Catheter that helps treat complex heart artery problems more safely
Official title: Commercial Readiness of a Catheter for Complex Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Funded at Vantis Vascular INC · NIH-11316492 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new catheter device is being developed to help doctors deliver stents in very hard-to-treat heart artery cases, potentially making complex procedures safer and more effective.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vantis Vascular INC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Kalamazoo, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2026 |
| Project end | September 14, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $496,437 |
| NIH project number | 1SB1HL184525-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11316492 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with calcified, tortuous, or multi-vessel coronary lesions who would benefit from improved device delivery during PCI.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with straightforward lesions or those not needing deep catheter access may see little benefit.
What this research studies
This project focuses on a new guide extension catheter (GEC) design that can reach deep, tortuous coronary arteries and support balloon pre-dilatation before stent delivery. The team aims to reduce safety issues like artery dissection and plaque or clot embolization that occur with current blunt-ended GECs. By testing a multi-functional GEC that combines deep access with a microcatheter tip and pre-dilatation balloon, the research seeks to enable reliable treatment of calcified and multi-vessel lesions. If successful, this could expand the number of patients eligible for complex PCI and improve device delivery in challenging anatomies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with complex coronary artery disease could receive safer, more successful stent deliveries.
How similar studies have gone: Current GEC use is limited and often bailout-focused; this project proposes a novel design that could broaden applicability.
Where this research is happening
-
Vantis Vascular INC
Kalamazoo, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fischell, Tim Alexander — Vantis Vascular INC
- Study coordinator: Fischell, Tim Alexander
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Metasurface Optical Guidewire to Treat Coronary Artery Calcification
A new optical guidewire technology aims to improve safety and effectiveness of coronary interventions in people with calcified arteries.
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Expansion of PCI use in different communities and who benefits
Aims to understand how the growth of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in outpatient and inpatient settings affects disadvantaged communities differently from non-disadvantaged ones.
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Catheter that helps deliver stents in tough heart arteries
A new guide-extension catheter system is being developed to safely reach and treat complex blockages in the heart’s blood vessels, especially where calcified and tortuous arteries make stent delivery hard.
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How expanding artery-opening (PCI) procedures affects disadvantaged versus other communities
This project looks at whether expanding artery-opening procedures (PCI) in hospitals and outpatient centers has helped or left behind people from disadvantaged communities with heart disease.
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A new catheter designed to improve complex heart procedures
This study is testing a new type of catheter designed to help doctors place stents more easily and safely in patients with severe heart artery blockages, especially when the arteries are tricky to navigate.
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Using electronic health records to identify complications after heart procedures
This study is working on a smart way to spot problems that can happen after a common heart procedure called PCI, using computer programs to look at health records, so that doctors can better keep you safe and provide the best care possible.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.