Kolkata: A device designed to remove blood clots that cause ischemic stroke is expected to be in use soon after it received approval from the regulating authorities in India recently.Touted to be a game-changer in stroke management, CK-Birla Hospital – CMRI was among the hospitals that conducted a multicentric trial of the Supernova stent retriever across the country, which led to the device’s approval.Experts said this device is guided through a catheter to the brain clot, where its mesh-like structure expands to capture the entire clot. Once the expanded stent traps the clot, it is pulled back through the catheter, removing both the stent and the clot from the artery, restoring blood flow to the affected area in the brain by eliminating the obstruction.Developed by a US-based company for research and trial purposes, sources said that in India, at least 16 hospitals, including AIIMS Delhi and JIPMER Pondicherry, participated in the efficacy and safety trial, with CMRI being the only participating hospital in eastern India.
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“We believe this device is going to be a game changer in stroke care. The pioneering trial also showcased India’s growing capabilities in high-quality medical research and device validation,” said Deep Das, Professor of Neurology and Consultant Neurointerventionalist at CMRI, Kolkata, one of the investigators of the trial.The original cost of the device is pegged at Rs 3.5 lakh, and the device is meant for only one-time use. However, in about two months, the device is going to be manufactured in India, lowering its cost by 50%.According to neurology professor Biman Kanti Ray of Bangur Institute of Neurosciences at IPGMER, ischemic stroke accounts for about 7 out of 10 brain stroke cases, causing large vessel occlusion. These patients are mostly managed medically with low outcomes.”The beauty of this device is that it is calibrated for the Indian population. With its safety and efficacy results and being available at half of the existing price, I am quite excited about this device as it could be a game changer in our stroke programme,” said Ray, who is also the nodal person for the tele-stroke programme by the state health department.Shashvat Desai, co-founder and CTO of Gravity Medical Technology, which developed the device, is hopeful that this device will address the urgent need for advanced stroke care in India.Dileep Yavagal, global principal investigator of the trial, said that advanced stroke care will become affordable, and life-saving procedures will become more accessible for patients across India.Sombrata Ray, unit head at CMRI Kolkata, said, “As the only hospital from Eastern India to participate in this trial, we understand the responsibility we hold. Participating in this trial also reinforces our ongoing efforts to combine clinical expertise, research, and innovation to improve outcomes for patients.”
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