonsspital Winterthur in Winterthur, Switzerland, performed the first commercial procedure using an Oscar device in Europe. He says, “The Oscar catheter undoubtedly reduced several procedural steps and device exchanges. The ability to dilate the full lesion length followed by focal areas of residual stenosis with the same balloon was a great benefit to my procedural flow.”

The device began its initial commercial rollout in both the United States and Europe in late April.

“We are eager to get the Oscar catheter into the hands of peripheral interventionalists around the world and help to potentially change the way they approach difficult cases both above and below the knee,” says Dr Joerg Pochert, president, Vascular Intervention at Biotronik.  

The Oscar multifunctional peripheral catheter will continue commercial expansion in the United States and CE mark-accepting regions over the coming months.