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Visit ACI Medical at Desert Foot 2013

Desert Foot, the High Risk Diabetic Foot Conference, takes place from November 20-22, 2013 in Phoenix, AZ.ArtAssist device with case report

If you are attending, we would love for you to stop by the ACI Medical booth to talk to Dana Lockrey, our National Account Manager.

You can contact him before the meeting at dana@acimedical.com regarding treatment with ArtAssist®…The Arterial Assist Device® for the non-invasive treatment of diabetic ulcers and PAD.

Dana has tremendous experience handling VA accounts and working with veterans.

Additionally, don’t forget to listen in on “Programmed Pneumatic Compression: New Advances in Arteriogenesis” on November 20 from 4:20 to 4:40. Groundbreaking research has been done on the effects of pneumatic compression therapy on non-operable patients with severe circulatory disease. To get an idea before the meeting, visit the Arteriogenesis section on our Clinical Studies page.

Click here to view the entire Desert Foot program online.

We hope to see you there!

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Nov 6, 2013 By ACI Medical, ArtAssist®...The Arterial Assist Device®, Diabetic Foot, PAD, Wound Care

ACI Medical to Exhibit at VEITHsymposium ™ in November 2013

ACI Medical will be joining VEITHsymposium ™ as an exhibitor this year. VEITHsymposium ™ is one of the largest gatherings of vascular specialists in the US. If you would like to visit the ACI Medical booth at the meeting, we will only be exhibiting for one day.

WOUNDS Exhibit
Tuesday, November 19 in the South Corridor, 2nd Floor
Booth #406

ACI Medical Logo

VEITHsymposium ™ is scheduled from Tuesday, November 19 through Saturday, November 23. During this time, vascular specialists from around the world will be giving hundreds of short presentations on the latest advances in vascular medicine.

On Thursday, November 21 at 4:21 PM, Professor Andrew N. Nicolaides is scheduled to present on ArtAssist®…The Arterial Assist Device® and what it can do to medically treat critical limb ischemia.

Use of the ArtAssist® device in the treatment of CLI:  How does it work and when should it be used

andrew nicolaides veithsymposium presenter

Prof. Andrew N. Nicolaides

Professor Nicolaides is one of the foremost experts on the relatively new arterial pump technology. Nicolaides was part of a team that evaluated and optimized the ArtAssist® device to maximize circulation. Since having laid the groundwork for this medical device, the ArtAssist® device has been shown in many clinical trials to facilitate wound healing and limb salvage by effectively doubling and tripling blood flow.

ArtAssist Arterial Assist Device IPC

ArtAssist®…The Arterial Assist Device®

For discussions and questions prior to and after Professor Nicolaides’ presentation, ACI Medical welcomes you to visit our booth. As the pioneers of the most advanced arterial pump technology to date, ACI will be able to go into depth with you about the science and engineering behind the ArtAssist® device.

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Aug 12, 2013 By ACI Medical, ArtAssist®...The Arterial Assist Device®

“Rapid” compression technique to treat PAD

Rapid Compression:  How Fast is Fast Enough?

Compression pump systems for peripheral arterial disease treatment and wound care are becoming more and more popular these days. As more people seek treatment for conditions caused by poor circulation, the number of cases contraindicated for surgical intervention also rises. So, to find an alternative to amputation, some medical device makers are advertising their pumps as a solution.

In general, here’s what you’ll see:

  • Cuffs/sleeves:  can cover the foot & calf or just the calf
  • Pressure:  90 – 120 mmHg

Here’s a secret, though:  most of these “arterial pumps” are nothing but DVT prophylaxes or lymphedema pumps that are modified to exert more pressure. Minor adjustments such as these have been largely untested in a clinical setting and therefore yield fairly unpredictable results.

ACI Medical is the only device maker to have uncovered the most important aspect of compression therapy as a means of treating PAD:  rapid compression (under 0.5 seconds) that serves as a close physiological substitute for brisk walking.

ArtAssist device compression sequence

Unlike all other compression pumps, ACI Medical’s ArtAssist® Arterial Assist Device® was engineered on the premise of understanding the underlying physiology of increasing arterial blood flow and focusing on results that will benefit patients with critical limb ischemia. Since developers and researchers understood how important exercise was for patients with arterial disease, they engineered a device that would bring the important physiological benefits of walking to patients with limited mobility.

Early physiological studies led by Dr. Paul van Bemmelen, Professor Andrew Nicolaides, and others showed a great understanding of the vascular system of the legs. When we exercise, our calf muscles push blood rapidly through the veins to the heart where it can be recycled and directed back towards the leg muscles with essential nutrients. Therefore, in patients who have difficulty walking, it was essential to emulate the calf muscle’s role in pumping blood without having the patient do exercise.

