A Multiscale Parametric Study to Drug Delivery Modeling in Stented Arteries

The aim of this work is to investigate the dynamic behavior of retinoic acid concentration within the coronary artery, examining its distribution both on the stent and to the lumen and the arterial wall. The study aims to elucidate the effect of various factors, including variations in retinoic acid concentration on the stent, the applied blood flow velocity as boundary condition within the lumen, the polymer layer porosity, the arterial wall porosity and the drug permeability. Through a comprehensive analysis of these factors, this research seeks to advance the understanding of how retinoic acid behaves in the complex environment of the coronary artery, offering valuable insights into potential therapeutic applications and advances in cardiovascular medicine. To do this, a multiscale computational model for drug delivery is employed and applied in a stented arterial segment. 3D reconstruction of the arterial artery was achieved using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and X-ray angiography. The positioning of stent geometry was performed using finite element modeling of stent deployment. The results demonstrate that changes to important parameters of the model lead to significant changes to the drug accumulation.Clinical Relevance: The importance of this work is related to the development and design of new coronary stents and potentially consider the patient's phenotype and provide personalized applications.