Experimental and Computational Evaluation of Embolic Protection

Carotid artery stenting (CAS), an endovascular treatment for severe carotid artery occlusive disease, is increasingly considered a complimentary procedure to carotid endarterectomy. One reason for the acceptance of CAS as a viable treatment alternative is cerebral protection devices (CPDs), which can reduce the embolic load in the cerebral vasculature. One particular type of CPD, distal protection filters (DPFs), are a popular choice due to their ability to allow distal perfusion peri-procedurally while filtering and removing plaque emboli from the body. This investigation studied one FDA-approved DPF, RX Accunet, using both in vitro and computational methods.