Byte-Sized Research: Game-Changing Way To Reduce Blood Clots

On June 4, of this year, Stanford researchers published an article on, "Milli-spinner thrombectomy." Currently, many life-threatening conditions are caused by blood clots (such as stroke and heart attacks), and this is what Stanford researchers pursued.

The commonly used mechanical thrombectomy (medical procedure to remove blood clots - thrombus) fail to remove clots in 10% - 30% of patients, and especially more when the clots are rich in fibrin (1). This is where the milli-spinner comes in.

About 1.2 to 2.5 millimeters in size, the technology is sent into the blood vessels. Upon finding the clot, the milli-spinner puts pressure on the clot through spinning-induced compression. The spinner was found to shrink clot volume by a high percentage of 95% and blood clots were removed fairly quickly. The spinning of the technology targets the structure of blood clots. For instance, the fibrin is pulled close together to make the blood clot smaller. As the clot is compressed, red blood cells are "wrung" out. The final product is a tiny ball of fibrin, which can be easily removed through suction.

This video from nature video is a nice visual representation of the process. See you again next week for Byte-Sized Research.

1. Fibrin - white, fibrous protein that forms a mesh to make blood clots