PAVmed finds noninvasive approach to carpal tunnel surgery using innovative device

A New York-based medical device company has found a noninvasive approach to operate on hand and arm ligaments burdened by carpal tunnel syndrome.

PAVmed announced today its successful completion of a preclinical human cadaver study in which they used their CarpX device to perform a noninvasive surgery, meant to alleviate symptoms associated with carpal tunnel, the company said in a statement.

The device uses a balloon catheter to disperse a burst of radiofrequency energy that cuts ligaments, relieving compression of nerves causing pain.

In the study, researchers tested CarpX on 14 human cadaver arms and successfully cut ligaments in less than 1.5 seconds.

PAVmed is now working on completing a commercial design of the device, doing final testing and seeking approval from the Food and Drug Administration. They expect the device to be available sometime in 2017, estimating the market opportunity to be more than $1 billion based on the current rate of surgical procedures done to address carpal tunnel. About 600,000 patients undergo carpal tunnel procedures each year in the U.S, according to PAVmed.

“Most patients choose to avoid or delay treatment until symptoms become debilitating because they are concerned about the pain, scarring and recovery time associated with the traditional invasive surgical approach,” said Brian deGuzman, chief medical officer at PAVmed, in a statement. “As a completely percutaneous device, we believe CarpX will expand the market by lowering the threshold for patients to pursue treatment.”