Radiology, Vol 182, 415-418, Copyright © 1992 by Radiological Society of North America
Percutaneous embolectomy: in vitro investigations of the self-expanding tulip sheath
D Vorwerk, RW Guenther, C Clerc, T Schmitz-Rode and C Imbert
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Technical University of Aachen, Germany.
A self-expanding sheath with a tulip-shaped distal end was designed for
performance of percutaneous embolectomy. Its ability to retrieve clots was
tested in an in vitro flow model; results were compared with those obtained
with a conventional 10-F sheath. Simulated embolectomy of clots weighing
0.1-1.5 g was performed with a 0.75-mL Fogarty balloon on a 4-F catheter.
The clot material that embolized distally during the procedure was sampled
and quantified. No effective embolectomy was performed via a conventional
sheath. With the tulip sheath, however, complete clot removal was achieved
unless the clot size exceeded the tulip volume. On the basis of results of
in vitro testing, the tulip design is promising for use in several
applications during percutaneous interventions.