So, when a patient uses the ArtAssist® device, it is as if the device system is “walking” for them. Patients do not experience pain and, over a period of about three months, benefits become long-term.

The real experts on Arterial Pump Technology are only a click or call away. Email info@acimedical.com or call toll free (888) 4 LEG FLO

Relevant clinical trials using the ArtAssist® device:

Rapid Intermittent Compression Increases Skin Circulation in Chronically Ischemic Legs with Infra-popliteal Arterial Obstruction.
van Bemmelen, P.S.; Weiss-Olmanni, J. and Ricotta, J.J. Div. of Vascular Surgery, State University of New York, Stony Brook.
VASA 2000;29:47-52

The Contributions of Arterial and Venous Volumes to Increased Cutaneous Blood Flow During Leg Compression. Eze, A.R.; Cisek, P.L.; Holland, B.S.; Comerota, A.J. Jr.; Veeramasuneni, R.; and Comerota, A.J. Philadephia, Pennsylvania, Charlotte and Gastonia, North Carolina. Annals of Vascular Surgery, 1998;12:182-186

Effects of Intermittent Pneumatic Compression of the Calf and Thigh on Arterial Calf Inflow: A Study of Normals, Claudicants, and Grafted Arteriopaths. Delis, K.T.; Husmann, J.W.; Cheshire, N.J.; and Nicolaides, A.N. Imperial College School of Medicine, St. Mary’s Hospital, London, UK. Surgery, 2000, Vol. 129, No. 2, p. 188-195

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Sep 25, 2012 By ArtAssist®...The Arterial Assist Device®, PAD

“Walking Therapy and Pneumatic Compression: The Natural Cures for Poor Leg Circulation” | Paul van Bemmelen, MD, PhD, FACS

paul van bemmelen md phdYou’ve already seen Dr. Steven Kavros’ article on pneumatic compression device therapy published on faim.org (the Foundation for Alternative and Integrative Medicine).

But just released is yet another article on pneumatic compression therapy with an emphasis on its natural approach to healing non-reconstructable PAD (peripheral arterial disease) patients. This time, FAIM.org is featuring Dr. Paul van Bemmelen, one of the very few vascular surgeons who have conducted the most advanced investigations into the capabilities of arterial pump technology for non-surgical patients with poor leg circulation.

Here is an excerpt from Dr. van Bemmelen’s latest article:

“Because healthcare providers are paid much more for invasive procedures, our healthcare system currently favors costly procedures as the primary solution for circulation problems. In Ireland, a study on 171 patients treated with the compression device, found a savings of about 1.5 million Euros compared to cost of amputation for a matched group of patients.”

In addition, this article gives insight into the origins of compression therapy and why previous attempts at treating PAD with with it had been largely unsuccessful prior to the development of the ArtAssist® device, technology to which Dr. van Bemmelen himself contributed a significant amount of his vascular expertise.

ArtAssist® Arterial Pump Technology is the pioneer for non-invasive intermittent pneumatic compression therapy. By mimicking the benefits of the most natural way of fighting arterial disease, this treatment is proven to provide long-term relief for patients suffering from poor circulation.

Look for the full article on faim.org!

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Sep 7, 2012 By ArtAssist®...The Arterial Assist Device®, PAD

Hope in the Face of Amputation: Mary Tells Her Mother’s ArtAssist® Device Story

Diana’s note:  I’ve been digging around on the server lately for material I could use to add to this website. I came across two wonderful stories of patients whose lives were regained because they underwent ArtAssist® Device therapy. These people wished for their testimonials to be shared with others with the hope that anyone suffering from severe PAD would know that there’s one more hope before amputation.

Mary’s mother had run out of options and was on her way toward amputation when doctors suggested the ArtAssist® Device. Here is Mary’s letter to ACI Medical on behalf of her mother (identifying information has been omitted, but it is otherwise unabridged):

November 7, 2006
ACI Medical
1857 Diamond Street
San Marcos, CA 92078-5129

To Whom It May Concern:

A little over three months ago, my mother was an active and independent 83 year-old woman, who lived alone, drove a car and took walks around the block. She began to have a very cold foot, trouble walking and developed pain and ulcers on her left foot and ankle. (She experienced pain just putting a sock on her left foot). She became unable to take her walks, in fact, she would call us because she also experienced intermittent extreme pain and could not move from one room to the next without assistance.

