What Is
It?
Using
the EKOS
Ekosonic
Endovascular
System
to treat
PAO is
most
effective
when the
clot is
relatively
new,
usually
when you
have had
symptoms
for less
than 30
days.
EKOS
technology
is
making
it
possible
to
dissolve
clots
quickly
and
safely.
In most
cases,
treatment
time can
be
completed
the same
day or
overnight.
Click on
video
below to
see
animation
on how
the
EkoSonic
Endovascular
System
works:
Symptoms of DVT
Although long periods of sitting (such as on an
airplane) can cause DVT, it is rare. Most DVT occurs
in sick or hospitalized patients who have had
surgery, broken limbs, cancer or history of a heart
attack, stroke or congestive heart therapy.
Symptoms include:
Redness or skin discoloration
Calf or leg pain or tenderness, especially when
walking or standing
Swelling of the affected body part
Sensation of warmth
Leg fatigue
Why Treat DVT? There are several reasons to seek immediate
treatment for DVT. There is a risk that a portion of
the clot could break off and travel to your lungs,
blocking the blood flow and damaging your heart and
lungs. This condition, called Pulmonary Embolism,
can be fatal within a few hours.
There are also long-term consequences of DVT. If the
clot is not dissolved within a few weeks, it can
permanently damage the valves in your veins creating
a condition called Post-Thrombotic Syndrome (PTS).
An estimated 50 to 70 percent of patients with DVT
eventually develop PTS, which can cause disability
and impact quality of life.
The damaged valves do not properly direct the flow
to the heart, allowing the blood to pool in the
legs. Patients with PTS experience:
Chronic pain
Swelling
Skin ulcerations
Varicose Veins
The pooled blood also makes the patient more prone
to develop another DVT and increases the risk for
pulmonary embolism. For DVT below the knee, medical
treatment with anticoagulant medication is often
sufficient. However, if DVT is located above the
knee, ask your physician whether more aggressive
treatment is
indicated.
Figure 1 Without
Ultrasonic Energy When a clot forms,
plasminogen receptor sites are
embedded deep into the fibrin. For
the clot to be dissolved, lytic
agents must be able to access those
receptor sites. But the tightly
wound fibrin strands prevent the
drug from penetrating, limiting
access to receptor sites on the
interior of the clot.
Figure 2
With Ultrasonic Energy
The EKOS endovascular
device is placed directly into the
thrombus, where micro-transducers
transmit high frequency, low power
sound waves. The ultrasonic energy
causes the fibrin strands to thin,
exposing plasminogen receptor sites.
That makes the thrombus more
permeable and allows the lytic to
penetrate deeper.
Figure 3
With Ultrasonic
Energy And Thrombolytic The EKOS drug delivery
catheters deliver the lytic drug,
while the non-cavitational
ultrasound energy gently perfuses
the drug deep into the clot,
limiting the amount that escapes
downstream. In vitro studies
confirm that thrombus exposed to
ultrasound absorbed 48% more t-PA in
one hour, and 84% more in two hours,
than thrombus not exposed.1
