Computational Design and Optimization of Novel Interventional Catheters

Ender Finol, Institute for Complex Engineered Systems & Biomedical Engineering

Stroke is the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S. every year. Nearly 80% of reported stroke cases are ischemic in nature, meaning that a blockage prevents blood from reaching neurologic tissue. The current and only approved treatment regime for ischemic stroke is the intravenous delivery of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), preferentially within 3 hours of the ischemic episode. If treatment does not occur within the three hour window, morbidity rates increase dramatically. It is desirable for clinicians to have at their disposal other forms of treatment. One attractive avenue for treatment of blockages that lead to ischemic stroke is thrombectomy – the destruction of the offending clot via mechanical means. Recent clinical interest in mechanical means of thrombectomy, or removal of clots, in the neurovasculature has led to the proposition that one may manipulate the exit stream of fluid from an intra-arterial catheter so as to cause the clot to disintegrate.

The purpose of this project is to utilize computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques for design optimization of interventional catheters that utilize a technology for clot removal via fluid dynamics means. It is desirable to understand the fluid physics and mechanical reaction forces at the clot site numerically before beginning expensive animal research (and ultimately human trials). These computer simulations will be validated by performing bench-top experiments in vitro. The computational work will be performed in Dr. Finol’s Computational and Experimental Fluid Mechanics Laboratory (CEFML) and at the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC). The experimental work will be performed off-site in collaboration with an industry partner. It is expected that this work will conclude in the design of new medical devices for thrombectomy applications in the human vasculature.