Computational Assessment of Unsteady Flow Effects on Magnetic Nanoparticle Targeting Efficiency in a Magnetic Stented Carotid Bifurcation Artery.

Abstract

Worldwide, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of hospitalization and death. Recently, the use of magnetizable nanoparticles for medical drug delivery has received much attention for potential treatment of both cancer and cardiovascular disease. However, proper understanding of the interacting magnetic field forces and the hydrodynamics of blood flow is needed for effective implementation. This paper presents the computational results of simulated implant assisted medical drug targeting (IA-MDT) via induced magnetism intended for administering patient specific doses of therapeutic agents to specific sites in the cardiovascular system. The drug delivery scheme presented in this paper functions via placement of a faintly magnetizable stent at a diseased location in the carotid artery, followed by delivery of magnetically susceptible drug carriers guided by the local magnetic field. Using this method, the magnetic stent can apply high localized magnetic field gradients within the diseased artery, while only exposing the neighboring tissues, arteries, and organs to a modest magnetic field. The localized field gradients also produce the forces needed to attract and hold drug-containing magnetic nanoparticles at the implant site for delivering therapeutic agents to treat in-stent restenosis.