Comparison and modification of two cerebral protection devices used for carotid angioplasty: in vitro experiment

The effectiveness of two basic cerebral protection devices designed for carotid angioplasty with and without additional aspiration techniques was compared in an in vitro model. During carotid angioplasty, embolization was simulated by injecting polyvinyl alcohol particles of different sizes into the model system. None of the tested devices, all of which were positioned in the internal carotid artery, was able to completely prevent embolization. In the internal carotid artery, the rate of particle capture did not vary among protection devices. However, embolization into the external carotid artery was more frequent with use of the GuideWire, as compared with that with use of the Angioguard.