Medical News Today -- Cardiovascular disease accounts for about a third of all deaths in the world. In Europe it is the main single cause of death. A key challenge in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases is the development of novel medical devices that are less invasive, less expensive, and safer. The European Commission has launched a project called “Heart-e-Gel”, funded under the FP7 Specific Programme “Cooperation”, to develop such devices for treating conditions like varicose veins and abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). The new devices are based on Electro Active Polymers (EAP’s) which can change size and shape when electrically activated, and thus will have an ability to close, fill, and seal, vessels and cavities. Particularly in cases where external vessel surgery is required, alternative, less invasive, procedures might now become possible. When used in combination with stents and endografts more effective and longer lasting treatments might be achieved.
