Novel design of drug delivery in stented arteries: a numerical comparative study.
Implantation of drug eluting stents following percutaneous transluminal angioplasty has revealed a well established technique for treating occlusions caused by the atherosclerotic plaque. However, due to the risk of vascular re-occlusion, other alternative therapeutic strategies of drug delivery are currently being investigated. Polymeric endoluminal pave stenting is an emerging technology for preventing blood erosion and for optimizing drug release. The classical and novel methodologies are compared through a mathematical model able to predict the evolution of the drug concentration in a cross-section of the wall. Though limited to an idealized configuration, the present model is shown to catch most of the relevant aspects of the drug dynamics in a delivery system. Results of numerical simulations shows that a bi-layer gel paved stenting guarantees a uniform drug elution and a prolonged perfusion of the tissues, and remains a promising and effective technique in drug delivery.
Grassi
Mario
M
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy. mario.grassi@dicamp.units.it
Pontrelli
Giuseppe
G
Teresi
Luciano
L
Grassi
Gabriele
G
Comel
Lorenzo
L
Ferluga
Alessio
A
Galasso
Luigi
L
D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D003198:Computer Simulation; D054059:Coronary Occlusion / Q000628:therapy*; D054855:Drug-Eluting Stents / Q000592:standards*; D020342:Finite Element Analysis; D006801:Humans; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular