Low-cost flow-diverter stent developed for treatment of brain aneurysm

THIRUVANTHAPURAM: The research team of Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Science and Technology (SCTIMST), has developed an innovative intracranial flow diverter stent for the treatment of aneurysm of the blood vessels of the brain.
Intracranial aneurysm or brain 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.
The spontaneous rupture of the aneurysm can result in bleeding into the space around the brain resulting condition called a subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). Subarachnoid haemorrhage can lead to paralysis, coma or death.
The surgical treatment of an aneurysm involves opening the skull and a clip on the neck of aneurysm, so that it is cut off from the path of blood flow. There are three nonsurgical, minimally invasive endovascular treatments of aneurysms of the brain. In two of these procedures, the aneurismal sac is filled with platinum coils or occluded using high viscosity liquid polymer which solidifies when released into the sac thus sealing the sac. All these techniques have some limitation or the other.
A more attractive third minimally invasive option is deploying a flow diverter stent to bypass the segment of the blood vessel which has the aneurysm. Flow diverters have the advantages of being flexible and adaptable to the shape and course of the vessel. Also flow diverters promote 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 of complex shapes in order to reduce the risk of migration of the device. The unique design is 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. Portion of the wires is made radio opaque for better visibility in xrays and fluoroscopy thus aiding accurate delivery of the diverter in the blood vessel. The team led by Dr Sujesh Sreedharan developed this flow diverter stent.
The imported flow diverter stents costs Rs 7 lakh. With the availability of the indigenous technology from SCTIMST a well-established industry should be able to manufacture and sell at a much lower price. The device is expected to be transferred to the industry very soon and will subsequently undergo testing in animal and human clinical trials before commercialisation