April 23, 2024—Penumbra, Inc. announced the FDA clearance and launch of Lightning Flash 2.0, the company’s next-generation computer assisted vacuum thrombectomy (CAVT) system for removal of venous thrombus and treatment of pulmonary emboli.
 
Lightning Flash 2.0 is part of Penumbra’s Indigo System with Lightning portfolio.
 
According to the company, the new system features advanced Lightning Flash algorithms designed for increased speed and sensitivity to thrombus and blood flow. These are combined with Penumbra’s catheter technology to allow physicians to better navigate the body’s complex anatomy and deliver high power for clot removal while minimizing blood loss.

April 26, 2024—The PERT Consortium, a multidisciplinary, global, nonprofit organization dedicated to the care of pulmonary embolism (PE) patients, announced the launch of its Regional and Comprehensive PE Centers of Excellence pilot program.
 
According to The PERT Consortium, this initiative, which began in early 2023, underscores its commitment to elevating standards of care and improving outcomes for patients with PE.
 
The press release stated that the Regional and Comprehensive PE Centers of Excellence Pilot Program will recognize and support health care institutions that perform exceptionally well in diagnosing, treating, and managing PE.

April 25, 2024—Heart-Valve-Surgery.com, a patient advocacy group for heart valve disease, announced the launch of its Aortic Stenosis Patient Activation Platform, which is an end-to-end digital platform intended to increase awareness and education for aortic stenosis patients.
 
Developed by Heart-Valve-Surgery.com with support from Medtronic and a team of leading physicians, the platform leverages artificial intelligence, patient-centric algorithms, geolocation strategies, next-generation telephony engines, robust patient databases, and a social media audience of > 500,000 people, stated the organization’s press release.

April 24, 2024—Valcare Medical, Inc., an Israel-based company focused on transcatheter-based treatments of mitral regurgitation, announced a comprehensive corporate restructure after the recent company acquisition by TechWald Holding S.p.A., which is headquartered in Italy.

Valcare stated that the restructuring is aimed at accelerating the company’s plans to initiate the clinical studies of its Amend technology.
 
According to Valcare, Amend is a mitral valve repair device with a D-shaped, semi-rigid closed ring and the company’s anchoring capabilities. The Amend platform also serves as the foundation for Valcare’s future mitral replacement and tricuspid repair solutions.