Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Stroke

The vacuum cleaner for stroke

Nature Reviews Neurology volume 5, pages 582–583 (2009)Cite this article

A new device, comprising a catheter and wire combination that aspirates clot from an occluded vessel, has received FDA approval for the treatment of stroke. Although the device accomplishes the removal of clot at a higher rate than usual, improvement in patient outcomes remains elusive.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Penumbra Pivotal Stroke Trial Investigators. The penumbra pivotal stroke trial: safety and effectiveness of a new generation of mechanical devices for clot removal in intracranial large vessel occlusive disease. Stroke 40, 2761–2768 (2009).

  2. [No authors listed]. Tissue plasminogen activator for acute ischemic stroke. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke rt-PA Stroke Study Group. N. Engl. J. Med. 333, 1581–1587 (1995).

  3. Heidenreich, J. O. et al. Magnetic resonance imaging results can affect therapy decisions in hyperacute stroke care. Acta Radiol. 49, 550–557 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Sunshine, J. L. et al. Hyperacute stroke: ultrafast MR imaging to triage patients prior to therapy. Radiology 212, 325–332 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Bandera, E. et al. Cerebral blood flow threshold of ischemic penumbra and infarct core in acute ischemic stroke: a systematic review. Stroke 37, 1334–1339 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Khatri, P., Wechsler, L. R. & Broderick, J. P. Intracranial hemorrhage associated with revascularization therapies. Stroke 38, 431–440 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. del Zoppo, G. J. et al. PROACT: a phase II randomized trial of recombinant pro–urokinase by direct arterial delivery in acute middle cerebral artery stroke. PROACT Investigators. Prolyse in Acute Cerebral Thromboembolism. Stroke 29, 4–11 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Tarr, R. et al. Revascularization of large vessel occlusion by the penumbra system in acute ischemic stroke contributes to good functional outcome. [Abstract 28] J. NeuroInterv. Surg. 1, 84 (2009).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Kristine A. Blackham & Robert W. Tarr

Authors
  1. Kristine A. Blackham
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Robert W. Tarr
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kristine A. Blackham.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Blackham, K., Tarr, R. The vacuum cleaner for stroke. Nat Rev Neurol 5, 582–583 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2009.163

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2009.163

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing