Using MRI derived patient-specific flow models and flow imaging for flow diverting stent rehearsal

Background Flow diverting stents have recently been approved for use in treating vascular geometries not amenable to standard coiling or clipping. By using multiple stents, one inside another, the amount of blood passing through the stent walls can be controlled. Often, these stents must be deployed in aneurysms with tortuous vessels and complex geometries. The ability to rehearse stent deployment as well as to determine the number of stents required beforehand would be of great benefit to clinicians. In addition, the ability to non-invasively track the effects of these stents once deployed in vivo would be helpful in assessing whether the stent was having the intended effect. In our work, we show the utility of patient-specific flow models derived from CE-MRA to rehearse transcatheter stent placement and to assess the resulting flow conditions.