Blood-sucking device saves heart patients, study shows

A vacuum-cleaner-like device that sucks blood clots out of the arteries of heart attack victims before angioplasty reduces the death rate in the following year by nearly half, according to researchers. By physically removing clots, the device prevents loose fragments from breaking off, flowing through the bloodstream and blocking other vessels. Cardiovascular surgeons in many large centers are already using the technique to improve outcomes for their patients.