DOI: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-730094/v1
An intracranial aneurysm is a weakened area in the wall of a cerebral artery which causes abnormal localized ballooning of the blood vessel. As an aneurysm grows, it puts pressure on adjacent structures and may eventually rupture, leading to severe complications or even sudden death. The standard treatments for intracranial aneurysms include traditional craniotomy and endovascular coiling. The purpose of these treatments is to stop the blood flow to an aneurysm to reduce the risk of rupture. In recent years, another new device, "flow diverter", has gained popularity. It is placed in the parent artery to divert the blood flow away from the weakened area, isolating aneurysms from normal circulation. Although flow diverter stents have great potential, there remains clinical issues to be resolved. This paper proposes a unique hybrid flow diverter, the first of its kind in the world, for treatment of the intracranial aneurysm. The hybrid flow diverter is designed to have variable mesh densities, with the denser side facing an aneurysm to block the blood flow and the lighter side facing the artery to prevent stenosis. It is deployed in the main cerebral artery next to an aneurysm to divert the blood flow away from the weakened aneurysm. Simulation results showed that the hybrid flow diverter reduced the blood flow into an aneurysm by a whopping 75-95%. The residence time of the blood flow inside an aneurysm was 12.47 times longer with the hybrid flow diverter, which may trigger thrombogenic reaction to fill an aneurysm and thus reduce the risk of rupture.