According to the World Health Organization, in 2008 stroke was the second largest cause of death worldwide, contributing to 6.15 million deaths that year and 10.8% of deaths overall. In addition, time is crucial with respect to the onset of stroke, as more brain tissue is lost the longer it takes to restore blood flow.
Currently, Pulse Therapeutics, Inc. is developing a Magnetically-Enhanced Diffusion (MED) Therapy for ischemic stroke to be used in the Emergency Department. Their therapy aids in clot dissolution in stroke patients by applying an external magnetic field to the top of the head, and utilizing magnetite particles co-infused with a thrombolytic, particularly tissue plasminogen activator (tPA).
The goal of our project was to devise a way to visualize this therapy real-time. Real-time visualization of clot dissolution would allow the physician to monitor and ensure lysis of the clot without further cumbersome tests, to track the possibility of reocclusion, and to begin preparation for another kind of clot intervention should the therapy happen to be ineffective.
Thus, we designed a headset that utilizes two ultrasonic probes to insonate and visualize clotted intracranial arteries during MED therapy. We also continuously feed ultrasonic raw data into an algorithm that will notify the user of successful clot dissolution.
Currently, Pulse Therapeutics, Inc. is developing a Magnetically-Enhanced Diffusion (MED) Therapy for ischemic stroke to be used in the Emergency Department. Their therapy aids in clot dissolution in stroke patients by applying an external magnetic field to the top of the head, and utilizing magnetite particles co-infused with a thrombolytic, particularly tissue plasminogen activator (tPA).
The goal of our project was to devise a way to visualize this therapy real-time. Real-time visualization of clot dissolution would allow the physician to monitor and ensure lysis of the clot without further cumbersome tests, to track the possibility of reocclusion, and to begin preparation for another kind of clot intervention should the therapy happen to be ineffective.
Thus, we designed a headset that utilizes two ultrasonic probes to insonate and visualize clotted intracranial arteries during MED therapy. We also continuously feed ultrasonic raw data into an algorithm that will notify the user of successful clot dissolution.