Avinger, Inc., a medical device manufacturer of innovative, multi-functional catheters for treating patients with Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), announces two live Ocelot cases will be transmitted by Professor Giovanni Torsello and Dr. Arne Schwindt from St. Franziskus Hospital to an expert panel and live audience at the Leipzig Interventional Course (LINC) 2012 conference in Leipzig, Germany on Friday, January 27 at 3:00 p.m. CET.
The company also announces its general participation at LINC beginning Wednesday, January 25 through Saturday, January 28, 2012. Physicians interested in learning more about Avinger´s global portfolio of PAD treatment products, including Ocelot, the first real-time OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) guided CTO crossing catheter, can visit Avinger representatives at Booth #31. Ocelot received CE Mark in Europe in September 2011.
"We´re looking forward to transmitting two live cases from Muenster to this year´s LINC audience," said Dr. John B. Simpson, Avinger founder and CEO. "Our hosts, Professor Giovanni Torsello and Dr. Arne Schwindt, will show how Ocelot will help physicians worldwide improve outcomes for patients suffering from Peripheral Artery Disease."
The expert panelists during the Ocelot live cases include Tony Das, MD, Bernhard Reimers, MD, Antonio Colombo, MD, Lawrence Garcia, MD, Richard Kovach, MD, and Craig Walker, MD.
It is estimated that PAD currently affects between 8 and 12 million adults and is the leading cause of amputation in patients over 50. Hospitalization costs of PAD alone are estimated to exceed $21 billion annually. Currently there are more than 150,000 amputations per year due to PAD and major causes include smoking, obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, inactivity, and poor diet.
Avinger´s global product portfolio has already helped physicians treat more than 7,000 patients suffering from PAD.
About Avinger
Founded in 2007 by renowned cardiologist and medical device entrepreneur Dr. John B. Simpson, Avinger develops next-generation catheter-based technologies for the treatment of peripheral artery disease (PAD). Leveraging core competencies in medical device catheter engineering and intravascular Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), Avinger markets Wildcat and Kittycat catheters, and recently received CE Mark to market Ocelot, the first ever real-time OCT crossing catheter. www.avinger.com.