Barbara Stagno, CAARE
Citizens for Alternatives to Animal Research and Experimentation
November 2018
It’s a disturbing fact that in the U.S. alone, an estimated one million animals are used each year for the development and safety testing of medical devices, a growing multi-billion industry. Yet, an overwhelming 92% of tests that prove safe in animals fail in subsequent human clinical trials.
CAARE applauds the scientists and innovators at Vascular Simulations, Inc. for their ground-breaking work to replace animals in medical device testing.
This troubling failure rate motivated a group of cardiovascular and
neurovascular experts in 2011 to work on developing a more human-relevant
platform for researching and testing medical devices.
The result was Vascular Simulations, Inc., based in Stony Brook, NY, which
engineers medical simulators that can be used in device development, as well
as training for physicians.
CAARE reached out to Vascular Simulations earlier this week to express how
much we and our supporters appreciate their work and to learn a little more
about the company.
According to CEO Craig Neita, their team has developed two intricate
platforms, which replicate the human cardiovascular and neurovascular
systems, while providing a superior alternative to the use of animals to
model these systems.
One of the company’s designs, the Replicator PRO™, provides a realistic
model of the human cardiovascular system through a precise silicone replica
of the vessels and a 4-chamber silicone heart complete with synthetic
valves. The result: medical devices tested in the Replicator PRO™ function
the same way they would in human patients.
Photo Credit: Vascular Stimulations
Not only does this remarkable platform allow for the study of the human
cardiovascular system, but doctors can upload patients’ imaging data to the
company’s website to receive a precise replica of their blood vessels. This
enables clinicians to practice intricate, life-saving procedures using the
exact patient-specific anatomy prior to actual treatment, vastly improving
outcomes.
Dr. Apostolos Tassiopoulos, MD, chief endovascular surgeon at Stony Brook
Medicine, understands the benefits of this state-of-the-art system. “In
animal reliance testing, you never have the specific anatomy you are trying
to treat, so Replicator PRO™ offers a much more relevant anatomical and
hemodynamic environment that clearly resembles that of the human body.”
Vascular Simulations has another amazing product -- the ASIST™ Neurovascular
Stroke Replication System which supports training and device testing for the
treatment of brain aneurysms and a range of other cerebrovascular diseases,
including acute stroke.
Photo Credit: Vascular Stimulations
Every patient deserves the best that modern medicine has to offer. This
is not possible if we continue using animals as stand-ins for the human
body. While the ready availability of millions of animals for testing
promotes their widespread use, medical advancement requires a more
representative testing platform.
CAARE applauds the scientists and innovators at Vascular Simulations, Inc.
for their ground-breaking work to replace animals in medical device testing.
Caged Beagle
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