ISR3D is a specific example of a model for neointima (new tissue) formation in the cardiovascular system, which plays an especially large role in recovery after medical intravascular intervention, e.g. in healing and scar formation. NeoIntima3D uses a more general model to provide a solution that predicts the risk of late thrombosis in vascular stenting.
Late thrombosis is a particularly dangerous condition. The thrombus that forms on a thrombogenic surface, such as an arterial ulcer or exposed metal struts of a stent, may break off and completely cut off the blood flow in the artery. The exact reasons and mechanisms of late thrombosis are still ill-understood. It is a rather infrequent event, e.g. late stent thrombosis happens in less than 1% of cases, but if it occurs, it leads to myocardial infarction and death in up to 80% of cases.
What is currently missing are models that are capable to predict such long-term effects as of late thrombosis. Validation will then be along two lines, one to predict if and where a thrombosis may occur, and one to predict when a thrombus could form. The first line will depend on microfluidics data, the second on clinical data.
