The unique approach introduced by the XenX™ involves a very thin and flexible mesh structure that is constructed as an integral part of a guidewire. The mesh is collapsed into an overlay tube that forms part of this guidewire and allows it to maintain a very slim profile. The XenX™’s flexible and floppy hydrophilic tip can be advanced past occluding stones. Being a guidewire, the XenX™ can be introduced into the ureter and advanced past the occluding stone under fluoroscopy until its tip reaches the kidney. The stone retention unit is thereby positioned between the occluding stone and the kidney. Once deployed the occluding braided mesh self-expands up to 12mm in diameter, fitting all ureter shapes.
The fully deployed mesh acts as a barrier to particles larger than 1mm, preventing their migration towards the kidney. This barrier allows for enhanced irrigation to be performed for better visualization, thereby reducing the lithotripsy procedure’s duration and complexity.
Once the lithotripsy procedure has been completed, the unique and flexible mesh structure allows the XenX™ to be pulled out of very narrow ureteral anatomies with minimal ureter wall abrasion.
If ureteral stenting is required, the XenX™ allows the advancement and positioning of regular urological stents over the device, thereby eliminating the need for introduction of a second guidewire for this purpose.