THE STELECT TECHNOLOGY
Stelect is developing a patented technology as a solution to the problem that lies within the current process of stent selection for the treatment of coronary artery blockages.
Utilising the same artery blockage assessment methodology, Stelect's medical device also incorporates ultrasound technology. This novel patented technology, an imaging balloon catheter, is aimed to address the high rate of stent selection inaccuracy that is currently reported at being 70%, as well as addressing the current lack of imaging solutions available to clinicians during coronary stenting procedures.
This is of extreme importance to us due to the consequences incorrect stent selection has on our healthcare system, both in patient outcomes and indirect economic burden. That's why our technology is focused on improving health outcomes for patients whilst simultaneously making imaging technology for coronary stenting procedures more affordable.
The Stelect device aims to provide clinicians with an accurate visual representation of a patient's coronary blockage, including blockage length, diameter and blockage morphology. This will allow clinicians to not only identify the correctly sized stent for implantation, but also design an optimised and tailored treatment plan based on hard evidence rather than guesswork.
OUR TECHNOLOGY AT WORK
VIDEO: Animation showing the Stelect medical device with ultrasound sensors for the purpose of coronary artery blockage and stent selection.
BACKGROUND
Angiographic imagery is the current technology used to evaluate and assess heart blockages. This technology is limited in that it only permits external imaging of an artery and does not permit for an internal view where the blockage resides.
Due to this limitation, clinicians are faced with having to provide eye-ball assessments of blockages and educated guesses on the size of the stent required to implant into the artery in order to keep it open and blood flowing.
Research shows that this current method of stent selection has greater than a 70% inaccuracy rate, leading to serious health consequences and complications, where some of these complications have displayed a patient mortality rate of 45%.
THE PROBLEM
Angiographic imagery is the current technology used to evaluate and assess coronray blockages. This technology is limited in that it only permits external imaging of an artery and does not permit for an internal view where the blockage resides.
Due to this limitation, clinicians are faced with having to provide eye-ball assessments of blockages and educated guesses on the size of the stent required to implant into the artery in order to keep it open and blood flowing.
Research shows that this current method of stent selection has greater than a 70% inaccuracy rate, leading to serious health consequences and complications, where some of these complications have displayed a patient mortality rate of 45%.
THE SOLUTION
Stelect is developing new technology to increase the accuracy rate of stent selection.
This technology comprises of a pre-stent balloon catheter inserted into the coronary artery, and with its ultrasound sensors, captures and sends blockage related data to its external ultrasound processing unit.
This unit then translates data received into a full 3D visual representation of the area being imaged as well as individual images and displays of any associated blockage measurements and morphology.
The interactive display on the user interface will allow clinicians the freedom and ability to cycle between imagery and make adjustments where required, in order to make an accurate assessment of the coronary blockage, taking the guesswork completely out of stent selection.
