Simulation-Based Virtual Reality (VR) Visualization of Cerebral Aneurysms Treated with Stents

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A cerebral aneurysm (or brain aneurysm) is an abnormal blood-filled bulge in a blood vessel. If untreated, a cerebral aneurysm presents a high risk of rupture, and may lead to haemorrhagic stroke - a leading cause of disability and death in Canada. Flow-diverting stents (small mesh tubes inserted into the artery) show considerable promise for the treatment of cerebral aneurysms by lowering rupture risk. Despite encouraging results of treatment with such stents, post-treatment complications have been reported at rates of 15-35%. The project aims to develop a novel way to visualize the stent-treatment outcomes based on virtual reality (VR) technology, which allows one to see the stent-treatment outcomes very much like 3D movies. The success of this project will help neurosurgeons discern the factors that might contribute to the success/failure of previously treated patients and to predict and strategically plan stent treatment or re-treatment for aneurysm patients. It will also greatly facilitate/enhance the immersive learning/understanding of aneurysm treatment with stents for medical students/residents and aneurysm patients. The successful completion of our objectives will mean LUXSONIC Technologies Inc. of Saskatoon, SK (https://www.luxsonic.ca/; hereafter LUXSONIC), the industrial partner of this project, will reap immediate technological and economic benefits because the project will help to launch a new VR-based product for medical education/training and health care.