The EV3 SilverHawk Approach to Plaque Removal

EV3 offers a number of options for treating artery disease through plaque removal. Through the SilverHawk family of products, they continue to increase and improve the options available to doctors and their patients.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) currently affects up to 12 million Americans, so a device that can improve its treatment is certainly a medical advancement worth noting. It results when plaque accumulates in the patient.s arteries. This, in turn, blocks the blood flow to the legs, leading to severe leg pain, numbness, and limited mobility. The EV3 SilverHawk devices are used to restore blood flow and decrease the likelihood of amputation due to lack of circulation.

The devices of the SilverHawk LS-M and MS-M utilize Midro Effieient Compression Technology in order to allow the devices to collect and excise more plaque from the arteries of patients with peripheral artery disease. This technology enhances plaque removal by drilling tiny holes in the tip of a catheter used to collect plaque. The tiny holes release fluid pressure, allowing for the collection of more tissue. The overall outcome is a more efficient process that takes less time. In fact, bench tests showed that up to 30% more tissue could be gathered during every insertion.

In addition to the micro holes in the catheters, the devices are able to shave plaque from the walls of the arteries with a tiny rotating blade. The procedure is called atherectomy. As the plaque is shaved from the walls, it is stored in a compartment in the tip of the catheter. This allows for complete plaque removal, rather than dislodging the plaque only to have it create a clog somewhere else in the body.

The plaque removal process generally takes place through the femoral artery of the leg, although there have been instances where it is used to treat coronary-artery disease. This procedure is far less common than angioplasty and stenting, however. Unlike angioplasty, the EV3 SilverHawk devices are able to actually remove the plaque rather than to simply compress it.