Cardiac patients are living longer and longer--up to 20 years after receiving stents, a heart bypass, or heart-valve replacements. But extended lifespan is often accompanied by other complications, as a repaired heart can still have difficulty getting enough oxygen. The accompanying pain, a squeezing pressure in the chest called angina, can plague patients for years, and there are some for whom no surgery can provide relief. But a noninvasive shockwave machine could help prompt the growth of new blood vessels, restoring the heart's oxygen supply and alleviating the pain.
In a clinical trial at three centers across the United States,
cardiologists are testing the safety of the shockwave device, developed
by Maryland-based Medispec.
The "Cardiospec" machine is based on the same sound-wave technology used
to break up kidney stones, but it requires only about one-tenth the
energy. "Shock waves are acoustic waves that create pressure that can be
focused," says Medispec's Gil Hakim, the company's director of new
product development. Direct that pressure toward the heart muscle with
just the right intensity, and it causes the body to produce new blood
vessels.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Technology Review: Shocking Treatment for Heart Repair
Author: Lauren Gravitz
