title: Development of endovascular vibrating polymer actuator probe for mechanical thrombolysis: a phantom study.
abstract: In this study, we propose a new method for enhancement of intraarterial thrombolysis using an ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) actuator. The purpose of this study was to test the mechanical thrombolysis efficiency of IPMC actuators and evaluate the endovascular vibrating polymer actuator probe for mechanical thrombolysis in a phantom model; 2 × 1 × 15 mm (2 mm in width, 1 mm in thickness, and 15 mm in length) and 0.8 × 0.8 × 10 mm (0.8 mm in width, 0.8 mm in thickness, and 10 mm in length) IPMC actuators were fabricated by stacking five and four Nafion-117 films, respectively. We manufactured the endovascular vibrating polymer actuator probe, for which thrombolysis efficiency was tested in a vascular phantom. The phantom study using 2 × 1 × 15 mm IPMC actuators showed that 5 Hz actuation is the optimal frequency for thrombolysis under both 2 and 3 V, when blood clot was not treated with rtPA, and when exposed to rtPA, IPMC actuators under the optimized condition (3 V, 5 Hz, and 5 min) significantly increased the thrombolysis degree compared with control and other experimental groups (p < 0.05). In addition, 0.8 × 0.8 × 10 mm IPMC actuators also revealed a significantly higher thrombolysis degree under the optimized condition than the control and rtPA only groups (p < 0.05). Finally, the fabricated probe using 0.8 × 0.8 × 10 mm IPMC actuators also incurred higher thrombolysis degree under the optimized condition than the control and rtPA only groups (p < 0.05). A vibrating polymer actuator probe is a feasible device for intravascular thrombolysis, and further study in an animal model is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Chongno-gu, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seung Hong
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Bye-Ri
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Jin Sun
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Moon Hee
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Jang Yeol
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hye Rim
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Moon June
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kyehan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rhee
authors.forename: Jae Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Jho
mesh_terms: D001777:Blood Coagulation; D005402:Fistula / Q000473:pathology; D006461:Hemolysis; D006801:Humans; D007477:Ions / Q000737:chemistry*; D008422:Materials Testing; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D014732:Vibration
chemical_list: D007477:Ions; D008670:Metals; D011108:Polymers