# Integrated experimental and computational approach for accurate patient-specific vascular embolization

> **NIH NIH R21** · NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY RALEIGH · 2024 · $176,776

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Minimally invasive transcatheter embolization is a common nonsurgical procedure in interventional radiology
used for the deliberate occlusion of blood vessels for the treatment of diseased or injured vasculature. One of
the most commonly used embolic agents for clinical practice are microspheres. They come with different
materials (i.e., PVA and trisacryl gelatin) in a variety of sizes (50 - 1200 µm), which can be strategically selected
to treat various conditions ranging from arteriovenous malformations to hypervascular tumors, Accurate particle
size is crucial for localized targeted embolization since the delivery of microspheres is driven by blood flow and
their movement and accumulation in vivo is size-dependent. Limitations of marketed microspheres include
danger of being washed away, no intrinsic radiopacity for visualization on X-ray, and lack of therapeutics. Despite
the similar morphologies microspherical embolic agents, their physical and mechanical properties vary due to
differences in their chemical composition and manufacturing processes, which in turn influence microsphere and
tissue interactions and clinical outcomes. No systemic platform has been developed to investigate the correlation
between these properties and embolic outcomes. More importantly, clinicians have no technology for estimating
the trajectory of emboli and as such significant uncertainty exists in embolization treatment. Microsphere
transportation to undesired vessels will cause off-target embolization and damage to healthy tissue. The precise
prediction of particle-flow behavior and the particle-vessel distribution is difficult even for experienced physicians
because this is essentially a fluid-driven transport problem that has not been systemically investigated and
validated. In this proposal, we will develop, for the first time, a two-way interactive biomaterial-computational
platform that will 1) offer rational design of multifunctional microspheres, 2) accurately guide the transcatheter
location for microsphere deployment, and 3) predict microsphere in vivo trajectory and their aggregation in the
vasculature to maximize embolic success for personalized therapies. In Aim 1, we will develop microspheres
with controllable sizes and tunable properties for effective embolization. In Aim 2, we will develop computational
fluid dynamics (CFD) models integrated with biomaterial design to maximize emboli transport to desired
locations. Lastly in Aim 3, we will demonstrate predictive capability using in-vitro vasculature and adaptive
framework using patient specific physical models. Successful completion of this study shows that the versatile
biomaterial-computational platform can maximize the delivery of embolic microspheres under random injection
of emboli within the luminal cross-section (current practice) or complete delivery under informed injection with
tracking the catheter. This pilot study will set the stage for further guided in vivo testing in...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10912786
- **Project number:** 5R21AG083692-02
- **Recipient organization:** NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY RALEIGH
- **Principal Investigator:** Amirhossein Arzani
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $176,776
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-09-01 → 2026-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10912786

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10912786, Integrated experimental and computational approach for accurate patient-specific vascular embolization (5R21AG083692-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10912786. Licensed CC0.

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