She was diagnosed with peripheral vascular occlusive disease. Several tests and visits to specialists indicated my mother was not a candidate for bypass surgery. Amputation was discussed, which would have been necessary if she developed gangrene. In an effort to avoid amputation, the doctors suggested she take the prescriptions Plavex and Pletal and use the ARTERIAL ASSIST DEVICE.

My mother used the ARTERIAL ASSIST DEVICE along with the Plavex and Pletal for a three-month period. I am happy to report to you that my mother is again an active and independent 83 year-old woman who is taking walks around the block! Thank you to the inventors of the ARTERIAL ASSIST DEVICE!

I am writing this letter so that someone out there who may be as severe as my mother was would ask their doctor about trying this device in an effort to avoid amputation or surgery. Sometimes there is hope when you think hope doesn’t exist.

Sincerely,
Mary H., Southgate, MI

Next week, you’ll read about a patient whose left leg has been saved not once, but twice thanks to ArtAssist® Arterial Pump Technology!

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Aug 18, 2012 By ArtAssist®...The Arterial Assist Device®, PAD

Regaining Mobility is No Longer a Pipe Dream! Donald’s ArtAssist® Device Experience

Diana’s note:  I’ve been digging around on the server lately for material I could use to add to this website. I came across two wonderful stories of patients whose lives were regained because they underwent ArtAssist® Device therapy. These people wished for their testimonials to be shared with others with the hope that anyone suffering from severe PAD would know that there’s one more hope before amputation.

Here is Donald’s letter to ACI Medical (identifying information has been omitted, but it is otherwise unabridged):

Email submission:

My wife and I rented the [ArtAssist® device] in June 2004. Between the time that we agreed to the rental, and the machine arriving at our home, I was placed in the hospital and subsequently had an amputation of the fourth toe on my right foot.

My first thank you is to the folks [at ACI] for their kindness and understanding, in adjusting the rental period, allowing me to get out of the hospital before starting the clock. The second thank you is for the extra cuffs that were provided to us when the original ones failed. Although you might not like to hear about your product failing, I was more than satisfied with the action we received from ACI.

Now, lets get to the real reason for my letter. In 2001, my blood flow in my lower legs was 62 in both legs. In 2004, that number dropped to 22 and 21, left and right respectively. Dr. ________ (my family doctor) had read about this apparatus [the ArtAssist® device] and suggested that I try the one he had gotten on loan from you. I did and as I mentioned above, then rented the device for three months and then purchased the machine.

I have been using this machine now for just over 6 months and had a Doppler test done last week. The results of which were beyond amazing. The normal number for a reasonably healthy individual is a percentage of blood pressure readings and would be 96 in both legs. My left leg is now 95, and my right leg is 91. Dr. ________ was as impressed as we were. I can’t begin to express my thanks for all you’ve done for me. I expect to be walking a golf course again this year. ONE YEAR AGO, I THOUGHT THAT WAS A PIPE DREAM!!!!!

Thank you again for all you’ve done, and I hope this letter will help convince others to at least try to turn back time.

Don, Ontario Canada

Stay tuned next week for another patient story of how an 83-year-old woman with foot pain and ulcers went from barely being able to put on a sock to taking walks around the block!

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Aug 11, 2012 By ArtAssist®...The Arterial Assist Device®, PAD

Is funding cut a false saving? – The Irish Times – Tue, Jul 24, 2012

A home device that increases arterial blood flow to the leg can help save patients’ limbs – and taxpayers’ money – so why is it no longer paid for by some HSEs, asks MICHELLE MCDONAGH

EIGHTY SEVEN-year-old Bridget O’Malley has managed to stay in her own home and avoid having a second leg amputated through the use of a cost-effective, non-invasive home device which increases arterial blood flow to the leg. However, she is the only patient in Mayo still receiving HSE funding for the ArtAssist device and one of very few in the country due to funding cuts.

Read the rest via Is funding cut a false saving? – The Irish Times – Tue, Jul 24, 2012.

artassist arterial assist device

ArtAssist®…The Arterial Assist Device®

Diana’s note:  Yep, that’s our ArtAssist® device! As you read the article further, you’ll see another story like Mrs. O’Malley’s, except that Mr. Conneely does not receive financial assistance for his device – he must pay out-of-pocket for it. Stateside, at ACI Medical, we’ve likewise been fighting for Medicare to reimburse for the ArtAssist® device because, as Dr. Sultan states in this article, having a patient on a device instead of undergoing a costly amputation really is “a no-brainer”.

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Jul 24, 2012 By ArtAssist®...The Arterial Assist Device®

Andrew Nicolaides scheduled to talk about the ArtAssist® Device at Veith Symposium 2012

We are excited to announce that at this year’s Veith Symposium in New York, Professor Nicolaides will be giving a short presentation about our own ArtAssist® pneumatic compression device.

