On World Stroke Day, Medibrane CEO says tech to treat, prevent strokes underway
This year, 14.5 million people will have a stroke and 5.5 million people will die as a result, according to statistics released by the World Stroke campaign website. October 29 is World Stroke Day.
In Israel, around 18,000 people experience a stroke each year, according to the Health Ministry.
But there is good news for these patients, said Elad Einav, CEO of Medibrane, an Israeli company that designs, develops and manufactures customized biomaterial polymeric covering and coating of medical frame-based applications. Many of Medibrane’s coverings are used to support the prevention or treatment of strokes.
Einav said that one does not necessarily immediately recognize the importance of stents and other covers over bare-metal stents, such as assisting in fluid directing needs to tissue in-growth.
Medibrane’s covers are used in vascular occluding devices, for example that block blood vessels, or treat aneurysms and hemorrhages, reducing blood flow to tumors, and other conditions, according to the company website. Further, Medibrane covers embolic protection devices that can be used in carotid stenting procedures in order to capture and remove debris consisting of tissue or foreign material dislodged in blood vessels during interventional procedures, which can cause blockages of blood flow, resulting in severe complications, including strokes.
“This is only the beginning of the developing of treatments for strokes,” Einav told The Jerusalem Post. “I think in the next years we are going to see more and better treatments,” including improved medical devices to assist in those treatments.
He said Israel is among the leaders in developing such technologies.
The World Stroke campaign said that 90% of strokes could be prevented by addressing a number of risk factors ranging from improved diet, more exercise to not smoking, all of which can additionally help reduce cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes, some of the world’s leading causes of death.
The campaign website, https://www.worldstrokecampaign.org, offers a number of resources to help people all over the world learn about strokes and to advocate for improvements stroke awareness, prevention, treatment and support.