Bidirectional IVC Filter
SUMMARY
Researchers at UCLA from the Department of Radiology have developed an improved IVC filter with better filtering performance that is easily retrievable.
BACKGROUND
Pulmonary embolisms (PE) occur when a blood clot blocks an artery in the lungs and can lead to death when this happens to a major artery. Doctors implant inferior vena cava (IVC) filters when patients do not respond well to treatment with anti-coagulants. IVC filters are physical meshes that fit in the lumen of the inferior vena cava to block blood clots from entering the lungs. Typical IVC filters have limited ways to be implanted: either through the jugular vein in the neck or the femoral vein in the leg. Implanted filters have long term risks and need to be removed once the threat of PE is gone. However, they are hard to take out due to the amount of contact they make with the vessel wall.
INNOVATION
Researchers at UCLA from the Department of Radiology have developed an improved IVC filter with better filtering performance that is easily retrievable. Their filter is specially designed to have minimal contact with the vessel, which makes retrieval simple. Unlike other filters, this new design offers flexibility in that it can be implanted and retrieved from either the jugular or femoral veins. It also has a finer mesh that offers more protection than other filters. In the future, this design can also incorporate a drug eluting component for even better results.
APPLICATIONS
Filtering blood clots to prevent sudden blockage of major blood vessels
ADVANTAGES
Easily retrievable, minimal contact with the blood vessel
Both implantable and retrievable through the jugular and femoral vein
Finer mesh for better clot protection
Can incorporate a drug eluting design for better results