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Tiny plastic or gel beads injected through a catheter into the artery feeding a tumour, to block its blood supply. Without a drug they are called bland embolisation; the same beads can carry chemotherapy in some countries.
In the United States embolic microspheres are cleared as vascular embolisation devices. Biosphere Medical's Embosphere (K250971, 16 May 2025, code KRD) is indicated for "Hypervascular tumors, including symptomatic uterine fibroids" and prostate artery embolisation; Biocompatibles' Bead Block (K203276, 20 April 2021) and MicroVention's HydroPearl (K192684, 22 January 2020) are listed under code NOY, which the FDA names for benign prostatic hyperplasia, with indications covering "hypervascular tumors, including uterine fibroids". Varian's Embozene Color-Advanced (K242608, 17 January 2025) names "hepatoma" among hypervascular tumours. ABK Biomedical's Easi-Vue (K234123, 13 February 2024) is radiopaque, so the beads themselves show on X-ray. Instylla's Embrace hydrogel embolic system, a liquid that sets in the vessel, was approved by PMA on 5 August 2025 (P250003, code QVG, class III). Magle PharmaCept lists EmboCept S degradable starch microspheres among its products; no US clearance was found for them.
Calibrated spheres or an in-situ setting hydrogel are injected through a microcatheter into the tumour's feeding arteries, lodging at a size-dependent depth and stopping flow so the tumour becomes ischaemic.
Query for this technology: (TITLE:"Embolic microspheres and hydrogel for tumour embolisation" OR ABSTRACT:"Embolic microspheres and hydrogel for tumour embolisation" OR TITLE:"Embosphere, Bead Block, HydroPearl, Embozene, Easi-Vue, Embrace" OR ABSTRACT:"Embosphere, Bead Block, HydroPearl, Embozene, Easi-Vue, Embrace" OR TITLE:"Bland embolisation" OR ABSTRACT:"Bland embolisation" OR TITLE:"Bland microspheres" OR ABSTRACT:"Bland microspheres") AND (cancer OR tumor OR tumour OR oncology OR carcinoma OR lymphoma OR leukemia OR leukaemia OR myeloma OR sarcoma OR melanoma OR glioma). Results are unfiltered search hits about Embolic microspheres and hydrogel for tumour embolisation (Embosphere, Bead Block, HydroPearl, Embozene, Easi-Vue, Embrace), not a curated reading list.
Shares Liver-directed therapy (TACE, TARE, HAI, ablation) and the tag devices-gaps-2026-11.
Shares Hepatocellular carcinoma and the tag devices-gaps-2026-11.
Shares TACE (transarterial chemoembolisation), Liver-directed therapy (TACE, TARE, HAI, ablation), Transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE), Hepatocellular carcinoma.
Shares Drug-eluting beads for chemoembolisation (DC Bead, LC Bead, HepaSphere, ONCOZENE, CalliSpheres, LifePearl), Radioembolisation (TARE / SIRT, yttrium-90), Transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE), Hepatocellular carcinoma.
Shares TACE (transarterial chemoembolisation), Transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE), Hepatocellular carcinoma.
Shares Radioembolisation (TARE / SIRT, yttrium-90), Hepatocellular carcinoma.
Shares Transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE), Hepatocellular carcinoma.
Shares Transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE), Hepatocellular carcinoma.
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