Laser beam guided magnetic scanning catheter for sonothrombolysis with real-time clot detection

Thrombosis diseases have become one of the primary causes of death globally. Existing thrombolysis techniques such as using tPA (or tissue plasminogen activators) for successful dissolution of large thrombus often have a slow therapy time and complications including excessive bleeding. Besides, it is challenging to track the real-time clot location without using x-ray fluoroscopy. Here we report a novel magnetically driven scanning catheter device that integrates a stacked transducer, a tiny ring magnet, and fiber-optic laser sensors for clot spot tracking during the thrombolysis process. The magnetic scanning motion of the catheter induced by the rotational magnetic field is expected to extend the treatment region and improve thrombolysis efficiency.