Improving Treatment of Ischemic Stroke Using Virtual Thrombectomy

Informazioni relative al progetto

VThrombectomy

ID dell’accordo di sovvenzione: 101104493

DOI

10.3030/101104493

Progetto chiuso

Data della firma CE 24 Marzo 2023

Data di avvio 16 Gennaio 2024

Data di completamento 15 Gennaio 2026

Finanziato da

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)

Costo totale

Nessun dato

Contributo UE

€ 188 590,08

Coordinato da

POLITECNICO DI MILANO
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - VThrombectomy (Improving Treatment of Ischemic Stroke Using Virtual Thrombectomy)

Periodo di rendicontazione: 2024-01-16 al 2026-01-15

Sintesi del contesto e degli obiettivi generali del progetto

Acute ischemic stroke is a major cause of mortality and long-term disability worldwide. Mechanical thrombectomy has significantly improved patient outcomes; however, its success remains highly variable, particularly in tortuous cerebral anatomies and for clots with differing mechanical properties. Current clinical practice lacks quantitative tools to predict thrombectomy performance and relies largely on physician experience.

The objective of the VThrombectomy project was to develop and validate a virtual thrombectomy framework that integrates advanced computational modeling with in vitro experimentation. The project aimed to identify and quantify the biomechanical factors—such as clot composition, frictional interactions, vessel flexibility, and device mechanics—that govern thrombectomy success and failure. By doing so, the project sought to provide mechanistic insights that can support device design, procedural optimization, and future in silico clinical trials.

Lavoro eseguito dall’inizio del progetto fino alla fine del periodo coperto dalla relazione e principali risultati finora ottenuti

During the fellowship, a physiologically representative virtual thrombectomy framework was developed using finite element methods and validated against in vitro experiments. The work focused on three key areas: (i) modeling clot–device–vessel interactions during mechanical thrombectomy, (ii) investigating catheter navigation through flexible and tortuous cerebral vessels using clinically realistic pushing mechanics, and (iii) experimentally evaluating aspiration thrombectomy performance in curved vessel anatomies with varying clot compositions.

Major achievements include the successful implementation of realistic catheter navigation mechanics, systematic sensitivity analyses of frictional interactions, and validation of computational predictions through controlled in vitro experiments. The project resulted in multiple peer-reviewed publications and manuscripts under review, demonstrating the robustness and relevance of the developed framework.

Progressi oltre lo stato dell’arte e potenziale impatto previsto (incluso l’impatto socioeconomico e le implicazioni sociali più ampie del progetto fino ad ora)

The project goes beyond the state of the art by introducing a validated, physics-based framework that captures clinically realistic thrombectomy mechanics. Unlike prior studies relying on simplified assumptions, this work demonstrates the critical role of friction coefficients, vessel flexibility, and device–vessel interactions in determining thrombectomy outcomes.

Novel findings include the identification of friction-driven failure mechanisms, stent retriever compression in curved regions, and the influence of catheter tip geometry on aspiration efficiency. The combined in silico–in vitro approach provides predictive capabilities that were previously unavailable and establishes a new benchmark for virtual testing of thrombectomy devices.

Graphical abstract