A research team of the Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Science and Technology (SCTIMST) has developed an innovative intracranial flow diverter stent for the treatment of aneurysms of the blood vessels of the brain.
The new technology is ready to be transferred to the industry and for further clinical trials, both animal and human, an official release issued by the SCTIMST on Monday said. Intracranial aneurysm is a localised ballooning, bulging or dilation of arteries in the brain, caused by progressive weakening of the inner muscles of the wall of the blood vessels. Spontaneous rupture of the aneurysm can result in bleeding into the space around the brain, resulting in a condition called subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), leading to paralysis, coma or death.
An attractive minimally invasive option is to deploy a flow diverter stent to bypass or divert blood flow away from the aneurysm, thus reducing the chances of its rupture due to the pressure of blood flow.
Flexible
Flow diverters have the advantages of being flexible and adaptable to the shape and course of the vessel. It also promotes healing of the vessel wall by removing the constant stress of blood flow on it. The Chitra flow diverter is designed to have better grip on the walls of arteries so that the risk of migration of the device is minimised.
The unique design in its weave also makes this stent resistant to kinking or twisting, when it is placed in tortuous arteries and those with complex shapes. Even a 180 degrees bend does not occlude the lumen of the stent. Flow diverter stents are currently not manufactured in India and the imported ones cost ₹7-8 lakh.
The team was led by Sujesh Sreedharan, Muraleedharan C.V. and Ramesh Babu (Biomedical Technology Wing, SCTIMST); and Jayadevan E.R. and Santhosh Kumar K. of the Department of Imaging Sciences and Interventional Radiology with Rajeev A., Subhash Kumar M.S., Anku Sreekumar, Jnana N.J., Sree Hari U and Liji G.V.