Efficacy of Anti-Thrombogenic Coating in Decreasing the Rate of Clot Formation on Indwelling Intravascular Devices during Intra-Cardiac Ablation

Background: Cardiac catheter ablation is associated with risk of thromboembolism such as stroke. Potential sources of embolism include thrombosis on guidewires, ablation catheters, and sheaths. In this study, we developed and tested a novel anti-thrombogenic coating to reduce the rate of thrombosis on indwelling intravascular devices.

Methods: A prototype cerebral protection device (CPD) was placed in the ascending aorta for 90 minutes in a swine animal model. Extent of clot formation/adhesion on the CPD was quantified using a planar light source and a high-resolution camera to measure clot adhesion ratio after device extraction. Clot adhesion ratios are compared between CPDs that were coated with our novel anti-thrombogenic coating and placebo/non-coated devices.

Results: We successfully developed CPD devices with anti-thrombogenic coating and deployed them in the ascending aorta for 90 minutes in seven animal experiments. There were no hemodynamic or radiologic evidence of obstruction to blood flow in any device. Clot adhesion ratio was 6.7 ± 4.61% on coated devices compared to 19.3 ± 15.77% on non-coated devices (65% reduction in clot adhesion ratio on coated CPDs).

Conclusions: Our novel anti-thermogenic coating is associated with less clot adhesion on a prototype CPD placed in the ascending aorta for a 90 minute procedure in a swine animal model.

Keywords:Embolism; Catheter ablation; Cerebro-protective devices; Cardiac embolism