Researchers develop new technique to tackle blood clots

Designed to treat retracted blood clots, which form over extended periods of time and are especially dense, the technique involves breaking up the clots from the inside out. Because these clots are less porous than others, it can be difficult for drugs to penetrate into the clot and dissolve it, making them difficult to treat.

The technique, from researchers affiliated to North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the University of Michigan, has not yet gone through clinical testing, but in vitro testing has shown ‘promising results’. Their paper is published in the journal Microsystems & Nanoengineering.

New approach to ultrasound technology could reduce cost

Ultrasound device targets arterial plaque

The nanodroplets consist of tiny lipid spheres filled with liquid perfluorocarbons (PFCs). The low boiling-point PFCs enable a small amount of ultrasound energy to convert the liquid into gas, causing the PFCs to expand rapidly, vaporising the nanodroplets and forming microscopic bubbles.