Hemodynamics-driven magnetoelastic vascular grafts for stenosis diagnosis.

Abstract

Conventional approaches for vascular graft stenosis diagnostics, including X-ray angiography, magnetic resonance imaging and Doppler ultrasound, although highly accurate, are cumbersome, used intermittently and often do not detect stenosis early enough, leading to diagnosis only after substantial narrowing. Here we report a magnetoelastic vascular graft (MVG) for post-implantation stenosis diagnosis that is hemodynamics-driven, biocompatible and waterproof. It enables wireless, real-time and continuous diagnosis of stenosis by converting arterial hemodynamics into high-fidelity electrical signals. The MVGs were scalably manufactured with customizable diameters and tested in vivo in the femoral arteries of rats and swine through microsurgical anastomosis. The anastomosed MVGs restored blood flow and identified the location and severity of induced stenosis through artificial intelligence-assisted analysis. Furthermore, a 4-month in vivo study in rats verified the stability and biocompatibility of the MVGs in the host, with no evident signs of an adverse immune response. The MVG is expected to advance existing vascular graft solutions and improve vascular disease management.