The partnership between the medical school at UNC Chapel Hill and the engineering school at NC State has resulted in innumerable breakthroughs and next-generation innovation. This time, a collaborative team including BME’s Dr. Paul Dayton has developed an ultrasound tool that is highly effective at breaking down blood clots, especially those that ultimately result in deep vein thrombosis (DVT). This tool, called an “ultrasound drill,” is able to dissolve 90% of a clot in four to five hours without using blood thinners, an amazing feat considering that current technology requires injection of blood thinners in addition to ten hours of ultrasound therapy. This proof of concept study has led to a patent filing and the group is taking the technology to industry to further develop the device.
You can read more about the device, study, and team (led by Dr. Xiaoning Jiang) at NC State News.