Use Of Snake Venom Prothrombin Activators In Blood Collection Tubes To Produce High Quality Serum To Improve Patient Outcomes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$284,706.00
Summary
The timely availability of high quality serum and plasma samples are of the utmost importance for accurate biochemical analysis in a clinical setting. This requirement is particularly true for patients on anti-clotting therapeutic agents such as warfarin and heparin. In this study we will employ potent prothrombin activators purified from snake venom to enhance the clotting efficiency of blood for serum preparation for biochemical analysis.
Acoustic Blood Pressure Measurement On Implanted Biomedical Surfaces
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$184,687.00
Summary
Measurement of local blood pressure in is of great clinical importance. An application of particular interest is the pressure measurement in and around endoluminal stents grafts, which are used for the treatment of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (AAAs). These grafts are implanted by keyhole surgery and are used to reduce the pressure on the aneurysm walls so that the artery can revert to its more anatomically correct shape on a timescale of one to two years. If the seal between the graft and the art ....Measurement of local blood pressure in is of great clinical importance. An application of particular interest is the pressure measurement in and around endoluminal stents grafts, which are used for the treatment of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (AAAs). These grafts are implanted by keyhole surgery and are used to reduce the pressure on the aneurysm walls so that the artery can revert to its more anatomically correct shape on a timescale of one to two years. If the seal between the graft and the artery wall is not blood tight, then the aneurysm can become repressurised and may keep on expanding. Over time, an untreated, expanding AAA is likely to rupture with severe consequences for the patient. Thus a convenient, non-invasive means of measuring the pressure within the aneurysm and within the graft is highly desirable. In this proposal, we seek to produce a device that can be incorporated into the walls of the endoluminal graft, which can measure absolute pressure inside and outside the graft and where the pressure measurements can be obtained via standard acoustic or medical ultrasound equipment. To do this, we would use specially designed 'bubbles' which can be incorporated onto either side of the graft walls, where the resonant frequency of the bubbles provides a direct measurement of the pressure around the bubbles. Trials at the CSIRO have found that pressures can be measured to a resolution of better than 10 mmHg by using this technique on air bubbles in water. In this proposal, we wish to develop flexible, but semi-permanent bubbles that can be incorporated onto a biomedical implant surface. If such bubbles can be made, the researchers will use CSIRO-developed software and acoustic equipment such that local blood pressure can be measured in real time.Read moreRead less