Endovascular Localization of Aortic Injury in a Porcine Model

Area of Science:

• Medical Devices
• Trauma Surgery
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Non-compressible torso hemorrhage is a leading cause of death in trauma.
• Current methods for hemorrhage control can be invasive and time-consuming.
• Early and accurate localization of bleeding is critical for survival.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of endovascular localization of hemorrhage.
• To assess the potential for real-time bleeding detection in pre-hospital settings.
• To explore technological advancements for improved trauma interventions.

Main Methods:

• Acquired endovascular pressure waveforms in pigs with induced aortic injury using a custom catheter with four pressure sensors.
• Simulated pressure and velocity data on an in silico human aortic model with a similar injury.
• Analyzed pressure pulse changes and velocity variations across the injury site.

Main Results:

• A decrease in pulse pressure across the injury reliably indicated its location within centimeters.
• The simulated human aortic model demonstrated similar pulse pressure decreases and increased velocity at the injury site.
• These findings suggest a potential for accurate, non-invasive hemorrhage localization.

Conclusions:

• Endovascular pressure waveform analysis shows promise for accurate hemorrhage localization.
• The simulated human model indicates clinical relevance and guides future research.
• Further refinement may enable the use of this technology with covered stents for hemorrhage control.