C2I 2017: Nuclear industry innovation inspires life-saving heart implant

In-Depth

The Spiral-Inducing Bypass Graft was produced by an unusual multi-disciplinary, cross-border venture. The laws that govern blood flow apply also to the dynamics of coolant in nuclear reactors, which prompted the development of this unique biomedical device

Collaborate To Innovate 2017

Category: Health and wellbeing

Winner: Spiral-Inducing Bypass Graft

Partners: University of Manchester; University of Michigan; Manchester Metropolitan University; National University of Singapore; Cardiovascular Research Institute at Sant Pau Hospital, Barcelona

Nuclear physics and cardiology may not seem like natural bedfellows but the winner in the Health & Wellbeing category has cleverly combined the two. The Spiral-Inducing Bypass Graft is an artificial implant for the heart that induces a helical flow of blood, which improves the success of cardiovascular surgery and ultimately saves lives. It’s the result of a multi-faceted, international collaboration that spans the globe, led by Dr Amir Keshmiri.

 

spiral-inducing bypass graft

Almost 35,000 coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedures take place in the UK each year. However, according to the British Heart Foundation, more than half of CABGs fail within 10 years. Haemodynamic factors are widely acknowledged as playing a key role in the thickening of blood vessels that can cause graft failure. Finding a way to manipulate blood flow would have the potential to dramatically improve the procedure’s success rate.

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