New Technology Designed To Make 'Stents' Obsolete

Treatment for vascular blockages is getting a much needed innovation makeover. Alucent is first tackling one of the most debilitating diseases – peripheral artery disease, plaque build-up in mainly the legs that narrows blood flow causing excruciating pain. They’re focus is making the well-known ‘stent,' currently used to maintain diseased arteries and veins open, obsolete. The stent is a foreign object that when placed in the body can trigger an inflammatory response leading to more build-up in the artery that blocks flow – so a patient is back to square one. So, while a stent can be life & limb saving at first, it may not have a lasting impact. Alucent has designed a more natural option to keep the vessel open. It's one that’s activated by a deep blue light that creates a scaffolding inside the vessel to keep it open. In this interview, CEO Dr. Myles Greenberg explains how they're going to use an additional raise of $35 million dollars to support clinical trials, one of which has recently begun.