Each year, thousands of lower extremity amputations are performed, most due to circulation issues. Angioplasty procedures below the knee can be limb-saving for patients at risk of amputation owing to poor circulation. However, angioplasty procedures below the knee are usually complex and require several exchanges of specialized equipment during the procedure. Angioplasty procedures below the knee also require X-ray contrast, which can damage kidney function. Now, an injectable balloon catheter platform can reduce the need for some cumbersome catheter exchanges by providing contrast injection on the fly, allowing users to shift smoothly from injection to balloon inflation during complex procedures. This operator convenience streamlines the procedure and reduces the need for equipment.

The Summa Finesse Injectable catheter from Summa Therapeutics (Cambridge, MA, USA) is the industry’s first hybrid diagnostic and therapeutic angioplasty balloon catheter developed to facilitate treatment of patients at risk of limb loss due to below-knee peripheral arterial disease (PAD). This multifunctional catheter acts as a crossing catheter, diagnostic angiography catheter, and angioplasty catheter to minimize equipment and contrast needs.

In the first-in-man injectable angioplasty procedures for patients with below-knee PAD have been performed using the Finesse Injectable balloon catheter platform, the injection ability surpassed the expectations of users. Operators have reported that the Summa Finesse Injectable catheter reduced the use of X-ray contrast, with 100% of procedures requiring less contrast than generally used with conventional devices. In the calf, ultra-low contrast angiograms were obtained with as little as 1 ml equivalent of contrast

“In the first cases, expectations were met or exceeded, including improved procedural efficiency and lower equipment needs,” said Dr. Timothy Murphy, CEO of Summa Therapeutics. “All users reported using less contrast and yet angiographic quality was described as excellent. The Summa Finesse Injectable has tremendous market potential and may become the standard of care when treating patients with chronic kidney disease, for whom contrast sparing is paramount.” 

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