Clinical experience with the Bendit steerable microcatheter: a new paradigm for endovascular treatment

BACKGROUND: Vessel tortuosity poses a challenge during endovascular treatment of neurovascular lesions. Bendit Technologies (Petah Tikva, Israel) has developed flexible, steerable microcatheters designed with unique bending and torquing capabilities. OBJECTIVE: To describe our first-in-human trial of Bendit21. METHODS: Bendit21 was used in our exploratory, prospective, multicenter, open-label, single-arm clinical study, and in two compassionate use cases. Procedures were conducted at four centers in Austria, Germany, Israel, and the United States between May 2021 and March 2022, in patients with neurovascular conditions. The primary endpoints were device-related safety events, successful navigation through the neurovasculature, and, when intended, successful delivery of contrast or therapy. RESULTS: Two patients with giant aneurysms were treated successfully under compassionate use approval. The clinical study included 25 patients (mean age: 63.4±11.8 years; 32.0% female). Fourteen patients (56.0%) had aneurysms, two had arteriovenous malformations/fistulas (8.0%), one had a stroke (4.0%), four (16.0%) had intracranial stenosis, and four (16.0%) had other conditions. Bendit21 was used without a guidewire in 12/25 (48.0%) procedures. Bendit21 was successfully navigated through the vasculature without delays or spasms in all cases (100%). Contrast was delivered as intended in 7/7 (100%) cases. Therapeutic devices were delivered successfully with Bendit as intended in 14/18 (77.8%) cases; four deficiencies occurred in three patients with aneurysms, in whom delivery of coils, an intrasaccular device, or a flow diverter was attempted. There were no device-related safety events or mortalities. CONCLUSIONS: Our initial clinical experience with the Bendit21 microcatheter demonstrates its usefulness in achieving technical success in patients with challenging neurovascular conditions.