Doctors probe deep into brain arteries to ensure blood flow.

The action happens entirely inside arteries in the neck or head. There’s no need to open the skull. Patients remain awake during the procedure. They go home the next day with no obvious signs of treatment except a small puncture wound at the top of their legs — the entry port for miniature equipment — and the knowledge that they are now more likely to avoid the ravages of a severe stroke.

The scenario may remind you of Isaac Asimov’s science fiction novel, Fantastic Voyage, a battle-with-a-blood-clot story published 40 years ago. In real life, the battle is happening now. And the clots are losing. …

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