A blood clot (thrombus) that becomes lodged in the arterial network supplying the brain can cause an ischemic stroke, depriving the brain of oxygen and often resulting in permanent disability. As an alternative to conventional clot-dissolving drug treatment, we are developing an intravascular laser-activated therapeutic device using shape memory polymer (SMP) to mechanically retrieve the thrombus and restore blood flow to the brain. Thermal imaging and computer simulation were used to characterize the optical and photothermal behavior of the SMP microactuator. Deployment of the SMP device in an in vitro thrombotic vascular occlusion model demonstrated the clinical treatment concept.
