Milli-spinner Medical Devices
The lab explores and develops new spinning biomedical devices to treat common conditions such as blood-clot induced strokes and heart attacks, and kidney stones. These devices (both tethered and untethered magnetically-driven) have been tested in both vascular models and in pig studies.
Blockage of blood flow in arteries or veins by blood clots can lead to serious conditions. Mechanical thrombectomy (MT), minimally invasive endovascular procedures that utilize aspiration, stent retriever, or cutting mechanisms have emerged as an effective treatment method. However, state-of-the-art MT technologies still fail to remove clots in approximately 10% to 30% of patients. Here, we report a new MT technology based on an unprecedented mechanism, in which a milli-spinner mechanically debulks the clot by densifying its fibrin fiber network and discharging red blood cells (RBCs) to significantly reduce the clot volume and facilitate complete clot removal.
Kidney stones can cause severe pain and complications such as chronic kidney disease or kidney failure. Retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS), which uses laser lithotripsy to fragment stones for removal via a ureteroscope, is widely adopted due to its safety and effectiveness. However, conventional fragment removal methods using basketing and vacuum-assisted aspiration are inefficient, as they can capture only 1–3 fragments (1–3 mm in size) per pass, often requiring dozens to hundreds of ureteroscope passes during a single procedure to completely remove the fragments. These limitations lead to prolonged procedures and residual fragments that contribute to high recurrence rates. To address these limitations, we present a novel spinner device that enables ultra-efficient fragment removal through spinning-induced localized suction.
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