Philips’ IVC Filter Remover Named Breakthrough Device

Philips has received a Breakthrough Device designation from the FDA for its investigational laser-assisted inferior vena cava (IVC) filter removal device.

IVC filters are used to treat patients with blood clots in the deep veins of the leg, groin or arm that can travel through the circulatory system. The filters are placed in the inferior vena cava to capture blood clots, preventing them from moving to the heart or lungs.

The laser device is intended for ablating tissue to enable the removal of an IVC filter when other methods of removal have failed.