New 'egg whisk' pump developed to help in cardiac procedures
Friday 25th September 2009
A new surgical tool that has been likened to a miniature egg whisk has been developed to aid heart surgery.
The fold-up device, which rotates at high speeds, can reduce the risk of cardiac arrest and other complications during procedures to unblock arteries in patients with weak hearts, the Times reports.
London Chest Hospital's Professor Martin Rothman, who completed the first trials of the Reitan catheter pump on humans, told the publication it is an extremely powerful device.
"If you stuck it in a bucket of water it looks like the whole thing is boiling," he remarked.
"It helps people with heart failure survive this procedure better and with less risk."
The technique has not yet been licensed, but it was demonstrated at a San Francisco conference this week following its successful trial period.
Further developments in cardiology technology were reported in the Engineer this week, which covered a new robot guidance system designed by King's College London scientists to stop patients from being exposed to radiation during ablation procedures.
Written by Martin Lambert
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