Healthcare Professionals
The Vine™ filter – new concept for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients
Vine™ is a permanent filter implanted in both common carotid arteries (CCAs) for stroke prevention in high-risk AF patients. Vine™ is designed to prevent proximally originating, clinically significant emboli from reaching the brain and causing a stroke. Vine™ comprises a single wire with circular cross-section that assumes a helical shape within the CCA. This shape is configured to capture emboli travelling up the CCA and prevent them from reaching the brain.
Stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation
Stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients is an important medical need. In the United States, AF prevalence is > 6 million, with an incidence of 1.2 million cases per year (1). Nearly 800,000 Americans suffer from stroke each year (2), and one out of three of them is due to AF (3).
Oral anticoagulants (OAC) reduce the stroke risk in AF patients. However, in patients treated with OAC and history of stroke, the annual ischemic stroke recurrence risk remains high at 2% - 3% (4-7). In AF patients, treated with OAC after acute stroke, the recurrence risk at 90 days and 1 year is >2% (8-10) and > 4%/year, respectively (11).
Procedure
Vine™ is inserted in the CCA lumen through a thin (22 gauge) needle of the Vine™ inserter. The needle pierces through the skin of the neck and the CCA wall. Vine™ is automatically deployed from the Vine™ inserter upon activation of an operating button. Vine™ can be retrieved immediately and up to four hours post procedure. The procedure is performed by one operator under ultrasound imaging guidance and is completed within minutes.
A
B
A - Implantation procedure; B – Needle tip in CCA (ultrasound, transverse view)
Vine™ Embolic Protection System
The Vine™ Embolic Protection System includes the Vine™ filter and the Vine™ inserter. Vine™ resides within the needle of the Vine™ inserter prior to use. The inserter includes a motor that deploys the Vine™ filter from the needle upon pressing an operating button.
Operatingbutton
Motor
Needle
Vine™ inserter
The Vine™ Filter
Vine™ is constructed from of super-elastic nitinol wire. It is capable of assuming a substantially linear shape in the un-deployed state (in the needle lumen), and a helical shape in the deployed state (in CCA). The helical shape includes a helix that resides within the CCA lumen and a linear stem that traverses the CCA wall. The helix includes three segments: supporting coils, filtering portion, and leading coils. The filtering portion has a cone shape facing upstream. After deployment, Vine™ is fixed in place by anchors (internal and external).
A
Stem
Supporting coils
Filtering portion
Leading coils
Helix
Direction of blood flow
B
Pulling wire
External anchor
Internal anchor
Vine™ in CCA: longitudinal (A) and transverse (B) views
References
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Colilla S. Am J Cardiol 2013; 112: 1142 – 47.
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Benjamin EJ.Circulation 2018; 137(12): e67 - e492.
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Yiin GSC. Stroke 2019; 50(1): 21-27.
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Gundlund A.JAMA Netw Open. 2018; 1(1): e180171 (Danish cohort)
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Diener. Lancet Neurol 2012; 11: 225 – 31. (AVERRORES)
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Easton. Lancet Neurol 2012; 11: 503 – 11.(ARISTOTLE)
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Hankey. Lancet Neurol 2012; 11: 315 – 22. (ROCKET AF)
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Wilson. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2018; 0: 1 – 6.(CROMIS-2)
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Paciaroni. J Am Heart Assoc 2017; 6:e007034. (RAF-NOAC)
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Abdul-Rahim. Eu J Neurol 2015, 22: 1048 – 55. (VISTA)
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Yoshimura. Circ J 2018; 82: 1935 – 42. (SAMURAI-NVAF)