A new surgical method used in the treatment of blockages in crucial arteries in the neck aims to make the procedure simpler and safer.
The carotid arteries – twin blood vessels on either side of the neck that carry blood to the face, head and brain – can become clogged by a fatty deposit known as plaque, which is caused by an unhealthy lifestyle.
This phenomenon is known as carotid artery stenosis. And, according to the Cleveland Clinic, one of the best ranked medical centers in the US, up to 5% of the general population could suffer from it.
This plaque is dangerous because it narrows the arteries, thereby reducing the blood flow to the head. Furthermore, pieces of this plaque or blood clots can break off and travel to the brain. In both cases, the patient is at risk of a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) also known as a mini-stroke.
The most common treatments for a blocked carotid artery are either an incision into the blood vessel that is then used to remove the plaque or the insertion of a stent that widens the blood vessel.
Neither of these options is ideal for different reasons, says Or Zigelboim, the CEO of Pylon Medical, the startup that has developed the new surgical treatment of carotid artery stenosis.
Making an incision in the carotid in order to remove the plaque is “a very invasive procedure with a long hospitalization and high risk for infection,” Zigelboim tells NoCamels.
Placing a stent via the femoral artery in the groin also has its drawbacks, despite being minimally invasive, he says, as the stent must travel through more than half the length of the body to reach the carotid artery.
“It’s very difficult for the physician to come all the way from the femoral artery, traveling this torturous way and then navigating up to the carotid,” Zigelboim says.
“It can take a lot of time and a lot of effort and sometimes not succeed.”
And throughout both procedures, he says, the patient is at risk.
Pylon’s solution, he explains, is one that resolves the biggest issue with an invasive surgical procedure, namely how to close the incision into the carotid once the plaque has been cleared.
“The main issue with the carotid is not how you get in, because getting in is easy,” Zigelboim says. “Once you are done with the procedure, you need a way to close the puncture into the artery so that it won’t bleed.”
The startup’s solution is a device that allows the physician to automatically suture the hole in the carotid, which Zigelboim says involves navigating a blood vessel that is a mere 2 millimeters in diameter.
The device itself resembles a small block with a handle to turn on one side and a foot not dissimilar to that found on a sewing machine to make the stitch. In fact, Zigelboim compares the device to a sewing machine.
The device brings the two sides of the hole together with a knot, allowing it to heal in the same way as stitches used to close a wound for other areas of the body.
“We are creating a closure device dedicated to the carotid artery,” he says. “The physician doesn’t have to put their hands into the carotid or suture it or do anything else.”
The entire process of closing the hole, he says, should take around 10 seconds with the Pylon device.
The company was formed in 2023 as part of the MEDX Xelerator, an investor and incubator based in the central Israeli city of Or Yehuda that focuses on innovations in medical devices.
Zigelboim, a veteran of the medical device sector, first approached MEDX several years ago with a different project. And although that project never got off the ground, he says, MEDX CTO Gal Atarot later approached him to create Pylon in an answer to an unmet need.
So far, the company has raised $1.2 million from investors, among them the Israel Innovation Authority, the branch of the government dedicated to advancing the national high-tech sector that also oversees MEDX.
Zigelboim says the company has successfully completed trials of the device in animals and plans to begin human trials next year with an eye to marketing it in 2026.
The company is actually planning to produce an entire medical kit for procedures involving the carotid artery, with the “main” item being the closure device.
“But we also supply all the other things that the physician needs,” Zigelboim says. “Because when you’re dealing with the carotid… you just need something small, nice.”
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