Abbott has launched its Amplatzer Tailsman PFO Occlosion System in Europe. The device is designed to treat people with a patent foramen ovale (PFO) who have had a stroke and are at risk of having another. A PFO is a hole in the heart that doesn't close following birth.

The new Tailsman PFO occluders come pre-attached to the delivery cable, designed to reduce preparation time for doctors and making the system easier to use, Abbott noted.

Nearly one in four people have a PFO, which may allow blood clots to pass from the right side of the heart to the left, from where they can eventually travel to the brain. For patients who have suffered a stroke, physicians may opt for occlusion (or closure) of the PFO through a minimally invasive, catheter-based procedure using a device like the Talisman system to seal off the opening to reduce the risk of another stroke.

"Guidelines from industry organizations and clinical trial data continue to reinforce the benefits of PFO closure for people who have had a PFO-associated stroke," said Matthew Daniels, honorary consultant cardiologist in Manchester, England, who completed the first European procedure with the Talisman system. "We're excited that physicians around Europe now have access to the Talisman device to help reduce patients' risk and worry of experiencing another stroke."

The Amplatzer Talisman system builds off the company's Amplatzer PFO Occluder. While physicians had to attach the Amplatzer PFO Occluder to the delivery cable before performing the implant procedure, the Talisman occluder now comes pre-assembled to the Amplatzer Trevisio delivery cable, reducing prep time ahead of the procedure and making it easier to use, Abbott said. The Talisman system is designed to accommodate a wide range of patient anatomies and an updated 30mm occluder size optimizes how it fits in the heart. The Talisman device is fully recapturable and repositionable so doctors can easily make adjustments for accurate placement.

"Our trusted PFO closure technology has been used to treat more than 180,000 people worldwide and we haven't let up on continuing to innovate to best serve physicians and patients," said Michael Dale, senior vice president of Abbott's structural heart business. "The Talisman system simplifies the procedure for doctors and helps patients quickly get back to living fuller, healthier lives."