As one of the ArtAssist® Device’s key developers, Prof. Nicolaides is a veritable expert on the machine’s capability to treat non-surgical patients suffering from severe PAD. If anyone can give a great 5-minute talk about our new technology at 6:46 a.m., it would be him.

Are you attending Veith 2012? Roll out of bed, grab some coffee (or whatever you do to wake up…I don’t judge), get dressed with as much coordination as you can muster, and make your way down to the lecture hall on Friday, November 16 from 6:46 – 6:51 a.m. to listen to “How The Art-Assist Pneumatic Compression Device Can Heal Ulcers From CLI And Relieve Rest Pain Noninvasively.”

As a man of vast knowledge, Prof. Nicolaides will also be presenting on a couple of other topics. Check out his schedule by clicking here.

Related articles
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Jul 17, 2012 By ArtAssist®...The Arterial Assist Device®

He speaks! The inventor of the ArtAssist® device

Please enjoy this video of Ed Arkans, MEng (President of ACI Medical), as he gives you a brief overview of the device that successfully saves the limbs of non-surgical PAD patients:  ArtAssist®…the Arterial Assist Device®

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May 30, 2012 By ArtAssist®...The Arterial Assist Device®

Challenge conventions. You may end up saving a limb!

Previously, I posted a whole article about how it’s actually not dangerous to use compression therapy on an ischemic limb. However, that’s not the only misconception that we’ve cleared up at ACI Medical. This article exposes a couple more myths that have been known to float around, and how we’ve found evidence to set the record straight.

Even after some experts dismissed the idea of intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) as a viable treatment for patients with PAD, the creators and developers of the ArtAssist® device put their theories to the test nonetheless.

Pioneered and developed with vascular surgeons, the ArtAssist® device continues to be the leader in IPC therapy for non-surgical PAD patients with varying levels of severity.

ArtAssist® IPC therapy should not be overlooked or dismissed without having considered the clinical evidence:

in fact, it has both saved limbs and improved patient quality of life.

MYTH: Critically ischemic limbs are maximally vasodilated.

False.

In fact, the ArtAssist® device’s first physiological clinical trial disproves this myth. Even without having been optimized to the extent it is now, the prototype yielded results that suggested transient vasodilation.

Later, in 2005, a study conducted by Professor Labropoulos of SUNY not only confirms the earlier findings, but also suggests that increasing the arteriovenous pressure gradient with foot & calf IPC therapy contributes greatly to significantly increased blood flow in the subjects’ popliteal, gastrocnemial and collateral arteries. Skin blood flow also improved significantly in their findings.

MYTH: The ArtAssist® device is the same as any other arterial pump with similar function.

False.

We encourage you to ask yourself these two important questions when considering other devices which claim to perform as efficaciously as the ArtAssist® device:

1. Is it optimized for arterial disease? And

2. Is there clinical evidence and support for this specific device?

Only the ArtAssist® device satisfies each of these questions with its thorough progression of clinical studies: this device alone has been adjusted and optimized from its initial prototype over the past two decades to effectively treat even the most severe cases of PAD.

  • Physiological
  • Optimization
  • Intermittent Claudication
  • Limb Salvage
  • Critical Limb Ischemia (CLI)
  • Arteriogenesis (Collateralization)

Currently, studies are being conducted to explore the ArtAssist® device’s efficacy for adjunct therapies, such as stem cell treatment and gene expression.

The Bottom Line.

Your patient’s non-reconstructable limb will not wait for hearsay on this form of therapy.

We are here to let you know that therapy with the ArtAssist® device gives patients a dependable option that continues to help non-surgical limbs across the country.

Make the decision that could save your patient from amputation.

References

Augmentation of blood flow in limbs with occlusive arterial disease by intermittent calf compression. Van Bemmelen, P.S.; Mattos, M.A.; Faught, W.E.; Mansour, M.A.; Barkmeier, L.D.; Hodgson, K.J.; Ramsey, D.E.; and Sumner, D.S. Springfield, IL. Journal of Vascular Surgery 1994; 19:1052-8.

Hemodynamic effects of intermittent pneumatic compression in patients with critical limb ischemia. Labropoulos, N.; Leon, L.R.; Bhatti, A.; Melton, S.; Kang, S.S.; Mansour, A.M.; and Borge, M. The Department of Surgery, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL. Journal of Vascular Surgery, October 2005; Volume 42, Number 4: 710-716

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May 25, 2012 By ArtAssist®...The Arterial Assist Device®

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