Medtronic reported that its new thrombectomy system, aimed at removing blood clots from the arms and legs, has begun its commercial rollout with its first procedures. At the same time, the medtech giant also made advances with a surgical tool for serious brain bleeds
The Liberant aspiration catheters are designed to snake into blocked peripheral arteries and veins and remove wall-to-wall clots. It also employs ultrasonic sensors to measure blood flow, plus an algorithm that varies the aspiration power to minimize the patient's blood loss.
“We’re able to remove clot burden with greater precision and, for patients, this means a procedure designed to be more efficient and aimed at helping them restore circulation and mobility as safely and effectively as possible," said Ajit Rao, M.D., director of vascular surgery research at Mount Sinai Hospital, who performed the device's first clinical procedure in late November.
The Liberant platform is also compatible with Contego Medical’s Excipio thrombectomy hardware, which Medtronic partnered with last January. That team-up included access to Contego’s FDA-approved Neuroguard IEP system combining a stent, post-dilation balloon and integrated embolic protection filter for carotid artery procedures.
The deal also included an option for Medtronic to buy the Raleigh, North Carolina-based Contego. Meanwhile, Medtronic is currently in the process of spinning off its lucrative diabetes business to focus on its broader cardiovascular division.
Separately, Medtronic also announced a new added indication for its long-running Onyx liquid embolic system, which forms a solid mass after being injected into the bloodstream, to help seal off the flow to dangerous malformations in the brain's blood vessels. The FDA granted a new approval for its use during surgeries to treat subdural hematomas, including chronic and subacute cases, through the blocking of the middle meningeal artery. Onyx was first approved by the FDA in 2005.
In a 2024 study, the system demonstrated drops in recurrence and re-operations by about 63%. Additionally, no Onyx-related complications were reported in the first six months after the procedure, with no associated deaths.
In November, Medtronic posted 5.5% organic revenue growth for the second quarter of its 2026 fiscal calendar, totaling an adjusted $8.81 billion. Those earning included a 9.3% gain in cardiovascular device sales, which the company called its strongest advance in more than a decade outside of the COVID-19 pandemic.