Stewart Strong, Q’Apel Medical’s recently appointed CEO, discusses the company, his priorities and plans for growth in an interview with SmartTRAK at SNIS 2025 in Nashville, TN.

Stewart Strong, Q’Apel Medical’s recently appointed CEO, discusses the company, his priorities and plans for growth in an interview with SmartTRAK at the Society of Neurointerventional Surgery (SNIS) Annual Meeting held in Nashville, TN July 14-18, 2025. 

Strong says with recent challenges behind them, it’s the perfect time for him to join Q’Apel Medical. Given Q’Apel’s leadership position in balloon guide catheters, the full market launch of Zebra and the company’s pipeline leveraging its innovative laser-cut technology, he sees significant opportunity in the years ahead. To find out more, listen to the following video (21:12 min). A transcript of the interview is also provided below. 

SmartTRAK: Hi, everyone. Anne Staylor here with SmartTRAK. Today, I'm at the Society of Neurointerventional Surgery meeting in Nashville, and I have the pleasure of talking with Stewart Strong, the new president and CEO of Q'Apel Medical. Stewart, thanks for talking with me today.

Stewart Strong: Thanks, Anne. Great to be here.

So you are really new to the company. They just announced July 1st that you were in this new role. So I think a lot of people, myself included, want to hear a little bit about you. So do you want to start by just talking about yourself?

SS: Sure. And you're right, four weeks into the role, but I've been really excited about not only the opportunity here at Q'Apel, but also with the space that we're in and the growth of the neurovascular space. So to give you a little bit of background on me, I've been in the medical device industry for over 25 years. I've spent time in spaces like interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, and have really focused on areas where we can drive growth. That's one of the things I really enjoy is joining a company where we can drive exponential above-market growth and continue to add value to customers and to stakeholders through that growth.

I knew you're really experienced from what I had heard. So as you enter this new company, what are your priorities?

SS: I think what I saw in doing my own due diligence on Q'Apel is a company that has terrific innovation. When you think about innovation, you think about quality, you think about Q'Apel, and that's been validated here. I have had a chance to speak with a number of physicians that use our products. Everybody really looks at us as ...

Curious about where Q’Apel Medical is headed next? We sat down with CEO Stewart Strong for an exclusive interview conducted by Anne Staylor, SmartTRAK’s Executive Editor and VP & GM of Neuro Therapies. Click below to download the full transcript and get an inside look at Q’Apel’s future plans, innovations and strategic goals.

SmartTRAK is excited to attend the Society of Neurointerventional Surgery’s (SNIS) 22nd Annual Meeting & Fellows Course in Nashville, Tennessee, from July 14-18, 2025. Anne Staylor, VP/GM of Neuro Therapies, will cover the latest news at the conference and provide updates on key studies, trends, and technologies affecting the market for ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke devices. 

Meanwhile, click the image below to watch Anne’s video update on the US Market for Mechanical Thrombectomy in 2025.

Q’Apel Medical CEO Jodie Fam discusses the company, strategies for growth and Q’Apel’s approach to innovation in an interview with SmartTRAK at SVIN 2024. 

Q’Apel Medical CEO Jodie Fam discusses the company, its technologies, strategies for growth and Q’Apel’s approach to innovation in an interview with SmartTRAK at the Society of Vascular and Interventional Neurology (SVIN) held November 22-24, 2024 in San Diego, California. 

To find out more, click on the video below to listen to the interview (22:08 min). Click the button below to download a complete transcript of the interview.

SmartTRAK's Anne Staylor, VP & GM Neuro Therapies, will be attending ESMINT 2024

SmartTRAK is excited to attend the ESMINT Congress 2024, which will be held at the Pharo Congress Center in Marseille, France, September 4-6. Anne Staylor, SmartTRAK VP & GM Neuro Therapies, will be there to cover the latest Neurovascular news and developments. In this Market Snapshot video update, Anne provides the latest research and technologies impacting the market for neuro intervention, including trends to look for at the meeting.

If you'd like to meet with Anne at ESMINT, or see more of SmartTRAK's neuro coverage, just click the button below to visit SmartTRAK Neurovascular Central.

SmartTRAK highlights market and technology trends that will help drive growth in neurovascular interventions in 2024.

The neurovascular intervention market is poised for another exciting year in 2024, with key trends driven by an expanding treatable population and innovative technologies addressing critical gaps in patient care. The percentage of eligible acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients who receive endovascular therapy (EVT) is projected to increase from ~25% in 2022 to ~40% in 2027E. According to the SmartTRAK US Mechanical Thrombectomy Market Overview, the market will generate a 5-year CAGR of 11.1%. Amidst market growth driven by treatment time window expansions, direct-to-EVT protocols and increasing evidence supporting EVT to treat large core stroke patients, SmartTRAK predicts continued advancements in three key areas: aspiration thrombectomy for ischemic stroke, automated stroke detection software and novel devices for treating intracranial aneurysms.

