Evolution of Angioplasty Devices

It is estimated that 600,000 to 1 million cardiac catheterizations (CC) are performed annually in the United States. This figure exceeds the number of coronary artery bypass graft procedures (CABG) performed on an annual basis, and is expected to grow annually by about 1–5% in the United States. This chapter discusses the evolution in design and development of angioplasty devices including a list of currently available commercial products and experimental designs under research and development. This will enable the reader to get a glimpse of how the medical device sector is attempting to address this major healthcare problem whose total medical costs are expected to reach $1.1 trillion by 2035.