DS SolidWorks Helps Bring Lifesaving Artery Tool to Reality
SolidWorks Design, Simulation, and Publishing Software Contribute to Halving of Design Cycle, 20 Percent Materials Saving, and Paperless Assembly
CONCORD, Mass., USA, May 24, 2010 – Arthrosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, is an extremely common and lethal disease. To treat it, more than a million angioplasties are performed in the United States every year. A new technology, designed by Cardiovascular Systems Inc. (CSI) using SolidWorks® software, is giving a growing number of patients a compelling alternative to high-pressure angioplasty.
Called orbital atherectomy, the new procedure uses disposable, diamond-coated, catheter- based artery probes of varying sizes to sand away plaque, which can be as hard as bone. Careful, high-speed sanding can open a smooth pipe for significantly improved blood flow, reducing the risk of rupturing blood vessels or breaking off stroke-inducing chunks of plaque. More than 99 percent of the particles are smaller than a red blood cell and are washed away with the patient’s blood flow.
“I’ve watched a pair of pallid feet turn healthy pink as the doctors use our Diamondback 360® PAD System to restore circulation,” said CSI Design Services Manager Christopher Narveson. “The procedure can help a homebound patient get up and walk the beach with his/her spouse overnight. It can eliminate the need for amputation, which has devastating lifestyle consequences. Helping people this way makes it a joy to go to work in the morning.”
SolidWorks software helped Cardiovascular Systems take a viable product design, consisting solely of 2D drawings, and bring it quickly to market, according to Narveson. Modeling the Diamondback 360 in SolidWorks automatically readied the design for manufacturing.
Use of 3DVIA Composer publishing software has saved the company time, money, and effort by automating assembly instructions and displaying them on clean-room computer screens. This has enabled the company to forego paper instructions that require constant re-cleaning.
3DVIA Composer also helps doctors, marketers, and partners see the Diamondback in action and appreciate its benefit by viewing animations from SolidWorks CAD models. CSI uses SolidWorks Simulation Premium software to optimize the performance of affordable, high-strength plastic components.
Switching to SolidWorks shortened the company’s design cycle from two years to nine months and helped CSI pare more than 20 percent of material costs from the product. SolidWorks has also enabled quick development of second and third generations of the Diamondback. These new devices require fewer people and less equipment to operate.
“We can’t imagine life without SolidWorks,” said Narveson. “It enables us to continuously improve the product, easily explain how it works, and thereby help more patients and our company as well. Without it, we’d be back in the stone age.”
The Diamondback 360 is FDA-approved for use in limb arteries and will begin clinical trials for coronary artery disease in 2010.
Cardiovascular Systems relies on authorized SolidWorks reseller Symmetry Solutions Inc. for ongoing software training, implementation, and support.
About Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp.
Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp., a Dassault Systèmes S.A. subsidiary, is a world leader in 3D solutions that help millions of engineers and designers succeed through innovation. Our products deliver an intuitive experience in product design, simulation, publishing, data management, and environmental impact assessment. For the latest news, information, or an online demonstration, visit our Web site (www.solidworks.com) or call 1-800-693-9000 (outside of North America, call +1-978-371-5000).
About Dassault Systèmes
As a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, Dassault Systèmes brings value to more than 100,000 customers in 80 countries. A pioneer in the 3D software market since 1981, Dassault Systèmes develops and markets PLM application software and services that support industrial processes and provide a 3D vision of the entire lifecycle of products from conception to maintenance to recycling. The Dassault Systèmes portfolio consists of CATIA for designing the virtual product – SolidWorks for 3D mechanical design – DELMIA for virtual production – SIMULIA for virtual testing – ENOVIA for global collaborative lifecycle management, and 3DVIA for online 3D lifelike experiences. Dassault Systèmes’ shares are listed on Euronext Paris (#13065, DSY.PA) and Dassault Systèmes’ ADRs may be traded on the US Over-The-Counter (OTC) market (DASTY). For more information, visit http://www.3ds.com/.
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