Blood clot remover

Stroke patients could soon benefit from a device that claims to safely remove blood clots without damaging the surrounding vessels.

Developed by Dr Gilian Pearce and Rev Neil Perkinson at Wolverhampton University, the GP Mechanical Thrombectomy Device (MTD) has been designed to remove clots that arise during thromboembolic strokes.

Pearce said: ‘Around 85 per cent of all strokes arise by clots in an artery. Many of them occur in a vessel in the middle cerebral artery, which is about 3mm wide.

‘The current treatment involves a drug called tPA (alteplase), which is given as an IV infusion. However, this carries a risk of bleeding and cannot be used on people who fall in certain categories. For instance, it is only licensed for use by people below the age of 80 and can only be used three hours post-stroke.’

Pearce’s alternative mechanical extraction device can be used up to eight hours following a stroke, significantly improving the chances of survival for patients undergoing treatment.