Background and purpose: Mechanical thrombectomy using an aspiration catheter (AC) is widely performed in patients with acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion. AC diameter directly impacts aspiration performance, which has led device companies to develop large bore ACs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vitro performance of several commercially available large bore ACs.

Materials and methods: We conceived an experimental set up to assess tracking force, aspiration flow rate, and distal end tensile force pre- and post-thrombectomy of ACs including Sofia 6 (Microvention Inc., California, USA), React 71 (Medtronic Neurovascular, Irvine, California, USA), Jet 7 (Penumbra Inc, Alameda, California, USA), Catalyst 7 (Stryker Neurovascular, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA) and Embovac 071 (Johnson & Johnson Medical Ltd, UK).

Results: React 71 and Sofia 6 had significantly lower trackability force compared to the other ACs tested. Distal AC segment tensile force was highest for React 71 and lowest for Jet 7. Jet 7 had the highest internal diameter and the highest aspiration flow rate.

Conclusion: The data from this comparative analysis may assist clinicians in selecting the appropriate AC and highlights the need for key performance criteria during the development of next-generation large-bore ACs for optimal AC performance.