Stratakos E, Antonini L, Poletti G, Berti F, Tzafriri AR, Petrini L, Pennati G. Investigating Balloon-Vessel Contact Pressure Patterns in Angioplasty: In Silico Insights for Drug-Coated Balloons.

Drug-coated balloons have shown promising results as a minimally invasive approach to treat stenotic arteries, but recent animal studies have revealed limited, non-uniform coating transfer onto the arterial lumen.

We describe the first 3D computational model of balloon inflation incorporating the balloon unfolding dynamics.

Model simulations indicate a significant irregularity of contact between the balloon and the vessel, mainly affected by the balloon's unfolding and longitudinal thickness variation. This study offers a deeper understanding of the factors influencing the irregularity of balloon-tissue contact, a key step toward uniformity in drug-coating transfer and potential clinical effectiveness.