PHG - Philips CavaClear used for 1st time in patients to remove filter from vein

Royal Philips (NYSE:PHG) said the first patients were successfully treated for Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) filter removal using its IVC Filter Removal Laser Sheath, CavaClear. The company said IVC filters are used to treat patients with venous thromboembolism, blood clots in veins of the leg and groin. The filters are placed in the IVC, a vein that carries blood from the lower body to the heart, to capture blood clots from moving to the lungs. However, these filters can have long term complications, including fracturing and traveling through the bloodstream and penetration into adjacent organs, the company said in an April 21 press release. The company added that CavaClear uses circumferential tissue ablation to aid in capturing the filter. CavaClear provides a minimally invasive solution for embedded IVC filters, to help physicians reduce risk of significant filter-related complications in patients. The first two patients were successfully treated at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago and at Stanford Hospital

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Philips CavaClear used for 1st time in patients to remove filter from vein