A NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR REVASCULARIZATION OF CEREBRAL EMBOLISM USING LIQUID JET IMPACT

Revascularization time is the dominant factor in the treatment of acut e cerebral embolism. In this paper we describe a rapid revascularizati on therapy using liquid jets generated by the interaction of gas bubbl es with shock waves, which impact on the thrombi. The interaction of a shock wave with a gas bubble attached to an artificial thrombus which was inserted into a tube model of a cerebral artery was investigated. The shock wave was generated by detonating a microexplosive pellet. T he overpressure of the shock wave was 3.0 +/- 0.6 MPa (n = 7) and 12.7 +/- 0.4 MPa (n = 3). The initial air bubble radii were varied from 0. 87 mm to 2.18 mm. The subsequent collapse of the bubble was photograph ed using a high-speed framing camera and the liquid jet penetrating in to the artificial thrombus was visualized using x-ray photography. The penetration depth of the liquid jet increased with increasing bubble size. There was an optimal separation distance between the bubble and the shock wave source to obtain the maximum penetration depth. Liquid jets have the potential to penetrate through thrombi in as little as a few microseconds, and with very efficient ablation.