Abstract
BACKGROUND: Rapid restoration of vessel patency after acute myocardial infarction is key to reducing myocardial muscle death and increases survival rates. Standard therapies include thrombolysis and direct PTCA. Alternative or adjunctive emergency therapies that could be initiated by minimally trained personnel in the field are of potential clinical benefit. This paper evaluates a method of accelerating reperfusion through application of low frequency mechanical stimulus to the blood carrying vessels. MATERIALS AND METHOD: We consider a stenosed, heparinized flow system with aortic-like pressure variations subject to direct vessel vibration at the occlusion site or vessel deformation proximal and distal to the occlusion site, versus a reference system lacking any form of mechanical stimulus on the vessels. RESULTS: The experimental results show limited effectiveness of the direct mechanical vibration method and a drastic increase in the patency rate when vessel deformation is induced. For vessel deformation at occlusion site 95% of clots perfused within 11 minutes of application of mechanical stimulus, for vessel deformation 60 centimeters from the occlusion site 95% percent of clots perfused within 16 minutes of stimulus application, while only 2.3% of clots perfused within 20 minutes in the reference system. CONCLUSION: The presented in-vitro results suggest that low frequency mechanical actuation applied during the pre-hospitalization phase in patients with acute myocardial infarction have potential of being a simple and efficient adjunct therapy.