|
Biomedical
Application Case Study -
Medical Device
Research & Development |
|
|
|
Boston Scientific
Saving Lives at 40,500 Frames per Second |
|
"The Kodak EktaPro HS motion analyzer,
model 4540 [Note -
Redlake MASD, Inc., has acquired the Motion Analysis Systems Division From Eastman
Kodak and the model 4540 is
now the Fastcam Ultima 40K]
has become one of the mainstays of Boston Scientific’s R&D department
because it has helped the company save money, reduce production time and deliver a more
efficient product. By combining a high-speed camera from Kodak and our design
engineers’ expertise, Boston Scientific has developed a tool to help reduce the risk
of heart disease resulting from plaque buildup." (The
Redlake MASD
Fastcam Ultima 40K was replaces with the MotionPro
PCI camera).)
|
Kevin Reed
Senior Engineering Technician
Boston Scientific
|
|
Excessive Plaque Buildup
Doesn't Mean a Death Sentence
Heart disease affects over 13 million Americans, killing almost 500,000 of them each year.
While there are many causes, heart attacks, strokes, and damaged tissue can all occur when
arterial plaque buildup goes undetected. Thanks to today’s medical advances combined
with sophisticated tools to design life-saving products, excessive plaque buildup does not
automatically translate into a death sentence.
Boston Scientific’s Northwest Technology Center in Redmond,
Wash., manufactures a product, the Rotablator® Rotational Atherectomy System, that is
designed to remove plaque from arterial walls using a tiny football-shaped burr that spins
its way through the plaque to disintegrate it. Each hand-made burr is 1.25-2.50 mm in
diameter, is coated with microscopic diamonds, and spins at speeds up to 200,000
revolutions per minute (rpm) to grind away the plaque deposits.
Precise motion analysis is a key component of the R&D process
at Boston Scientific. Engineers use a high-speed motion analyzer from Kodak to help design
and enhance the company’s plaque-eating Rotablator Rotational Atherectomy System.
This analysis has been instrumental in developing multiple generations of increasingly
effective burrs. Additionally, the use of a motion analyzer has reduced development time
and cut costs. |
- Top of the
page - |
Precise Motion
Analysis
Engineers use the Kodak EktaPro HS motion analyzer, model 4540, as an integral part of the
research and development process at Boston Scientific. The camera is used to study the
rotation of the burr and the motion of the drive shaft that connects the burr to the
turbine in the device. R&D engineers also use the camera to analyze concepts for new
shapes of burrs and rotating parts. By analyzing the motion of the burrs, engineers can
develop more effective ways of removing the plaque deposits.
The burr is connected to a turbine and bearing assembly which
rotates at speeds up to 200,000 rpm, giving the burr a surface speed of about 65 mph. The
high-speed camera makes it possible to see aspects of the Rotablator catheter’s
motion at work, from proper spinning motion to damaging lateral motion or vibration, at a
variety of slow motion speeds.
The Rotablator catheter’s turbine can drive a cyclic
oscillation that causes a wavy snake-like motion in the catheter driveshaft. This
can’t be monitored by the naked eye. The Kodak high-speed analyzer, however, allows
engineers to see how long a vibrational mode is on a drive shaft and watch the movement of
the spinning burr.
At 40,500 frames per second, engineers can capture 15 images
during every revolution of the burr. In this application, engineers can simulate an actual
procedure, watching a specific spot on the burr come around and make contact with a
simulated plaque deposit. This detailed movement of the burr can be viewed on a video
monitor at a variety of playback speeds as slow as one picture per second, as well as
freeze frame, to allow engineers a detailed look at the burr’s position. |
| - Top of the page - |
Prototype Assessment
The biggest enemy of the burr is lateral motion. It reduces the efficiency of the burr
exponentially. Energy lost to vibration and lateral motion in the drive shaft does not
reach the end of the burr. This lateral type of vibration will also irritate the inside of
the patient’s artery.
In one situation, a prototype burr underwent observation. To the
naked eye, the burr and drive shaft seemed to operate perfectly. However, some
unexplainable results occurred during the preliminary tests. Using the high-speed camera,
engineers immediately discovered that the experimental shape of the burr was causing poor
performance.
The design of this particular burr was immediately scrapped.
Without the use of the Kodak high-speed camera, it could have taken up to a year for
Boston Scientific engineers to assess the true nature of the problem. The time savings
were worth up to $1 million in research costs, one of the reasons Boston Scientific
purchased a high-speed motion analyzer specifically for the R&D group. |
| - Top of the page - |
Ease of Use
Initial operator training takes around 30 minutes, and R&D engineers were using the
motion analyzer in the laboratory very quickly. Additionally, the model 4540 motion
analyzer has several useful features. Instant feedback is available from digital images
stored in memory. These images can be reviewed on a monitor, downloaded to standard
videotape for future reference or transferred to a PC for image analysis. The Boston
Scientific set-up consists of halogen fiber lights with the subject shot at a distance of
one to two feet.
Currently, engineers use the camera on as many as 10 projects per
day. Some projects require use of the camera for two to three days at a time, taking
advantage of the instant feedback to change designs, and check performance of the
redesigned components.
This motion analysis system has become one of the mainstays of
Boston Scientific’s R&D department because it has helped the company save money,
reduce production time and deliver a more efficient product. By combining a high-speed
camera from Kodak and our design engineers’ expertise, Boston Scientific has
developed a tool to help reduce the risk of heart disease resulting from plaque buildup.
|
| Kodak and EktaPro are trademarks of
Eastman Kodak Company. Rotablator is a registered trademark of Boston Scientific
Corporation. |
| - Top of the page
- |
|
|
|
Cameras -
Cameras typically used in
biomedical applications - |
|
|
|
|
| Biomedical Video Clip |
|
Locomotive
Study
Nasal Spray R & D |
|
| Article Reprint |
| You can view or download the full text
of this article in Word-97 format. Or, if you would like to
receive the article via email just send us an email.
Be sure to include the name of the article and what format (Word for a PC or text) you
wish. |
|
