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Cooling System Permits Effective Transcutaneous Ultrasound Clot Lysis In Vivo Without Skin Damage
1Division of Cardiology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.
Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis
|February 7, 2001
Summary
A cooling system prevents ultrasound-induced skin damage during clot dissolution therapy. This method enhances transcutaneous ultrasound
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Vascular Surgery
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Transcutaneous ultrasound aids clot dissolution but causes skin damage.
- Low-frequency, high-intensity ultrasound shows promise for treating thrombosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess a cooling system's efficacy in preventing skin damage during ultrasound-assisted clot dissolution.
- To evaluate the impact of a cooling system on ultrasound-induced thermal injury.
Main Methods:
- Rabbits with induced iliofemoral artery thrombi received streptokinase and dodecafluoropentane.
- One artery was treated with ultrasound and a cooling system; the other served as a control.
- Ultrasound treatment was applied with or without a balloon cooling system.
Main Results:
- 100% recanalization was achieved with the cooling system versus 78% without.
- No thermal damage occurred with the cooling system; all rabbits without it showed skin and soft tissue damage.
- Angiographic recanalization rates were high in both groups, but only the cooled group showed no tissue damage.
Conclusions:
- Transcutaneous ultrasound can effectively dissolve clots without causing tissue damage when a cooling system is used.
- A cooling system is crucial for mitigating thermal injury during ultrasound-assisted thrombolysis.
- This approach offers a safer method for transcutaneous ultrasound clot dissolution.
