Case Study: MIT achieves safer stent design with Tecplot 360 CFD visualization

MIT researchers use CFD visualization to create safer, more innovative stents

A team of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, led by Dr. Elazer R. Edelman, was challenged with the complex task of understanding and predicting how drugs are distributed from stents within arteries. The non-uniform drug distribution, influenced by blood flow and arterial geometry, was linked to serious side effects like blood clots, but the multitude of variables made it virtually impossible to predict using traditional methods alone.

The team utilized Tecplot 360, a CFD visualization tool from Tecplot, Inc., to create detailed models and generate visuals of these complex fluid dynamics. This solution provided the critical insight needed to see how stent placement and blood flow affect drug deposition. The work by Tecplot is paving the way for the development of safer, more effective stents, aiding the regulatory approval process, and holds the future potential for creating personalized stent interventions for patients.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Elazer R. Edelman

Professor of Health Sciences and Technology