Development of a High-Fidelity Benchtop Model for Simultaneous Flow, Pressure, and Imaging Assessment of...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Imaging
• Interventional Radiology

Background:

• Current endovascular technologies for transarterial embolization rely on animal studies and fluoroscopy alone.
• Local hemodynamic changes are not assessed, limiting the understanding of procedure efficacy and patient outcomes.
• There is a need for advanced systems to evaluate both imaging and hemodynamic parameters during embolization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a high-fidelity benchtop system for multiparametric assessment of transarterial embolization procedures.
• To enable simultaneous hemodynamic and imaging evaluation, mimicking clinical workflows.
• To provide a platform for characterizing patient physiology and novel endovascular devices.

Main Methods:

• A vascular phantom was 3D printed for anatomical accuracy.
• A flow loop with a cardiac output simulator, high-speed camera, pressure transducers, and flow meters was utilized.
• The system simulated various hemodynamic states, including healthy adult, aortic regurgitation, and hypovolemic shock.

Main Results:

• The system enabled simultaneous assessment of gauge pressure and flow during embolization using radiation-free, angiography-mimetic imaging.
• The digital subtraction angiography workflow was successfully recapitulated.
• Hemodynamic changes during particle embolization in the hepatic artery were characterized and found consistent with patient data.

Conclusions:

• The developed low-cost benchtop system accurately reproduced transarterial embolization-related hemodynamic phenomena.
• This novel platform facilitates the characterization of patient physiology, novel catheterization devices, and interventional techniques.
• The system's ability to assess procedural endpoints based on imaging and flow metrics can support improved patient outcomes.