PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

New device uses submarine technology to diagnose stroke quickly

Interventional radiologists -- pioneers in innovative medical care -- revolutionize the way military doctors assess wounded warriors, assist first responders in delivering care outside the hospital setting: 'Time is brain'

2011-03-30
(Press-News.org) CHICAGO, Ill. (March 29, 2011)—A medical device developed by retired U.S. Navy sonar experts, using submarine technology, is a new paradigm for the detection, diagnosis and monitoring of stroke, says a team of interventional radiologists at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 36th Annual Scientific Meeting in Chicago, Ill. Each type of stroke and brain trauma is detected, identified and located using a simple headset and portable laptop-based console. The device's portability and speed of initial diagnosis (under a couple of minutes) make it appropriate for many uses outside of the hospital setting, including by military doctors in theater who need to assess situations quickly and efficiently in order to provide critically injured troops with treatment.

"We have developed and validated this portable device for the detection of stroke that is based on decades of submarine warfare technology," said Kieran J. Murphy, M.D., FSIR, professor and vice chair, director of research and deputy chief of radiology at the University of Toronto and University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He said this technology could easily differentiate normal brain from life-threatening conditions, such as swelling (hematoma) and bleeding (hemorrhage). "For example, when a physician suspects stroke time is of the essence, doctors could use the system to determine treatment that needs to begin immediately," he added. The device's continuous monitoring capability—unique in neurodiagnostics—will allow immediate detection of changes in a patient's condition. In addition to its being ideal for field ER, ambulance or military use, the researchers' hope is for the technology to be adapted and used in other areas of acute care, such as open heart surgery (where stroke is an ever-present concern), in other vascular indications elsewhere in the body and in monitoring the progression of disease for drug efficacy.

"Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and the leading cause of disability," explained Murphy. A stroke or "brain attack" occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery or a blood vessel breaks, interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain, he said. When either of these things happens, brain cells begin to die and brain damage occurs. And, stresses Murphy, "time to diagnosis is critical to improving patient outcomes; time is brain."

"The system is very simple in principle, yet it yields exceedingly rich data," said Murphy. He explained that the device's basis in submarine technology means it works to measure a patient's complex brain pulsations and to provide information on the type and location of an abnormality in many of the same ways as sonar works on submarines. Both use an array of sensors to measure movement and generate signals to be processed and analyzed, matching the signals to objects or conditions. "As sonar sorts out whales and other objects from vessels, the device sorts out cerebral abnormalities such as aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs, an abnormal connection between veins and arteries), ischemic strokes and traumatic brain injury from normal variations in physiology," noted Murphy.

Traditionally in transcranial ultrasound, the thinner areas of the skull are used as "windows" through which ultrasound can "see" or "listen," said Murphy. This system does not rely on these "windows." It measures the movement of the skull (acceleration) to separate confounding acoustic signals from the motion created by the in-rushing blood flow in this way: blood flows into the brain during each pulse and a pressure wave emulates from the vessels outward in all directions. The wave encounters the skull and accelerates it. The device measures the acceleration and records this complex waveform with a time synchronized high-resolution digitizer, explained Murphy.

In a 40-patient proof-of-principle trial, the patients—16 men and 24 women—with a wide variety of cerebrovascular conditions, including intracerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracranial aneurysms, AVMs, ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack (an episode in which a person has stroke-like symptoms for up to 1𔃀 hours), were studied. The researchers employed gold standard imaging—using CT magnetic resonance imaging or catheter angiography—to verify the diagnosis of the patients, who were then measured. The analysis team was blinded as to a patient's clinical history. For normal controls the research team relied on data taken on some 30 normal subjects (apart from the study). The team's algorithms were able to separate normal from all other conditions, to separate all patients with a specific condition into their own category and to provide information about the location of the abnormality. Initial blood vessel models were used to identify data signatures that were subsequently verified on patients in the clinic. The interventional radiologists said that, as they continue to increase their signature library, their expectation is that the location capability, as well as the capacity to detect other neurologic conditions with a high degree of sensitivity and specificity, will also increase.

###More information about the Society of Interventional Radiology, interventional radiologists and minimally invasive treatments for many conditions can be found online at www.SIRweb.org.

Abstract 114: "Submarine-based Technology for the Detection of Acute Intracranial Abnormalities and Stroke: Validation in 40 Patients," E.A. Fiona Aldrich, department of medical imaging, University of Toronto, P. Neild, P. Lavoi, research, Jan Medical, Mirimar, Calif., and K.J. Murphy, radiology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, SIR 36th Annual Scientific Meeting, March 26󈞋, 2011. This abstract can be found at www.SIRmeeting.org.

