This is part of a research project to previde a new solution to the problem of embolisation in low income countries. The FAIREMBO chair from Marseille Hospital in France is a the origin of the innovation and we have here the plans of the machine that allows a mass cutting of particules necessary to achieve the operation.
Embolisation is a technology whose objective is to stop bleeding or blood circulation in a targeted area. The process seals a vessel by injecting a product into an artery under local anaesthetic.
The embolisation procedure is not often used or considered in underdeveloped countries because embolisation equipment is simply not affordable in some countries. For one operation, several hundred euros are required, which is simply not possible in some cases. So there is an unaffordable demand for third world countries. In addition, the embolisation product is not well distributed in these countries, so additional costs would have to be incurred for importing the goods needed to carry out the procedure. It is then necessary to find a solution to develop and provide embolisation procedures for underdeveloped countries. This solution must be affordable and easy to implement in these countries.
In the search for an affordable solution to enable developing countries to access embolisation procedures, the Radiology and Medical Imaging Department of the Marseille Hospital (France) is proposing a new solution using suture particles injected in large quantities into the arteries to seal the vessels. In the case of the product used today, the embolisation is done chemically and increases the chance of thrombosis. In the case of sutures, it is the mechanical effect of the accumulation of pieces of suture that allows the embolisation of the vessel.
Our customer, contacted us to think about the creation of a machine to cut the suture before the medical intervention. The suture is given in spools and the prototype must provide the cut particles and answer different functions presented in the specifications of the machine.
The main objective of this project is to design and manufacture a device which is capable of taking input in the form of suture spools, and providing output in the form of cut sutures suitable for the FairEmbo process. The design should be simple, easy to use and, above all, cost-effective. In this way, the project will contribute to the automation of the Fairembo technique without losing sight of the main objective of affordability for poor underdeveloped countries.
This project has been initiated and developed in collaboration with the S-MART platform of Grenoble University (https://s-mart.grenoble-inp.fr/).
For more information on the FairEmbo project
Photo of the particules as a result of the cutting operation: 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9 mm
