Doctors from metallurgists
NUST MISIS developments extend life by 20 years
The scientific group of NUST MISIS under the leadership of Professor Sergei Prokoshkin and the company Endogene-Globetek (Australia) presented innovative technologies using shape memory alloys and superelasticity, as well as existing prototypes of medical equipment made on its basis.
High-tech technologies based on the fundamental property of some metals to restore their original shape after abnormally large deformation formed the basis for the development of a number of unique medical instruments for neurosurgery, pediatric and cardiovascular surgery and emergency care.
According to Sergey Prokoshkin, head of the scientific group of NUST MISIS, Doctor of Physico-Mathematical Sciences, Professor of the Department of Plastic Deformation of Special Alloys, "The fundamental basis of the shape memory effect was discovered by the outstanding Soviet physicist Georgy Kurdyumov and his student Lev Khandros back in 1948. The shape memory property is realized in two phenomena – this is the shape memory effect, when the shape is restored after deformation during subsequent heating, and the superelasticity effect, when the shape is restored during unloading after deformation. The unique functional property of shape memory alloys – reversible deformation of up to 10% – provides opportunities that are not achievable using conventional materials and technologies."
The common advantages of all the presented developments are that they are easy to use and allow surgical intervention to be performed quickly, reliably and with minimal risks for the patient. Thanks to the use of innovative equipment, it is possible to reduce the cost of operations at times, since it allows the use of non-invasive methods and does not apply anesthesia.
A self–moving endoscope for balloning and stenting intestinal constrictions is the most revolutionary development that has no analogues in the world. The endoscope allows you to quickly examine the entire gastrointestinal tract, including the hard-to-reach small intestine, which is not provided by any of the existing tools. With its help, it is possible to diagnose bowel cancer faster and more successfully, treat adhesions and Crohn's disease, which is becoming more common in developed countries, as well as quickly extract poisons from the intestine. And all this without anesthesia and surgery.
The cardiovascular stapler belongs to a new generation of stitching tools that allow you to quickly perform operations for cardiovascular diseases, which are still the first "killers" among all diseases. The stapler allows performing aorto-coronary bypass surgery without cardiac arrest by noninvasive methods – through two punctures in the heart area, which allows the patient to be discharged after a day. The duration of such a procedure, together with the preparation, is only 1 hour, whereas now such operations take from 4 to 5 hours. An operation on a working heart adds 20 years to a person's life. The stapler can also be used for aortic aneurysm, intestinal operations and in general for abdominal surgery.
The "smart clip" with the "clip holder" delivery system is an indispensable device for vascular surgeons and cardiac surgeons. This is an alloy clip with a direct and reversible memory of the shape of the metal and a delivery mechanism for temporary or permanent imposition on vessels or arteries, allowing you to install and remove the clip without squeezing or injuring the vessels.
The superelastic trap "Trawl" allows you to quickly remove foreign bodies from hollow organs and tubular structures. For example, it can be used to extract foreign bodies from the trachea, stones from the gallbladder and ureter, find and get rid of blood clots in the vessels. The fundamental differences from existing analogues are ease of use and the ability to release a foreign body when it is incorrectly captured. This tool will be especially needed and in demand in the ambulance.
Tatiana Raikova, Project Manager for the legal protection of the submitted technologies, Patent Attorney of the Russian Federation, Head of the Intellectual Property Department of NUST MISIS, reported on the relevance of the patenting process to protect the submitted technologies from counterfeit use and successful further commercialization and licensing. A joint representative team, including inventors-developers of engineering objects, patent attorneys, project managers, successfully conducts patenting in 12 countries around the world, and has also completed patenting in Russia: patents of the Russian Federation have been obtained for all three technologies.
The project, implemented by NUST MISIS together with Australian partners, was launched in 2010 and is now reaching the finish line and the stage of commercialization: numerous bench and successful animal tests have been conducted, manufacturers in Russia and Taiwan have been identified, pilot production of a stapler, a trawl and a clip holder has been prepared, the production of metal with shape memory has been worked out.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru11.06.2015