Highly Stretchable Microflow Sensor for Monitoring of Hemodynamics

Random weakening of an intracranial blood vessel results in abnormal blood flow into an aneurysmal sac. Recent advancements show that a flow-diverter, integrated with a medical stent, enables a highly effective treatment of cerebral aneurysms by guiding blood flow into the normal vessel path. None of such treatment systems, however, offers post-treatment monitoring to assess the progress of sac occlusion. Therefore, physicians rely heavily on either angiography or magnetic resonance imaging, which require a dedicated facility with sophisticated equipment and time-consuming procedures. Here, this work introduces an implantable, stretchable, nanostructured flow-sensor system for quantification of intra-aneurysmal hemodynamics. The open-mesh membrane device is capable of effective implantation in complex neurovascular vessels with extreme stretchability (500% radial stretching) and bendability (180 degrees) for monitoring of the treatment progress. In vitro demonstrations of three types of flow-sensors show quantification of intra-aneurysmal blood flow in a pig aorta and the capability of observation of aneurysm treatment with a great sensitivity (detection limit: 0.032 m/s).

Autorentext

Dr. Yeo ist Assistenzprofessor an der George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering und am Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering am Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Yeo promovierte an der University of Washington und arbeitete als Postdoktorand an der University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.