Q,Apel Medical, Inc.
Revolutionizing Neurovascular Access

Amid the fear of Covid-19, a report by World Stroke Organization revealing that one among four people will have stroke once in their lifetime has literally shaken the medical community in 2020. As stroke exacts a tragic personal toll on patients today, clinicians are under tremendous pressure to reduce the health burdens that it presents. In the last decade, surgeons have been taking advantage of minimally invasive interventional neurovascular procedures to treat patients with stroke and other neurovascular abnormalities. Being able to deliver medical devices to the vasculature in the brain through catheters, endovascular neurosurgery serves as a reliable measure to combat this medical emergency. But, with the precise nature of these procedures, surgeons need to ensure procedural efficiency and safety. This is precisely where Q’Apel Medical, a leading medical device provider dedicated to finding answers to unsolved problems in neurovascular interventions, makes a world of difference.

Established in 2015 as the brainchild of two visionaries — James Dreher and Jeff Krolik, its CTO —, Q’Apel Medical has always been striving to revolutionize neurovascular interventions. Adhering to this mission, the company develops state-of-the-art neurovascular access device technologies that provide exceptional tracking capabilities and proximal support. “We leverage our unique technologies and collaborations with neurovascular specialists to craft two novel products — Walrus and Wahoo — that get straight to the core of today’s clinical needs,” says King Nelson, the CEO of Q’Apel Medical. “Designed to provide superior access during neurovascular procedures, our solutions empower surgeons to navigate complicated neurovasculature and deliver emerging medical devices.”

Q’Apel Medical’s Walrus is a balloon guide catheter designed to help surgeons facilitate thrombectomy by enabling them to deliver aspiration devices even with a larger bore seamlessly.

By leveraging the novel catheter technology and kink-resistant construction, it provides optimal trackability, proximal support, and distal flexibility required to suit surgeons’ needs during the most complex clot retrieval therapies. Embedded with highly reliable balloon components and dual radiopaque distal marker bands, the solution ensures proximal flow control and visibility under fluoroscopy.

Wahoo is a first of its kind dual-mode intermediate catheter that leverages Q’Apel Medical’s proprietary SelectFlex™ variable stiffness technology to provide exceptional tracking and support. Designed with a hybrid dual-mode structure, the solution offers two distinct operational modes — tracking mode and support mode — which surgeons can easily switch during clinical cases. While Wahoo adopts a soft neurovascular-compliant mode for tracking, it switches to a high-resistance structure to provide support by adapting to the shape of the vessel it has assumed. This way, it shows real promise in eliminating the use of multiple catheters in such challenging procedures.

Having such robust solutions under its sleeve, Q’Apel Medical has now evolved into a prominent player that serves hundreds of clinicians across the U.S. But, what gives the company an edge over the competition is its customer-centric approach that fuels its passion for identifying clinical needs and introducing innovative technologies rapidly. “At Q’Apel, we’re always open to clinicians — listening to their challenges and demands — and dedicated to quickly developing high quality solutions that really work for them,” adds Nelson. “Today, we pride ourselves on spearheading the innovation excellence in the space with the introduction of our third product Armadillo, a radial access system awaiting FDA clearance.” It also features the SelectFlex™ variable stiffness technology and was designed specifically for radial artery procedures, which are less traumatic for the patient. Committed to ensuring quality, the company complies with FDA mandates and adopts a Q’Apel Quality System to ensure its design, manufacturing, and inspection processes exceed all regulatory standards.

With expansion embedded in its corporate DNA, Q’Apel Medical is always propelling its operations to extend its footprints further. The company is now acquiring a CE certification that enables it to establish its presence in the European markets. In addition, Q’Apel Medical is preparing to shift its headquarters and manufacturing into a new, advanced, and well-equipped 35,000 square foot facility, empowering it to augment production operations significantly. “Having a comprehensive roadmap ahead, we find ourselves at the forefront of technological innovations that can bring a paradigm shift in the neurovascular industry,” concludes Nelson.