Blood and oil find common ground at Houston gathering

Representatives of medical imaging and petroleum industries met at the University of Houston to explore common mechanical problems associated with moving blood and oil through vessels and pipelines.

The Pumps and Pipes I conference held last fall, sponsored by ExxonMobil, the Methodist DeBakey Heart Center, and the University of Houston, attracted nearly 150 radiologists, cardiologists, surgeons, medical device manufacturers, geologists, and engineers. Speakers alternated between lectures on medicine and oil, each series giving a parallel example of the close relationship between the two disciplines.

“We wanted to stimulate discussion, spark ideas, and share new technologies between these industries that face similar challenges, even if on a very different scale,” said Dr. Alan B. Lumsden, a vascular surgeon at Methodist and organizer of the event.