About the Society of Interventional Radiology Interventional radiologists are physicians who specialize in minimally invasive, targeted treatments. They offer the most in-depth knowledge of the least invasive treatments available coupled with diagnostic and clinical experience across all specialties. They use X-ray, MRI and other imaging to advance a catheter in the body, such as in an artery, to treat at the source of the disease internally. As the inventors of angioplasty and the catheter-delivered stent, which were first used in the legs to treat peripheral arterial disease, interventional radiologists pioneered minimally invasive modern medicine. Today, interventional oncology is a growing specialty area of interventional radiology. Interventional radiologists can deliver treatments for cancer directly to the tumor without significant side effects or damage to nearby normal tissue.

Many conditions that once required surgery can be treated less invasively by interventional radiologists. Interventional radiology treatments offer less risk, less pain and less recovery time compared to open surgery. Visit www.SIRweb.org.

The Society of Interventional Radiology is holding its 36th Annual Scientific Meeting March 26󈞋, 2011, in Chicago, Ill. The theme of the meeting is "IR Rising: Leading Image Guided Medicine," the theme chosen to reflect the optimism and pride the IR community feels as IR continues to revolutionize modern medicine.


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Updating the Mary Poppins solution with a better bitter blocker

2011-03-30
Contact: Michael Bernstein m_bernstein@acs.org 714-765-2012 (Meeting, March 27-31) 202-872-6042 (Before March 27) Michael Woods m_woods@acs.org 714-765-2012 (Meeting, March 27-31) 202-872-6293 (Before March 27) American Chemical Society Updating the Mary Poppins solution with a better bitter blocker ANAHEIM, March 29, 2011 — With millions of adults and children avoiding nutritious foods because of the bitter taste, and gagging or vomiting when forced to take bitter liquid medicines, scientists today reported an advance toward a high-tech version ...

Household bleach can decontaminate food prep surfaces in ricin bioterrorist attack

2011-03-30
Contact: Michael Bernstein m_bernstein@acs.org 714-765-2012 (Meeting, March 27-31) 202-872-6042 (Before March 27) Michael Woods m_woods@acs.org 714-765-2012 (Meeting, March 27-31) 202-872-6293 (Before March 27) American Chemical Society Household bleach can decontaminate food prep surfaces in ricin bioterrorist attack ANAHEIM, March 29, 2011 — Help for a bioterrorist attack involving ricin, one of the most likely toxic agents, may be as close at hand as the laundry shelf, according to a report presented here today at the 241st National Meeting ...

First practical nanogenerator produces electricity with pinch of the fingers

2011-03-30
Contact: Michael Bernstein m_bernstein@acs.org 714-765-2012 (Meeting, March 27-31) 202-872-6042 (Before March 27) Michael Woods m_woods@acs.org 714-765-2012 (Meeting, March 27-31) 202-872-6293 (Before March 27) American Chemical Society First practical nanogenerator produces electricity with pinch of the fingers ANAHEIM, March 29, 2011 — After six years of intensive effort, scientists are reporting development of the first commercially viable nanogenerator, a flexible chip that can use body movements — a finger pinch now en route to a pulse ...

Creating the perfect Bloody Mary: Good chemistry of fresh ingredients

2011-03-30
Contact: Michael Bernstein m_bernstein@acs.org 714-765-2012 (Meeting, March 27-31) 202-872-6042 (Before March 27) Michael Woods m_woods@acs.org 714-765-2012 (Meeting, March 27-31) 202-872-6293 (Before March 27) American Chemical Society Creating the perfect Bloody Mary: Good chemistry of fresh ingredients ANAHEIM, March 29, 2011 — After tackling the chemistry of coffee, tea, fruit juices, soda pop, beer, wine and other alcoholic beverages, why not take on the ultimate challenge, the Mount Everest of cocktails, what may be the most chemically ...

Waste ash from coal could save billions in repairing US bridges and roads

2011-03-30
Contact: Michael Bernstein m_bernstein@acs.org 714-765-2012 (Meeting, March 27-31) 202-872-6042 (Before March 27) Michael Woods m_woods@acs.org 714-765-2012 (Meeting, March 27-31) 202-872-6293 (Before March 27) American Chemical Society Waste ash from coal could save billions in repairing US bridges and roads ANAHEIM, March 29, 2011 — Coating concrete destined to rebuild America's crumbling bridges and roadways with some of the millions of tons of ash left over from burning coal could extend the life of those structures by decades, saving billions ...

Imaging the paintings under the paintings of the Old Masters

2011-03-30
Contact: Michael Bernstein m_bernstein@acs.org 714-765-2012 (Meeting, March 27-31) 202-872-6042 (Before March 27) Michael Woods m_woods@acs.org 714-765-2012 (Meeting, March 27-31) 202-872-6293 (Before March 27) American Chemical Society Imaging the paintings under the paintings of the Old Masters ANAHEIM, March 29, 2011 — Gaze upon Rembrandt's The Night Watch, The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, or one of the great Dutch master's famous self-portraits. Contemplate Caravaggio's Boy with a Basket of Fruit, Supper at Emmaus, or the famed Italian ...

