Chengdu, China – The fifth edition of PCR-CIT China Chengdu Valves under the joint organization of PCR, CIT (China Interventional Therapeutics), and West China Hospital of Sichuan University was unveiled on October 25, 2019 in Chengdu, China, with the attendance of global healthcare professionals in the area of valve interventions. MicroPort Shanghai CardioFlow Medtech Co., Ltd. ("MicroPort® CardioFlow") showed its self-developed VitaFlow® Transcatheter Aortic Valve and Delivery System ("VitaFlow®"), Alwide™ Balloon Dilation Catheter and Alpass™ Catheter Sheath Set at the conference, which attracted wide attention.
At the Innovation Forum of Transcatheter Valve Therapy held on the first day of the conference, MicroPort® CardioFlow gave a presentation titled “Innovations from MicroPort® CardioFlow”. MicroPort® CardioFlow developed the VitaFlow® to target various unsatisfied needs currently arising from the clinical use of TAVR technique. VitaFlow® applies an innovative design of skirts to realize more apposition to anatomies to effectively reduce the occurrence of paravalvular leak. The strong radial force enables the device to effectively expand the highly calcified leaflets or bicuspid valve. The large cells enable coronary access for PCI treatment, which matches the trend of TAVR indications gradually appearing in the groups of mid and low-risk patients and younger patients. VitaFlow® II Transcatheter Aortic Valve and Retrievable Delivery System (“VitaFlow® II”) can be completely recaptured before 75% deployment to achieve a more precise and stable positioning. The reinforced inner and outer shafts can be bent 360 degrees to realize easier arch crossing and ensure stability during deployment. The delivery system includes an integrated sheath with a profile equivalent of 16F/17F to suit access artery of even lower profiles and reduce vascular complications. In addition to the transcatheter aortic valve devices, MicroPort® CardioFlow presented several accessory devices with outstanding performance. Alwide™ Balloon Dilation Catheter can meet the requirements of pre-dilation and post-dilation in TAVR procedure with its ultra-low compliance and anti-puncture feature; Alpass™ Catheter Sheath Set adopts an outstanding kink resistance and thin-wall design to provide better access for TAVR devices and then a more complete solution for the TAVR procedure for doctors.
During the session of Learning Simplified TAVI LIVE, Dr. Nicolo Piazza, Assistant Professor of the Cardiology Division and Attending at the McGill University Health Centre, spoke of the performance and characteristics, use and clinical efficacy of the VitaFlow® product. He said that VitaFlow®’s strong radial force enables the devices to effectively expand the highly calcified bicuspid leaflets in a more effective and safe manner, making the devices in line with the Chinese market landscape of a majority of bicuspid aortic valve patients.
During a Live Demo session on the second day of the conference, an operation using VitaFlow® was live streamed, with the operators from the valve team of West China Hospital of Sichuan Univserity, including Professor Yuan Feng, Jiafu, Wei, Yong Peng and Guo Chen in cooperation with Professor Lars Søndergaar from Rigshospitalet Copenhagen University Hospital. The patient, a 84-year-old male, suffered from type 1 bicuspid deformity with highly-calcified lesion, serious aortic valve stenosis, along with horizontal aorta. A TAV27 type VitaFlow® valve was selected, with pre-dilation with the Alwide™ Balloon Dilation Catheter before valve implantation. After the implantation, the ultrasound assessment indicated no paravalvular leak or regurgitation, and zero pressure gradient. Professor Yuan Feng commented after the operation, “The VitaFlow® used in the case demonstrated good crossability. Although the patient’s anatomy caused some challenges for crossing the valve, the crossing was smooth. The VitaFlow® is so soft that it can reduce tissue injuries. The accompanied motorized delivery system is so easy to use that the guidewire operation is facilitated during valve deployment. The device’s unique skirt design also reduced risk of paravalvular leak. The angiography showed almost no paravalvular leak, zero pressure gradient, and no coronary artery occlusion. The operation achieved satisfactory results.”
During the conference, MicroPort® CardioFlow also hosted three training workshops with the attendance of Professor Zhengbin Zhu from Ruijin Hospital, Professor Longyan Zhang from Wuhan Asia Heart Disease Hospital and Professor Guangyuan Song from Fuwai Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, who spoke of the product features, use, experience and clincial effects of VitaFlow® and Alwide™. In addition, top-tier healthcare professionals from China and abroad visited the MicroPort® CardioFlow booth to learn more about the design rationale of VitaFlow® and provide positive feedback on the innovative design and outstanding performance in clinical trials. In the future, MicroPort® CardioFlow will continue to follow the development philosophy of unrelenting innovation to ceaselessly optimize and roll out new-generation devices and parts. MicroPort® CardioFlow will be committed to meeting more unsatisfied clinical needs by providing the doctors with an integrated solution for interventional treatment for heart valve diseases.