1. Abbott: Piccolo Occluder
The Amplatzer Piccolo occluder from Abbott is one of the first medical devices that health providers can implant in premature babies weighing as little as 2 lb to treat patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in a minimally invasive way.
While the Piccolo was approved by the FDA in early 2019, it gained a lot of attention in 2021 for its tiny structure with big impact.
Piccolo is a self-expanding, wire mesh, catheter-deployed device inserted through a small incision in the leg and guided through vessels to the heart, according to Abbott. The Abbott Park, Illinois–based medtech developer designed Piccolo to allow a physician to insert it through the aortic or pulmonary artery with the ability to retrieve and redeploy the device for optimal placement.
Because of the device’s small profile and its small market, the engineering behind the deploying catheter and device’s material can significantly impact its efficiency.
