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Stroke causes millions of deaths every year, and as the world population ages, the future social and economic burden and impact are mind-blowing. Thrombectomy surgery can remove clots in large and medium-sized blood vessels as small as 1 mm in diameter.  

However, they cannot remove microscopic clots in smaller vessels and capillaries due to the inherent limitations of current production methods. These microclots are one of the main causes of poor stroke treatment outcomes, and removing them promptly may provide life-changing treatments. We propose utilising the latest microscale 3D printing technologies to develop microsurgical tools for removing microclots. 

The proposal is a cross-disciplinary collaboration between mechanical engineers and stroke research scientists, which may fundamentally change stroke treatment. Advanced digital and multiphysics methods will be employed to model the optimal micro thrombectomy design. They will be made using low-toxicity and renewable materials, utilising cutting-edge 3D nanolithography, and evaluated in vivo in mice using two-photon microscopy through cranial windows. This groundbreaking LF experiment will lay the scientific foundation for future novel stroke surgical treatments.