Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 23, 2026
Meso-Scale Particle Image Velocimetry Studies of Neurovascular Flows In Vitro
Published on: December 3, 2018
Intra-aneurysmal flow rates are reduced by two flow diverters: an experiment using tomographic particle image
Kendall D Dennis1, Timothy L Rossman1, David F Kallmes2
1Division of Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
Background:
Limitations on treating large, giant, and wide-necked aneurysms with coiling have made flow diverters a promising alternative to current practice by supporting reconstruction of the parent artery.
Objective:
To assess the changes to fluid dynamics within an aneurysm by studying two different endoluminal flow diverters on a simple aneurysm model, using tomographic particle image velocimetry to determine which device would better minimize fluid flow into an aneurysm and observe any significant changes in aneurysm fluid structures.
Methods:
Steady velocity fields of the model's aneurysm dome and neck were measured at three inlet velocities (18, 39, and 59 cm/s) for two flow diverter diameters with different porosities and compared against a baseline case with no flow diverter.
Results:
In the baseline case a large vortex was present inside the dome for all flow rates. However, both devices eliminated this main vortex at all flow rates and reduced the peak aneurysmal velocities by about 90%. A strong correlation between flow diverter porosity and flow reduction was found. In each case the inflow to the aneurysm shifted from the distal neck to the mid- or proximal neck after flow diverter placement.
Conclusions:
Even with this relatively simple experimental setup, we were able to observe the major flow field changes, which occurred immediately after the deployment of each flow diverter. Limitations of the study included a simplified geometry and steady-state flow. Constraints included model making and limited availability of flow diverters.
