TECHNOLOGY

New Technology To Deal With Swelling of Arteries

There is a completely new technology arriving to deal with aneurysm (swelling) of the arteries. This relates to implanting a PTFE covered stent in the affected artery to block off the flow of blood into the aneurysm. PTFE expands into polytetra fluroethylene.

"The PTFE covered stent is the latest technology in this field. This is mainly used to treat aneurysms where there is a dilatation of the blood vessels or arteries. Such a procedure could be carried out, for instance, when there is an aneurysm in a major artery like the aorta. The aorta is the body’s prime hosepipe," Dr Ashok Bandyopadhyay told ET. Dr. Bandyopadhyay is chief cardiac surgeon at Kolkata’s Peerless Hospital. According to him, the operation, which is known as covered stenting of descending thoracic aortic aneurysm, is being performed in the West, especially the US, for around the last two years. In that sense, the technology can be said to be an emerging one in India. Incidentally, implanting a covered stent, Dr. Bandyopadhyay said, is brought off through a teamwork between the cardiologist and cardio vascular surgeon.

The covered stenting technique is picking up in India, he said, primarily in metros like Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore and Kolkata. Peerless Hospital, for example, has recently pulled off a covered stent procedure. Dr. D Ghosh Roy, consultant cardio in the hospital said that the patient, 52-year-old Kari Bouri, was admitted with recurrent bleeding when he coughed, jaundice and acute and chronic renal failure. "We have successfully carried out a covered stenting procedure on the patient and a he is much improved man now. A normal surgery on him would have been of very high risk. We are releasing him soon," Dr Roy said.

As things stand, the cost of a covered stenting procedure is placed in the region of Rs 4 - 4.5 lakh. A conventional open vascular surgery entails in the region of Rs 1.5 - 2 lakh. Of course, doctors could also embark on the covered stent process when a standard surgery can run a high risk for the patient. "The cost of the covered stenting tech is high because it’s a comparatively recent development and the stent and equipment to carry out procedure have to be imported from Singapore," Dr. Bandyopadhyay said. Aneurysm cases which require covered stenting implantation come up off and on and there is little reason why the technique will not catch up fast in the coming days, Dr. Bandyopadhyay summed up.

(Ref : The Economic Times dated May 30, 2006)

Laser Takes Needless Out Of Diabetes Test

Professor Joseph Chaiken, of the department of chemistry at Syracuse University has developed the LighTouch, which accurately monitors glucose levels without a single drop of blood.

The new procedure uses a laser to measure spectroscopic signals in blood while the blood is still in the capillaries, allowing abnormal levels of blood components like glucose to be detected without pricking a person’s finger.

Chaiken’s research involves using spectroscopy to gain a fundamental understanding of light and matter interactions, then applying that research to solve practical problems of importance.

(Ref : Times of India dated October 17, 2005).

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