Impact of balloon inflation pressure on cell viability with single and multi lumen catheters.

Infusion catheters, when used in combination with balloons, are subjected to pressure created by inflation of the balloon. The compression can reduce the catheter flow area and cause elevated shear stresses in the fluid. A model and experiments were developed with a range of applied balloon pressures to investigate whether such situations may cause cell lysis during stem-cell infusion through single-lumen catheters. It was found that for balloon inflation pressures in excess of ~7 atm, it is possible for cell injury to occur, although the critical pressure depends on the fluid viscosity. The study was then applied to a multi-lumen catheter which was designed to resist compression. That device was able to handle very elevated balloon pressures and flow rates before cell lysis became a concern.