medical devices | Biomechanics in the Wild

Using Vacuum Pressure to Heal Stroke & DVT Patients

Blocked blood vessels

Strokes are the 2nd leading cause of death worldwide. An estimated 795,000 people suffer a stroke every year in the United States. A stroke occurs when a blockage in a blood vessel leads to disruption or blockage of blood flow to the brain. Also, an estimated 350,000 people every year in the US suffer a deep vein thrombosis, which is when a blood clot forms in the deep veins often in the lower extremities. Venous clots can travel up the legs into the lungs or other vital organs, where they can become extremely dangerous or even fatal. When a blood vessel in a vital organ becomes occluded, blood flow must be restored as quickly as possible to return the patient to health.

There are two main procedural methods for removing blood clots from blocked arteries and veins: using tooling to extract the clot mechanically or using pressurized instruments to suck the clot mass out. Suction thrombectomies, also known as aspiration thrombectomies, are becoming more common because they have higher success rates of patient recovery.

Strengthening the Spine with Pedicle Screws

How are pedicle screws being used to strengthen the vertebrae in spinal fusion surgeries?

Xray of human spine with misaligned vertabrae. Then shows same spine that is aligned using pedicle screws. — Image from *Seattle Neuro.* Pedicle screws are inserted in the right image to align the unstable vertebrae originally shown left.

In the US alone, over 300,000 spinal fusion surgeries are performed every year to correct for fractures, deformations, or spinal instabilities. These surgeries are often performed by inserting a pedicle screw into the damaged vertebrae to increase the strength of the fusion. These screws are most often used in cases where the bone in the surrounding area is already weak, which decreases the likelihood of success in the surgery. Essentially, pedicle screws are used in damaged bones to increase their strength, in turn increasing the likelihood of success in a high-risk patient.

Not Everyone Breathes While they Sleep: The Dangers of Sleep Apnea

You might think that breathing in our sleep should come naturally – if breathing and sleeping are both physiologically necessary, then we must be able to do them simultaneously right? Unfortunately, almost a quarter of middle-aged American men and nearly 10% of women suffer from sleep apnea, a chronic condition characterized by repeatedly stopping breathing while sleeping. The clinical symptoms seem rather benign – snoring, sleepiness, fatigue during the day or other issues sleeping. However, by far the most dangerous aspect of this disease is that it puts patients at increased risk of high blood pressure, stroke, coronary heart disease, as well as occupational and/or automobile accidents. Over the last several decades, a variety of therapy options have been studied to treat this condition, ranging from drugs to masks to surgery.

Skeletal Support Seekers’ Success (So Far)

Bones break, and broken bones need time to heal, or regrow. Fans of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series are quite familiar with the concept of bone repair, as Harry is once required to drink a Skele-Gro potion to magically (and painfully) regrow his arm bones overnight. Now, as fantastic as it would be to completely fix broken bones in a few hours, modern medicine has not yet discovered that secret of the Wizarding World; however, several treatments have been developed in attempts to speed the rate of fracture repair as well as increase the comfort of the patient (take that, Skele-Gro).

Tag: medical devices

Blocked blood vessels

How are pedicle screws being used to strengthen the vertebrae in spinal fusion surgeries?