Development and testing of 3D-printed distal stroke models for mechanical thrombectomy training

Continuous advances in neurointerventional medicine, coupled with the development of increasingly smaller thrombectomy systems, have now rendered endovascular procedures feasible even in very small cerebral vessels (<2 mm). However, these procedures are technically demanding and require intensive practical training. To support this distal stroke training models have been developed for integration into the existing neurointerventional simulator HANNES. This study aimed to realistically simulate mechanical thrombectomy in distal vessel segments (M2–M4, A2–A4). A range of material combinations and geometric configurations were analyzed in order to evaluate the geometric, physiological and medical-therapeutic mapping. The application tests carried out by neurointerventional specialists demonstrated that, due to their good anatomical representation, all models are fundamentally suitable for training purposes. However, further improvements are required in terms of friction. The Clear–AR-G1H material combination received the highest ratings in terms of haptics, elasticity, navigability, and X-ray imaging, while the Clear–Clear pairing achieved only moderate results. The distal stroke models that have been developed can be used to expand the HANNES simulator with a modular, anatomically realistic training module, which can make an important contribution to the further development of training in neurointerventional stroke therapy.

Content

Subjects

3D printing

distal stroke

endovascular therapy

HANNES

interventional neuroradiology

simulator

thrombectomy

DDC Class

570: Life Sciences, Biology

610: Medicine, Health

620: Engineering