Development of a catheter stabilization device for stent placement aid

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to introduce a novel device to intracranial flow-diverting stent delivery in endovascular neurosurgery to limit, and potentially eliminate, issues associated with instability upon stent delivery. Precisely, the goal of the device is to initiate a friction force between the delivery system and the arterial vessel wall to both assure immediate stent deployment and prevent axial advancement of the stent-anchoring wire. A prototype was constructed and its effectiveness of applying a friction force to a vessel wall was tested ex vivo using an LRX Plus Materials Testing Machine. Afterwards, the experimental performance of the device was compared to that of a finite element simulated model. The device demonstrated the ability to apply a friction force to the vessel wall to meet its objective. However, experimental values were consistently greater than those gathered from the simulation. Since the force prescribed by the device is minimal, future work includes increasing the force capabilities of the device and defining force requirements. Upon further development and testing, this device can be implemented into endovascular neurosurgery to improve occlusion rates of intracranial aneurysms and reduce patient risk during these operations.