- Yazan Kadkoy
- Lauren Lucanie
- Jency Mathew
- Emily Readdy
Advisor: C. Hall
Cerebral fusiform aneurysms are characterized by the circumferential dilation of an arterial wall and exhibits weakened wall strength, making the aneurysms prone to rupture and hemorrhage. There are currently no viable clinical treatments for fusiform aneurysms. Current studies point to the utilization of a polyurethane based Shape Memory Polymer (SMP) device, which incorporates an expanding SMP stent coated with expanding foam, for the occlusion of the non-necked aneurysms.
The objective of this project is to develop a thermally conductive housing to ensure safe deployment and actuation of the SMP device via an intravenous guide catheter. The joule-heating catheter will provide heat to the SMP device during transport to maintain its secondary conformation. The catheter will also provide insulation to protect the tissue from heat damage, and maximize heat absorption by the SMP device. Once delivered, the catheter will eject the SMP device to allow the foam/stent to expand as the surrounding temperature falls below the specified glass transition temperature (T g ) via convective cooling, thereby occluding blood flow to the aneurysm. A specially designed testing apparatus will quantify results by mimicking the physiological conditions of the middle cerebral artery and brain tissue. Prototype testing will include ensuring proper placement of stent, deviation from this location, heat transferred into the interstitium and percent occlusion by the foam.