An aneurysm is an excessive, localized enlargement of an artery caused by the weakening of the artery’s wall. These enlargements can occur in the brain (cerebral aneurysms) and in various portions of the aorta. There are various factors that may account for the rupture of an aneurysm, and patients are not always aware of these risks.
This project’s aim is to create an online tool that will not only allow a 3D visualization of a patient’s aneurysm, but help to educate the patient on potential risks and to facilitate their understanding and communication with a clinician. Over the past few years, a database has been created, which contains the parameters of various aneurysms from real patient cases. The online tool will take input from a user about their aneurysm, and compare it to similar, prior cases. This will allow for the new aneurysm to be mapped and rendered in the context of the population of aneurysms already present. Each aneurysm will be mapped according to parameters including location, size, and color coded depending on its status (ruptured/unruptured). In addition to this, the user will have the ability to filter results from the database based on gender, age group, location, etc. A user will be able to get an idea of the number of aneurysms and rupture rate at locations and sizes similar to theirs.
This tool will be compatible across different platforms that have internet access, such as smart phones, computers, and tablets. It will allow for knowledge of this condition to be more accessible to the public and help to educate those affected by it. The generic vasculature model we will compare data points and user inputs against was given to us by our mentor, Dr. Juan Cebral.