RotoblatorIn 1991, the "Rotoblator," an artery cleaning tool, was announced by Dr. Maurice Buchbinder at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology. Using a diamond head rotating at 200,000 rpm on a small shaft (only nine thousandths of an inch) inserted in a clogged artery, obstructions could be successfully removed in about 95% of cases. This procedure is particularly useful for hardened, calcified blockages. The blockage is pulverized to particles smaller than the size of a red blood cell - particles that harmlessly exit the bloodstream. The device, dubbed a Rotablator, won Food and Drug Administration approval in 1993, and is manufactured by Heart Technology Inc. of Bellevue, Wash. |
