In vitro and in silico assessment of a multi side-hole catheter for transcatheter endovascular treatments on arterial bifurcations

• Side-holes catheter (SHC) enables microsphere delivery aligned with flow distribution • In vitro and in silico results show good agreement (mean error: 3.1 p.p.) • Helical-flow generator replicates realistic arterial dynamics in test bench. • SHC improves particle dispersion even with eccentric catheter positioning. • Findings support side-holes catheter design for targeted embolic therapies. This study assesses in vitro and in silico the performance of a side-hole catheter (SHC) by investigating embolic particle transport and distribution in arterial bifurcations. Two catheter designs (SHC and end-hole catheter, EHC) and two bifurcation types (Y-shaped and side-branch) were analyzed. In vitro analyses employed a hydraulic test bench with a scaled-up arterial system, using a water–glycerin mixture as blood-mimicking fluid. Results showed that SHC produced particle distributions closely aligned with flow splits, while EHC concentrated particles in the branch directly facing the catheter tip. In silico simulations demonstrated good agreement with experimental data, with an average outlet-to-outlet distribution difference of 3.1 percentage points. Clinically, these findings are particularly relevant for radioembolization, where the SHC, by promoting sufficient particle dispersion in the arterial lumen, may enhance tumor coverage in multi-segment disease with a single injection. The validated implementation of helical-flow conditions further enhances the physiological accuracy of both experimental and computational models. Overall, this work highlights the critical role of catheter design in optimizing microsphere delivery, treatment efficacy, and personalized planning in transcatheter endovascular therapies.