11/12/2025
Today marked a defining moment for advanced endovascular therapy in Ireland as we launched the AcoArt™ ORCHID Drug-Coated Balloon technology at the state-of-the-art Endovascular Unit in the Blackrock Health Group Galway Clinic.
It was an honour to introduce Boston Scientific’s UK–Ireland AcoArt™ ORCHID platform in collaboration with Mr Philip Whelan, Senior Regional Clinical Manager at Boston Scientific. After completing a complex bilateral lower-limb revascularisation, I reflected on how profoundly this disruptive technology will reshape the management of advanced femoropopliteal disease.
The AcoArt™ ORCHID balloon represents a thoughtful evolution of drug-eluting therapy. By addressing the limitations of first-generation standalone DEBs, this technology employs a lipophilic excipient—magnesium stearate—to optimise targeted, efficient delivery of paclitaxel into the lesion. This refined coating improves tissue uptake, reduces drug loss, and enhances durability. It also draws on a proven safety profile, with magnesium stearate long established as a GRAS agent widely used in pharmaceutical formulation.
With balloon lengths up to 300 mm, the ORCHID platform provides full-segment SFA coverage in a single inflation at 12 atmospheres for five minutes, bringing real-world practicality to the management of long TASC C and D occlusions.
Technology is now advancing at a pace that outstrips earlier trial frameworks. BASIL-3, for example, reflects an era of bygone DCB design; ORCHID™ signals where the field is truly heading.
My thanks to the Galway Clinic team, Boston Scientific, and all colleagues committed to advancing vascular care in Ireland. Together, we continue to push the boundaries of what is possible for our patients.