Today, ultrasound-guided peripheral endovascular interventions have the potential to be an alternative to conventional interventions that are still X-ray and contrast agent based. For the further development of this approach, a research environment is needed that represents the individual patient-specific endovascular properties as realistically as possible.
The aim of the project at University of Lübeck was the construction of a phantom that combines ultrasound capabilities and the possibility to simulate peripheral endovascular interventions.
The researchers designed a modular ultrasound-capable phantom with exchangeable patient specific vascular anatomy. For the manufacturing of the vascular pathologies, they used 3D printing technology. Subsequently, the constructed similar was evaluated with regards to its application for endovascular development projects.
The final result of the project was that the team developed an ultrasound-capable phantom with an exchangeable 3D-printed segment of the femoral artery. This modality allows the study of several patient-specific 3D-printed pathologies. Compared to the flow properties of a human artery (male; age 28) the phantom shows realistic flow properties in the duplex ultrasound image. Thus the feasibility of the simulator by performing an ultrasound-guided endovascular procedure was proved. Overall, the simulator showed realistic intervention conditions.
With the help of the constructed simulator, new endovascular procedures and navigation systems, such as ultrasound-guided peripheral vascular interventions, can be further developed. Additionally, in the researchers opinion, the use of such simulators can also reduce the need for animal experiments.
