Researchers at North Carolina State University (Raleigh, NC, USA;www.ncsu.edu) have developed a new tool and technique that uses"vortex ultrasound" - a sort of ultrasonic tornado - to break down blood clots in the brain.

The researchers found that the new approach was quicker in eliminating clots formed in an in vitro model of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) as compared to the existing techniques.

The researchers conducted proof-of-concept in vitro testing by using cow blood in a 3D-printed model of the cerebral venous sinus and found that the new tool could dissolve an acute blood clot in less than 30 minutes.