Protection against clots

News

A mechanical device developed in Australia has the potential to prevent blood clots after surgery.

A mechanical device that has the potential to prevent blood clots after surgery will be tested on 20 patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery at The Prince Charles Hospital in Queensland, Australia.

The miniaturised Vascular Enhancement Device (VED) will be fitted to patients in the coming weeks who are confined to bed during their recovery period - a time when the risk of blood clots is high.

Queensland University of Technology Prof Ross Crawford, who is the director of the Prince Charles Hospital's Orthopaedics and also chairs QUT's Orthopaedic Research, said the device ensured blood was continually pumped from the patient's leg.

Believed to be a world first, the VED is an inflatable sleeve which is fitted to the patient's calf. It has multiple chambers which inflate and deflate in a wave like motion, increasing blood flow to the leg.

The Australian company Vascular Enhancement Technology has been developing the potentially life-saving apparatus for five years, with collaboration from Dr Greg Wren, instrument engineer Walter Meyer and Prof Crawford.

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