Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 11, 2026
Paired Cisterna Magna Nanoinjection and Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging Assay to Study Cerebral Blood Flow Regulation In Vivo
Published on: July 8, 2025
Repurposing a Dual-Head Programmable Power Injector for Controlled Intra-arterial Vasodilator Delivery During
Om H Gandhi1, Sami Almasri1, Nicholas T Gaston1
1Department of Neurosurgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
Background:
Intra-arterial vasodilators are used for medically refractory cerebral vasospasm, but manual injection provides limited control of infusion rate and volume. We describe a workflow using a dual-head programmable power injector for contrast administration and controlled vasodilator delivery.
Methods:
We retrospectively reviewed 9 patients (12 treatment sessions) managed with the Nemoto PRESS DUO elite injector. One chamber delivered contrast for angiography; the other delivered verapamil, nicardipine, and nitroglycerin using programmable Infusion Mode. Contrast runs and medication infusions were performed sequentially within a closed system. A historical manual-injection cohort of 17 patients (19 sessions) served as a procedural workflow reference. Because vasodilator regimens differed between cohorts, angiographic outcomes were summarized descriptively and were not compared statistically.
Results:
Angiographic improvement was observed in all 12 injector-based sessions. Fluoroscopy time, radiation dose, contrast volume, and total procedural duration did not differ significantly between cohorts. No complications related to vasodilator delivery were observed in either cohort. The injector-based workflow avoided tableside syringe exchanges between contrast runs and medication delivery.
Conclusions:
This preliminary experience supports the feasibility of programmable injector-based vasodilator delivery during cerebral vasospasm treatment. The small sample and differing drug regimens preclude conclusions about comparative efficacy, safety, or equivalence. Larger prospective studies using standardized regimens are needed.
