DEVELOPMENT AND PRELIMINARY BENCHTOP EVALUATION OF A NOVEL ATHERMAL SEPTOSTOMY CATHETER

Chronic Type B aortic dissection (cTBAD) often requires aortic septostomy to depressurize the false lumen and enable effective endovascular repair. However, current "off-label" techniques, such as mechanical "cheese-wire" or electrosurgical cutting, lack precision and carry significant risks of uncontrolled tearing and collateral thermal injury. To address this unmet need, we developed the Aquablade catheter, which utilizes a dual-guidewire system and a contained, athermal, high-velocity fluid jet to precisely cut the aortic septum longitudinally. This study reports the design and preliminary ex vivo benchtop evaluation of the device. Functional prototypes were tested on human aorta and standard vascular graft materials in a custom benchtop setup. The device successfully created clean, continuous longitudinal cuts through both biological tissue and synthetic graft material. Visual inspection confirmed that the device's deflector anvil protected off target areas from injury. These results validate the Aquablade's ability to perform precise, athermal septostomy without collateral damage. This technology offers a promising, safer alternative for managing complex chronic dissections, supporting further evaluation in preclinical models.