From aircraft aerodynamics to improved hear...( rated pumps that support a failing left...),Health

By applying PIV technology in their development Lagasco expects it would be possible to greatly enhance their performance and grant patients more time to obtain a transplant.

"With so few donors available compared to the people who need new hearts the number of people with implants is only going to continue increasing," notes Lagasco.

Indeed, cardiovascular disease is the principal cause of death in Europe, claiming around four million lives a year. "That is why we saw the need for this technology to be applied in the medical sector," Lagasco says.

At the core of the project's PIV system is miniaturised optical sensor technology using ultra-thin laser light sheets to capture images of the fluid dynamics of blood flowing through implanted devices. Numerical analysis is carried out on the images in a parallel computing subsystem allowing device designers or doctors to detect problems with the blood flow, such as high velocity gradients that can cause blood cell damage, or low velocity that could lead to thrombosis or coagulation.

Based on the results of trials, by employing parallel computing the analysis can be performed in under a day in 80 per cent of cases and in less than two days in all cases.

"As computer processing power increases we estimate that within two years the analysis could probably be performed in two to three hours," Lagasco says. "That compares with the weeks or months it can take to obtain results from using traditional PIV systems."

Having tested the system in vitro during the project, the partners are planning to develop and evaluate it further in trials involving a medical device man
'"/>

Contact: Tara Morris
tmorris@gopa-cartermill.com
322-286-1985
IST Results
27-Sep-2005