ARTICLE SUMMARY:
Stroke survivors and recent surgical patients face an elevated risk of blood clot formation in the lower legs, as decreased mobility diminishes the ability of the body's natural compression system to pump blood out of deep leg veins. Low compliance rates, discomfort, and limited effectiveness detract from external compression, the current standard of clot prevention, leading Sky Medical to meet the market's need with a bioelectronic device that electrically stimulates motor neurons.
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurs when blood clots form in a deep vein, most often in the legs, and these are at risk of breaking off and traveling to the lungs, creating a dangerous pulmonary embolism. After surgery, a clot costs the US Healthcare system $20,000 per patient on average, and stroke patients, who have an 8.7% risk of leg clot formation cost four or five times more.
