REDWOOD CITY, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 16, 2022 / Avinger, Inc. (Nasdaq:AVGR), a commercial-stage medical device company marketing the first and only intravascular image-guided, catheter-based system for diagnosis and treatment of Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), today announced a key opinion leader (KOL) presentation and a live-case event featuring the Company's Lumivascular technology at two important vascular conferences in Germany: the annual CLI Congress on May 6-7 and Masterclass Münster on May 9-10.

The annual CLI Congress in Germany is regarded as one of the foremost forums in the world addressing the complex condition of critical limb ischemia (CLI). The Congress includes a comprehensive educational agenda on the treatment of patients with this severe form of PAD, with a focus on avoiding amputations.

At the conference, Dr. Arne Schwindt, a vascular surgeon from St. Franziskus Hospital Münster in Germany, gave a podium presentation entitled "OCT-guided atherectomy." Dr. Schwindt is widely recognized as a leading global user and pioneer in the use of Avinger's OCT-guided therapies, including the Pantheris image-guided atherectomy devices. Dr. Schwindt's presentation featured patient cases treated with Pantheris to highlight the advantages of onboard OCT imaging in the preservation of limbs that would otherwise necessitate amputation due to CLI.

Masterclass Münster is an annual regional conference with approximately 200 attendees and an agenda focusing on interventional PAD treatments. In a live case presented to the attendees, Dr. Schwindt demonstrated the advantages of Avinger's image-guided approach for the treatment of complex arterial disease. During the case, Dr. Schwindt used Avinger's Pantheris OCT-guided directional atherectomy device to successfully treat a 79 year-old woman suffering from permanent rest pain of the right foot caused by a total occlusion of the popliteal artery.

Dr. Schwindt noted, "Onboard intravascular guidance at the point of therapy combined with directional plaque removal offers a level of precision unparalleled by other technologies. I have found that Pantheris provides extremely durable and safe outcomes for patients over a sustained period. In the multiple studies I have been involved in and in my daily clinical practice, Avinger's OCT-guided atherectomy devices have proven to be particularly beneficial for the treatment of in-stent restenosis, below-the-knee lesions, and in the ‘no-stent' zones of the popliteal artery. Seeing what I treat from the inside the vessel makes this treatment even more efficient and safe compared to other debulking modalities."

Commenting on the live case, Dr. Schwindt added, "Pantheris allowed me to remove the tissue blocking the artery, while precisely controlling direction of therapy. We examined the patient today after treatment. The perfusion parameters of the foot rose significantly, and the patient is out of pain for the first time in weeks. I could not be more pleased with the outcome of the treatment."

Jeff Soinski, Avinger's President and CEO, commented, "Dr. Schwindt's presentation and live case illustrate the benefits of Avinger's Lumivascular platform, particularly in CLI cases where amputation is a major concern should treatment fail. Avinger's image-guided capabilities are particularly beneficial in these high-stakes cases, as Dr. Schwindt demonstrated to the attendees. This level of precision is accentuated by our new Lightbox 3 imaging console, which combines high-definition imaging and advanced workflows to give Avinger's users one of the most advanced and effective tools for the treatment of CLI cases."

Atherectomy is a minimally invasive treatment for PAD in which a catheter-based device is used to remove plaque from a blood vessel. Lumivascular technology allows physicians, for the first time ever, to see inside the artery during an atherectomy procedure by using an imaging modality called optical coherence tomography, or OCT, that is displayed on Avinger's proprietary Lightbox console. Physicians performing atherectomy with other devices must rely solely on X-ray images as well as tactile feedback to guide their interventions while treating complicated arterial disease. With the Lumivascular approach, physicians can more accurately navigate their devices and treat PAD lesions, thanks to the real-time OCT images generated from inside the artery, without exposing healthcare workers and patients to the negative effects of ionizing radiation.

About Avinger, Inc.

Avinger is a commercial-stage medical device company that designs and develops the first and only image-guided, catheter-based system for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD). PAD is estimated to affect over 12 million people in the U.S. and over 200 million worldwide. Avinger is dedicated to radically changing the way vascular disease is treated through its Lumivascular platform, which currently consists of the Lightbox imaging console, the Ocelot and Tigereye™ family of chronic total occlusion (CTO) catheters, and the Pantheris® family of atherectomy devices. Avinger is based in Redwood City, California. For more information, please visit www.avinger.com.

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Investor Contact:

Matt Kreps
Darrow Associates Investor Relations
(214) 597-8200
mkreps@darrowir.com

Public Relations Contact:

Phil Preuss
Chief Marketing Officer
Avinger, Inc.
(650) 241-7942
pr@avinger.com

SOURCE: Avinger, Inc.