Description:
Project ID: D2017-42
Background
Many vascular system problems stem from insufficient blood flow. One of the main causes is a blockage within veins known as a blood clot, or thrombus. This can occur due to different phenomenological reasons. The ultimate goal of any percutaneous modality to treat these conditions of the arterial or venous system is to remove the blockage or restore patency, quickly, safely, and cost effectively. This can be achieved by thrombus dissolution, fragmentation, thrombus aspiration, en bloc removal, or a combination of these methods.
Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a fatal condition that occurs when clots move to pulmonary arteries causing blockage of the arteries leading to respiratory failure, right ventricular failure, and death. To date there is still a need for improved apparatus that can quickly, safely, and minimally-invasively remove arterial blockages.
Invention Description
Researchers at the University of Toledo have developed a minimally invasive blood clot capturing device made of nitinol. The nitinol is shaped into a plurality of fingers to form a frame for a basket and funnel to capture and remove blood clots. The basket and funnel being delivered to the blood clot by a catheter. The basket and funnel are capable of being collapsed within a catheter, capable of being deployed into a blood vessel, and capable of being retracted into the catheter for removal from the blood vessel.
Applications
- A disruptive medical device for addressing blood clots in the pulmonary arteries.
Advantages
- A method and system for safe and complete removal of thrombi in blood vessels.
- Device allows for minimally-invasively treatment of patients with pulmonary embolism, of different sizes and shapes, without causing any trauma to the blood vessels
IP Status: Granted Patents# 11,419,620 & 12,167,865
Lead Inventor: Dr. Christopher J. Cooper, The University of Toledo, Distinguished Professor
Key Words: Nitinol, Catheter, Medical, Device, Thrombectomy, Minimally-Invasive, Arteries
Prototype Available
