Intracranial Aneurysms: Evaluation of Braid Pore Configurations on Flow Disruption with Flow Diverter Devices

Abstract

Flow diverters have recently been developed to treat intracranial aneurysms as an alternative to standard coiling. The Medtronic PipelineTM flow diverter stent device had a positive impact on aneurysm repair in the past few years and is the leading braided Flow Diverter (FD) in the market. The main function of the flow diverter is to alter the hemodynamics within the aneurysm so that flow circulation is reduced to allow for gradual thrombosis within the aneurysm and subsequent healing. Thus, it is highly desirable to better understand the hemodynamic parameters and flow diverter efficacy. The objective of the study is to assess the hemodynamic impact of braided flow diverter, pore configuration parameters as related to flow circulation. Appropriate Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) models of an aneurysm, with and without presence of a Flow Diverter, were evaluated. Transient CFD analysis (Pulsatile flow) was performed with appropriate boundary conditions. Using CFD, the parameters that influence the flow into the aneurysm are evaluated and discussed.