DEVELOPING A NEW ASPIRATION CATHETER SOLUTION FOR THE TREATMENT OF LARGE AND MEDIUM VESSEL OCCLUSIONS - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT STROKE IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF SERIOUS LONG-TERM DISABILITY AND ACCOUNTS FOR 4.6 MILLION DISABLED PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES. STROKE-RELATED COSTS TOTAL OVER $46 BILLION IN THE UNITED STATES EACH YEAR.1 OF THE NEARLY 800,000 AMERICANS WHO HAVE A STROKE PER YEAR, 87% EXPERIENCE ISCHEMIC STROKE1, OF WHICH 49%-86% ARE ATTRIBUTED TO EITHER LARGE VESSEL OCCLUSIONS (LVO) OR MEDIUM VESSEL OCCLUSIONS (MEVOS).2,3 MECHANICAL THROMBECTOMY, VIA A STENT RETRIEVER OR ASPIRATION CATHETER, IS NOW THE STANDARD OF CARE FOR ELIGIBLE PATIENTS WHO EXPERIENCE ISCHEMIC STROKE.4-6 WHILE MECHANICAL THROMBECTOMY HAS PROGRESSED DRAMATICALLY OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, EXISTING ASPIRATION CATHETER DEVICES SUFFER FROM SIGNIFICANT LIMITATIONS. MAJOR CHALLENGES TO SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT OF ISCHEMIC STROKE INCLUDE QUICKLY NAVIGATING TO THE CLOT AND FULLY CAPTURING IT IN THE FIRST PASS WHILE AVOIDING THROMBUS BREAKAGE AND FURTHER DOWNSTREAM ISCHEMIA. THIS PROJECT HAS TWO AIMS TO ADDRESS EXISTING LIMITATIONS OF ASPIRATION THROMBECTOMY. THE FIRST AIM DEVELOPS, BUILDS, AND TESTS A PROTOTYPE ASPIRATION CATHETER WITH AN ADAPTIVE RADIALLY EXPANDABLE TIP. THIS EXPANDABLE TIP IS INTENDED TO IMPROVE CLINICAL OUTCOMES FOR ALL PATIENTS TREATED WITH MECHANICAL THROMBECTOMY DUE TO ITS IMPROVED ACCESS AND NAVIGATION CAPABILITIES AND ENHANCED FIRST PASS EFFECT (FPE). THE SECOND AIM TESTS THE EFFICACY OF THE NOVEL ASPIRATION CATHETER USING AN IN VITRO MODEL. THIS PROJECT WILL LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A DEVICE INTENDED TO IMPROVE SAFETY AND EFFICACY BY ALLEVIATING MULTIPLE PASS ATTEMPTS, CLOT FRAGMENTATION, AND VESSEL INJURY. THROUGH THESE GOALS, THIS PROJECT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE THE CLINICAL OUTCOME OF PATIENTS WHO SUFFER FROM ISCHEMIC STROKE BY PROPELLING THE FIELD OF NEURO-INTERVENTIONAL TREATMENTS FORWARD.