Stanford Milli-Spinner Hits 90% Success Rate for Stroke Clots

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Unlike current methods that break up blood clots, the milli-spinner shrinks them to just 5% of their original size.

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When someone has a stroke, every minute counts - the faster doctors remove the clot, the more brain cells survive.

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Current clot removal methods work on first attempt only 50% of the time. What makes the milli-spinner so different?

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The milli-spinner applies two forces: compression against the tube and a spinning motion that rolls up the clot's fibrin threads.

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Think of a tangled ball of cotton fibers pressed between palms and rubbed in circles - this is how the milli-spinner transforms dangerous clots.

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"It's unbelievable. This is a sea-change technology that will drastically improve our ability to help people," says Stanford's Dr. Jeremy Heit.

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The breakthrough device evolved from research on tiny robots originally designed to swim through the body to deliver medicine.

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Beyond strokes, the milli-spinner could potentially treat heart attacks, pulmonary embolisms, and even remove kidney stone fragments.

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Stanford researchers have launched a company to bring the milli-spinner to market, with clinical trials planned soon.

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