Treating aneurysms on the computer
Most brain aneurysms go unnoticed by those affected. It is only when a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scan of the head is performed for some other reason that doctors discover the abnormal bulge in a cerebral blood vessel by chance. Prof. Dr. Daniel Behme, Head of Neuroradiology at Magdeburg University Hospital , studies these "incidental findings" .
Because blood continues to be pumped through the vein and into the bulge, the vessel can rupture, leading to a stroke . To remove an aneurysm, surgeons must approach the bulge within the brain tissue with extreme care. "In the classic surgical method, the skull is opened and the brain tissue is moved aside to clamp the aneurysm ," explains Daniel Behme. This procedure is increasingly being replaced by minimally invasive techniques . However, continuous optimization of these modern endovascular interventions is essential.
"A so-called flow diverter – a very fine-mesh, spiral-shaped stent – is placed in the vessel below the aneurysm. The blood flows past the aneurysm, but hardly into the bulge. The blood still contained therein thromboses over time," explains Daniel Behme, describing a treatment method that is currently being researched for optimization.
The STIMULATE research campus in Magdeburg develops software and hardware for image-guided, minimally invasive therapies for the treatment of cancer and vascular diseases. The STIMULATE research groups "Image Processing" led by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sylvia Saalfeld and "Medical Flows" led by Dr.-Ing. Philipp Berg create 3D phantoms based on medical data. These phantoms allow for the simulation and prediction of blood flow outside the human body. Stents can then be test-placed within these models.
The working group of CDS member apl. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gábor Janiga at the Chair of Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Engineering of the Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, together with the Institute of Mechanics , headed by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Daniel Juhre, is taking over the simulation of the virtual stent placement and blood flow.
For the official press release of the Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg