TCT Conference Draws 12,000 Interventional Specialists

This year’s Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) conference drew nearly 12,000 participants from around the world to its annual meeting in Washington, DC. Now in its 17th year, TCT is the world’s largest educational event for specialists in interventional vascular medicine. Sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (New York City), the meeting places an emphasis on evidence-based medicine and has become a major forum for important clinical trial presentations in interventional medicine.

Toshiba America Medical Systems (Tustin, CA) exhibited the Aquilion CFX CT scanner for cardiac imaging at TCT 2005.

TCT 2005 featured more than 60 hours of live case studies from 27 U.S. and international centers. Presentation topics included head-to-head comparisons of drug-eluting coronary stents, the safety and efficacy of distal protection devices, comparative studies of stenting versus endarterectomy for carotid stenosis, and procedures for treating abdominal aortic aneurysms.

A TCT 2005 clinical presentation reported the efficacy of the AB5000 circulatory support heart assist device from Abiomed Inc. (Danvers, MA) for improving recovery from cardiogenic shock following a heart attack.

Other scientific symposium sessions focused on the latest advances in computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging technologies, second-generation stents and stent grafts, peripheral and neurovascular interventions, new imaging technologies for detecting and defining vulnerable plaque, and emerging devices for treating heart disease and atherosclerosis.

At TCT 2005, positive clinical data was reported for the EuroStar and Costar I drug-eluting coronary stents by Conor MedSystems Inc. (Menlo Park, CA).

The TCT learning center offered specialty training using interventional vascular simulation, including the TeachIVUS intravascular ultrasound online simulator. TeachIVUS, a Web-based teaching tool designed for cardiovascular professionals, allows users to make measurements on a variety of intravascular ultrasound images and then compare their measurements with those of experts in the system’s database.

Of particular interest to medtech manufacturers was the Health and Human Services town hall meeting, which focused on scientific, regulatory, and reimbursement issues. Topics included an overview of new developments in 2005, globalization of regulatory processes, clinical trials and funding opportunities, and case reviews with regulatory and reimbursement implications.

Two views of the Niobe magnetic navigation system for digitally directing catheters and guidewire-based devices in cardiovascular applications, from Stereotaxis Inc. (St. Louis).

Also featured were think-tank sessions on U.S. device approval, postmarket surveillance, carotid and peripheral intervention, emerging issues with drug-eluting stents, valvular heart disease, and heart failure devices. These sessions concluded with thoughts on recent progress and necessary future directions.

Although the interactive case presentations, scientific symposiums, and educational sessions are the primary draws, TCT also features exhibits from 300 industry suppliers and supporting organizations. While it often seems that many medical shows have to use free luncheons or gimmicks to get doctors into the exhibit hall, that’s not the case at TCT, where a steady stream of physicians can be seen actively exploring the latest products, equipment, and systems from the many medtech companies active in the cardiac, carotid, peripheral, and other vascular intervention markets.

Many of the TCT 2005 presentations can be viewed at www.tct2005.com. Next year’s TCT conference will be held October 22–27 at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC.

© 2005 Canon Communications LLC

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