Philips Relaunches the Pioneer Plus Catheter

June 1, 2017—Philips Volcano announced the relaunch of the Pioneer Plus catheter, a re-entry device with intravascular ultrasound capabilities and needle deployment designed to assist arterial vessel intervention. The Pioneer Plus catheter is intended to facilitate placement and positioning of catheters within the peripheral vasculature.

In 2015, Philips initiated a design modification to the Pioneer Plus catheter and removed the device from the market until the modification was complete. The design modification has had no impact on the overall catheter dimensions, performance, or the intended use of the device, noted the company.

The Pioneer Plus has received US Food and Drug Administration clearance and European CE Mark approval. The device is not indicated for use in the coronary or cerebral vasculature.

According to Philips, the Pioneer Plus is commonly used to help treat chronic total occlusions. The catheter enables an interventionalist to cross an occlusion beyond the stenotic lesion before additional interventional treatment of the lesion using interventional techniques. The Pioneer Plus catheter also provides a cross-sectional ultrasound image of the arterial area of interest to facilitate placement of guidewires beyond stenotic lesions and before additional interventions.

Thomas Davis, MD, commented in the company's press release, “The Pioneer Plus catheter is an invaluable medical device that benefits both physicians and patients. This catheter can decrease procedure time, which can potentially minimize the patients’ discomfort because they spend less time on the operating table.” Dr. Davis is Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab at St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit, Michigan.