Strokes affect 795,000 Americans each year and treating them during the “golden hour” before death or permanent disability occurs can be a challenge. Fortunately, scientists are developing a magnet-lead device to treat stroke patients less invasively. The device would “worm” its way through patients’ brains and could be used to remove clots or administer clot-busting medication without surgery.
Although doctors say that using the device on humans could be more than a decade away, it is an innovative step towards quick and efficient stroke treatment which is faster, less invasive, and could even be done remotely. Additionally, Bradley Nelson, a professor of robotics at Swiss technical university ETH Zurich, says the device could exceed the potential of surgery and reach areas catheters are not able to.
We here at the Optimist Daily celebrate lifesaving innovations like these, even though they may be years from coming to a hospital near you. We’ll be keeping track of how things develop with this revolutionary new medical device and its potential application for one of the world’s most prevalent medical conditions.
