Activated guidewire crosses chronic occlusions
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
An activated guidewire technique looks promising in improving the success rate of coronary angioplasty for chronic occlusions, suggests a UK study (The Lancet, October 7th). The hand-held, battery-driven motorised device, developed by Prof Michael Rees at the University of Keele (see Clinica No 622, p 18), is attached to standard angioplasty equipment. Complex vibratory movements produced in the guidewire increase the force with which the wire impacts the lesion, and the effective surface area over which the wire probes the lesion.