Link: https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/charlotte/news/2023/03/22/nc-state-research-#
What You Need To Know
- Researchers at N.C. State have developed a vortex ultrasound catheter to break down blood clots in the brain
- Their new technique uses ultrasound waves that have a helical wavefront, or a swirling motion, as it moves forward
- Tests show the new technique has the potential to break down clots quicker
The Dean F. Duncan professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at N.C. State and one of the professors working on this project, Dr. Xiaoning Jiang, said they’re targeting cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, also known as CVST. This is a blood clot formation in the veins of the brain. Jiang says this is one of the most prevalent causes of stroke in younger people.
Researchers said the vortex ultrasound catheter will open that blocked vessel so the blood can flow again.
“Blood cannot drain through the brain, so what’s going to happen is within the brain, you’ll see the pressure increase because a lot of those issues,” Jiang said.
The tool uses a sort of ultrasonic tornado technique, where the waves have a helical wavefront. They say their approach has the potential to eliminate blood clots quicker than existing techniques, which could reduce risks for patients. Jiang said current treatments of CVST fail in 20% to 40% of cases.
One graduate student, Ben Kreager, who’s new to the project, is looking forward to both seeing this new tool possibly make a difference and sharing his skills with the research team to keep improving the tool.
“Well, the most exciting part to me, is the possibility that we can save lives with this technology in the future,” Kreager said.
Kreager said working with a variety of people on this project is a plus.
“Well, everyone has different perspectives on design and our approach to transducers; so really just having people from all different disciplines in our lab, I mean we have people who were biomedical engineers, material scientists, mechanical engineers and each of those disciplines has a different perspective on science,” Kreager said.
Professors and students have been researching and developing this new tool for more than a year now. They say once the vortex ultrasound makes it to clinical trials, it will be music to their ears.
“That’s a ways away, there’s still lots of testing that needs to be done but it’s a goal that we all have,” Kreager said.
They said the next step would be to try to perform tests using animal models, and if those tests are successful, they can hopefully pursue clinical trials.