Rapid Medical, a leading developer of advanced neurovascular devices, announced it received FDA 510(k) clearance for the TIGERTRIEVER 13 thrombectomy device for large vessel occlusions at the 2022 Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery’s Annual Meeting.

TIGERTRIEVER 13 is a small revascularization device designed to remove thrombus from delicate brain blood vessels during an ischemic stroke. It is the only device that adjusts to the vasculature and clot, a more atraumatic approach than existing devices.

“The neurovascular field has been waiting for a thrombectomy device dedicated to small vessels,” says David Fiorella, MD, of Stony Brook University Medical Center in Stony Brook, New York. “Medical therapy is currently suboptimal for these patients, so there can be a huge benefit for devices that emergently restore blood flow while minimizing the potential for harm.”

Other stent retrievers lack any adjustability­—they open passively and are pulled from the brain fully expanded. However, the adjustability of the TIGERTRIEVER portfolio comes from complex three-dimensional braiding borrowed from recent advances in aerospace engineering. TIGERTRIEVER is precisely controlled to capture the thrombus and remove the tension from the vasculature before removal. Adjustability also gives TIGERTRIEVER 13 the lowest profile of any stent retriever—24% smaller than 3 mm devices, providing easier navigation in challenging anatomies. The ability to tailor each procedure can provide new safety levels for higher-risk thrombectomies.

“Thousands of procedures have already been performed with TIGERTRIEVER 13 worldwide,” says James Romero, president, Americas, of Rapid Medical. “Now U.S. physicians finally have access to TIGERTRIEVER 13’s unique capabilities to further benefit patients suffering from ischemic stroke.”