#1: Innovations to Increase Aspiration Efficiency
Aspiration thrombectomy is a mainstay of stroke treatment. With the increasing adoption of A Direct Aspiration, First Pass Technique (ADAPT), companies are innovating to improve aspiration efficiency, effectiveness, procedure speed, reperfusion and patient functional outcomes. SmartTRAK sees ... (read more)

#2 Accelerating Adoption of Automated Stroke Detection Technologies
Early and accurate stroke diagnosis is critical for timely intervention. Automated stroke detection software is gaining traction, with companies like Brainomix, RapidAI and Viz.ai leading the charge. Studies have shown that ... (read more)

#3 Aneurysm Treatment Beyond Flow Diverters
 While flow-diverting stents (FDS) remain a mainstay in treating intracranial aneurysms, SmartTRAK has witnessed the development of more novel devices catering to a broader range of aneurysm types and sizes since MicroVention introduced the Woven EndoBridge (WEB) device in 2011, the first intrasaccular device developed specifically for the treatment of wide-neck bifurcation aneurysms. This trend towards tailored solutions based on ... (read more)

The neurovascular intervention market is on an exciting trajectory, driven by increasing patient populations, innovative technologies and a focus on improving patient outcomes. 2024 promises to be a year of significant advancements in ... (read more)

Just click the button below to download and read the complete "Key Trends in Neurovascular Intervention for 2024" Market Outlook article by  Shelly Caruso, SmartTRAK Market Analyst/Associate Editor.

Adam Hattan, VP of marketing for Route 92 Medical, discusses the SUMMIT MAX trial and provides an update on the company and products in an interview with SmartTRAK.

Route 92 Medical (R92) is raising the bar and advancing the treatment of acute ischemic stroke through its 250-patient SUMMIT MAX clinical trial, the first randomized controlled trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of “super-bore” 0.088” aspiration catheters. The company recently announced enrollment is complete in SUMMIT MAX, which features the company’s Monopoint Reperfusion System, including the HiPoint 88 and HiPoint 70 Reperfusion Catheters and the Tenzing Catheters. HiPoint is currently approved by the FDA as an access catheter, but the company plans to submit the results of SUMMIT MAX to the FDA to obtain the NRY indication, which would allow physicians to use the device on label as an aspiration catheter.

For an update on R92, its products and what SUMMIT​ MAX means for the company and market, SmartTRAK interviewed Adam Hattan, R92’s vice president of marketing. Click on the video below to listen to the interview, recorded via Google Meet (19:48 min). A link to download the complete transcript of the interview is also provided below.

The North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS) is celebrating its 30^th anniversary in 2024 and is once again bringing together the leading clinicians, researchers and manufacturers to Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas for the NANS 2024 Annual Meeting, to be held January 18-21. To get you up to speed before the meeting, SmartTRAK has put together highlights of recent neuromodulation news. The following is just a small sampling of recent Neuromodulation-related news and updates from around the world compiled, reviewed and posted in real-time every day by the expert analysts at SmartTRAK.

SmartTRAK will be attending NANS 2024 from January 18-21. If you'd like to meet with us in person, please reach out to Anne Staylor, SmartTRAK’s Executive Editor and VP & GM, Neuro Therapies, at anne.staylor@smarttrak.com, or just click the button below.

SmartTRAK constantly monitors the worldwide MedTech industry, sifting through the noise to present to our subscribers the most relevant international news, trends, new products, patents, financial data and competitor developments in the global Life Sciences industry. Contact Us if you'd like to learn how to receive these expert insights daily. Our users think it's the perfect way to start their day.

The following is just a small sampling of recent Neurovascular market updates from around the world compiled, reviewed and posted daily by our SmartTRAK analysts.

New Products:

• ZOOM* - Imperative Care* 
  

  Imperative Care announced the completion of first cases using the recently FDA-cleared Zoom 88 Support catheter. One of the cases was an AIS patient with a tandem occlusion treated at Erlanger Health System in Chattanooga, TN. SmartTRAK reported FDA clearance of the device on Jun 15.

• MicroPort*

   MicroPort NeuroTech announced in May 2023 that it has completed the first clinical implantation of its NUMEN Detachable Embolization Coil for neurovascular aneurysm treatment in both the UK and Ireland.

• EOSolutions Launches Dr. Banner BGC

   EOSolutions announced the full commercial launch of its Dr. Banner, Balloon Guide Catheter (BGC), developed in collaboration with InNeuroCo. According to the Company, the BGC features a 0.091 ID, proximal stability, distal trackability and a compliant polyurethane balloon.

Patents:

• phenox*
  

  phenox GmbH’s US Patent Application “Insertion System For Implants For Treatment Of Bifurcation Aneurysms” was published disclosing a Y-shaped tubular implant and Y-shaped insertion catheter for bifurcation aneurysm treatment. 20230233347

• Aspiration Catheter with an Adjustable Tip

  The Univ of Toledo’s US Patent Application “Aspiration Catheter With An Adjustable Tip For The Intracranial Circulation” was published disclosing a neurovascular aspiration catheter with an adjustable tip controlled by pull wires. 20230233221