Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.
J Biomed Mater Res A. 2024 Jun;112(6):914-930. doi: 10.1002/jbm.a.37670. Epub 2024 Jan 16.
Minimally invasive transcatheter embolization is a common nonsurgical procedure in interventional radiology. It is used for the deliberate occlusion of blood vessels for the treatment of disease or injured vasculature, including vascular malformation and malignant/benign tumors. Here, we introduce a gel embolic agent comprising chitosan nanofibers and nanoclay with excellent catheter injectability and tunable mechanical properties for embolization. The properties of the gel were optimized by varying the ratio between each individual component and also adjusting the total solid content. The rheological studies confirm the shear thinning property and gel nature of the developed gel as well as their recoverability. Injection force was measured to record the force required to pass the embolic gel through a clinically relevant catheter, evaluating for practicality of hand-injection. Theoretical predicted injection force was calculated to reduce the development time and to enhance the physician's experience. The stability of occlusion was also tested in vitro by monitoring the pressure required to displace the gel. The engineered gels exhibited sterility, hemocompatibility and cell biocompatibility, highlighting their potential for transcatheter embolization.
微创经导管栓塞术是介入放射学中常见的非手术程序。它用于故意闭塞血管以治疗疾病或受损的脉管系统，包括血管畸形和恶性/良性肿瘤。在这里，我们介绍了一种由壳聚糖纳米纤维和纳米粘土组成的凝胶栓塞剂，具有优异的导管可注入性和可调节的机械性能，适用于栓塞。通过改变每个单独成分的比例以及调整总固含量来优化凝胶的性能。流变学研究证实了所开发凝胶的剪切稀化特性和凝胶性质及其可恢复性。测量注射力以记录通过临床相关导管传递栓塞凝胶所需的力，评估手动注射的实用性。计算理论预测的注射力以减少开发时间并增强医生的经验。还通过监测置换凝胶所需的压力来测试体外闭塞的稳定性。工程化凝胶表现出无菌性、血液相容性和细胞相容性，突出了它们在经导管栓塞中的潜在用途。
