Reference: Mottu F, Gailloud P, Massuelle D, Rufenacht DA, Doelker E. In vitro assessment of new embolic liquids prepared from preformed polymers and water miscible solvents for aneurysm treatment. Biomaterials 21 (2000); 8; 803-811.

This article, which would serve as the starting point of the project, assesses the feasibility of treating cerebral aneurysms with embolic liquids using a general screening of preformed polymers dissolved in biocompatible, water-miscible solvents. The article includes a calculation and discussion of polymer-solvent solubility parameters for a wide range of polymer-solvent systems. In addition, the article includes a report of the angiographic assessment of various polymer / solvent systems using a cerebral aneurysm model. The article concludes that nine solutions of the selected polymer-solvent combinations could be used as embolic liquids for the treatment of cerebral aneurysms with respect to their satisfactory precipitation properties and viscosity.

The clinical issue to be addressed by this project is aneurysms, specifically cerebral aneurysms. Current methods of treating cerebral aneurysms, including neurosurgical intervention, detachable balloons, and coil techniques, would be explored, and the relative advantages of treatment by embolic liquids would be discussed. Further, the project would include analysis of biomaterials issues such as the intravenous, intraarterial, intraperitoneal, and parenteral toxicities of the solvent and the mechanical ability of the polymer / solvent precipitate to stabilize and embolise. Finally, further directions of research in this area, including in vivo studies, would be explored.