Forecasting brain injury in the virtual patient; a future extension for Doppler embolus detection?

A leading cause of stroke comes from emboli (particles and gas bubbles) that travel through the bloodstream to become lodged in the brain. Emboli can be non-invasively detected using Doppler ultrasound, but there is currently no model relating embolus properties to the severity and duration of brain injury. Here we examine some of the mechanisms underlying embolic stroke through computer simulation of embolisation in a 'virtual patient'. Our model predicts the severity of microvascular blockages by simulating fundamental interactions between emboli and the fractal arterial tree through which they travel. In agre…