It's a procedure that has been used by doctors to treat blood clots in the legs, and now it's being used on a more dangerous kind of clot.

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Dr. Kanaan Natarajan with St. Vincent says his hospital is the first to try a new procedure to help treat pulmonary embolisms, when clots are carried near the lungs and heart.

Dr. Natarajan says blood thinners are traditionally used, but often times the medication has to be so concentrated that a lot of patients experience bleeding problems.

Now Natarajan says using ultrasonic waves on a catheter that is inserted in the lung, combined with a lower dose of blood thinners cuts the risk for the patient while improving health.

Dr. Natarajan says St. Vincent will test this treatment in a clinical study, hoping to evaluate how helpful this new kind of treatment is.