'Bacterial dirigibles' emerge as next-generation disease fighters

2011-03-30
Contact: Michael Bernstein m_bernstein@acs.org 714-765-2012 (Meeting, March 27-31) 202-872-6042 (Before March 27) Michael Woods m_woods@acs.org 714-765-2012 (Meeting, March 27-31) 202-872-6293 (Before March 27) American Chemical Society 'Bacterial dirigibles' emerge as next-generation disease fighters ANAHEIM, March 29, 2011 — Scientists today reported development of bacteria that serve as mobile pharmaceutical factories, both producing disease-fighting substances and delivering the potentially life-saving cargo to diseased areas of the body. ...

Safer, more effective skin-whitening creams from ancient Chinese herbal medicine

2011-03-30
Contact: Michael Bernstein m_bernstein@acs.org 714-765-2012 (Meeting, March 27-31) 202-872-6042 (Before March 27) Michael Woods m_woods@acs.org 714-765-2012 (Meeting, March 27-31) 202-872-6293 (Before March 27) American Chemical Society Safer, more effective skin-whitening creams from ancient Chinese herbal medicine This release is also available in Chinese on EurekAlert! Chinese. ANAHEIM, March 29, 2011 — Scientists today reported discovery of the active ingredients in an herb used in traditional Chinese medicine for skin whitening, changing ...

Antibiotics wrapped in nanofibers turn resistant disease-producing bacteria into ghosts

Antibiotics wrapped in nanofibers turn resistant disease-producing bacteria into ghosts
2011-03-30
Contact: Michael Bernstein m_bernstein@acs.org 714-765-2012 (Meeting, March 27-31) 202-872-6042 (Before March 27) Michael Woods m_woods@acs.org 714-765-2012 (Meeting, March 27-31) 202-872-6293 (Before March 27) American Chemical Society Antibiotics wrapped in nanofibers turn resistant disease-producing bacteria into ghosts ANAHEIM, March 29 , 2011 — Encapsulating antibiotics inside nanofibers, like a mummy inside a sarcophagus, gives them the amazing ability to destroy drug-resistant bacteria so completely that scientists described the remains ...

America's most distressed areas threatened by emerging infections of poverty

2011-03-30
Neglected infections of poverty are the latest threat plaguing the poorest people living in the Gulf Coast states and in Washington, D.C., according to Dr. Peter Hotez, Distinguished Research Professor and Chair of the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine at The George Washington University and President of the Sabin Vaccine Institute, in an editorial published in the open-access journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases on March 29th. Hotez explains that current post-hurricane conditions in the Gulf coast states coupled with the BP oil disaster ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Call for papers: 14th Asia-Pacific Conference on Transportation and the Environment (APTE 2025)

A novel disturbance rejection optimal guidance method for enhancing precision landing performance of reusable rockets

New scan method unveils lung function secrets

Searching for hidden medieval stories from the island of the Sagas

Breakthrough study reveals bumetanide treatment restores early social communication in fragile X syndrome mouse model

Neuroscience leader reveals oxytocin's crucial role beyond the 'love hormone' label

Twelve questions to ask your doctor for better brain health in the new year

Microelectronics Science Research Centers to lead charge on next-generation designs and prototypes

Study identifies genetic cause for yellow nail syndrome

New drug to prevent migraine may start working right away

Good news for people with MS: COVID-19 infection not tied to worsening symptoms

Department of Energy announces $179 million for Microelectronics Science Research Centers

Human-related activities continue to threaten global climate and productivity

Public shows greater acceptance of RSV vaccine as vaccine hesitancy appears to have plateaued

Unraveling the power and influence of language

Gene editing tool reduces Alzheimer’s plaque precursor in mice

TNF inhibitors prevent complications in kids with Crohn's disease, recommended as first-line therapies

Twisted Edison: Bright, elliptically polarized incandescent light

Structural cell protein also directly regulates gene transcription

Breaking boundaries: Researchers isolate quantum coherence in classical light systems

Brain map clarifies neuronal connectivity behind motor function

Researchers find compromised indoor air in homes following Marshall Fire

Months after Colorado's Marshall Fire, residents of surviving homes reported health symptoms, poor air quality

Identification of chemical constituents and blood-absorbed components of Shenqi Fuzheng extract based on UPLC-triple-TOF/MS technology

'Glass fences' hinder Japanese female faculty in international research, study finds

Vector winds forecast by numerical weather prediction models still in need of optimization

New research identifies key cellular mechanism driving Alzheimer’s disease

Trends in buprenorphine dispensing among adolescents and young adults in the US

Emergency department physicians vary widely in their likelihood of hospitalizing a patient, even within the same facility

Firearm and motor vehicle pediatric deaths— intersections of age, sex, race, and ethnicity

[Press-News.org] New device uses submarine technology to diagnose stroke quickly
Interventional radiologists -- pioneers in innovative medical care -- revolutionize the way military doctors assess wounded warriors, assist first responders in delivering care outside the hospital setting: 'Time is brain'