The Captor™ device is a next‑generation stent retriever thrombectomy system developed by Shanghai HeartCare Medical, designed specifically for acute ischemic stroke (AIS-LVO). Unlike traditional stent retrievers or aspiration systems, it is engineered to surround and capture both soft and hard thrombi in a single pass—a significant advancement in cases with dense, refractory clots which represent up to ~30% of acute strokes
It has received approval in China (NMPA) in August 2020 and entered the market shortly thereafter. The Captor is HeartCare Medical’s first domestically developed stent retriever with multi-marker visibility, and the company is actively pursuing registration in the US and EU
Clot‑agnostic capture: Engineered to handle both soft and hard thrombi, especially hardened fibrin-rich clots that often resist standard stent retrievers or aspiration catheter remova
Single-pass capability: Aims for high efficacy on the first pass, improving the likelihood of complete reperfusion (eTICI ≥ 2c/3).
Multi-marker visible design: Enhances placement accuracy under fluoroscopy during deployment
Scalable platform: Configurable for removal of clots in cerebral vessels as well as for deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) through adaptable size engineering
Clinical Use & PerformanceHigher first-pass success: Could improve functional outcomes if Captor reliably reduces multiple passes and clot fragmentation.
New procedural protocols: Hybrid strategies where Captor is used first to capture hard clots, followed by aspiration if needed.
Adjunct to aspiration: Possibly integrated or combined with aspiration pumps and guiding catheters to improve complete clot removal odds.
AI‑guided navigation integration: Looking ahead, autonomous or semi-autonomous catheter navigation may reduce procedure times and radiation dose Captor’s compatibility with these approaches could differentiate it
