The model was able to reproduce the observed lysis evolution under the assumptions of constant fluid velocity and lysis occurring only at the front. The lytic cascade is reduced to a second-order reaction involving fibrin and a surrogate pro-fibrinolytic agent. To understand these results, we developed an analytical 1D lysis model in which the thrombus is considered a porous medium. For that reason, we conducted in vitro flow-driven fibrinolysis experiments to study pure fibrin thrombi breakdown in controlled conditions and observed that the lysis front evolved non-linearly in time. The causes of this variability remain unclear, and it is likely that some fundamental aspects still require thorough investigations. Improvement in patient management drastically reduced these risks, and patients who benefited from thrombolysis soon after the onset of the stroke have a significantly better 3-month prognosis, but treatment success is highly variable. However, this procedure is not without risk for the patient the worst circumstances can cause a brain hemorrhage or embolism that can be fatal. One of the routine clinical treatments to eliminate ischemic stroke thrombi is injecting a biochemical product into the patient’s bloodstream, which breaks down the thrombi’s fibrin fibers: intravenous or intravascular thrombolysis.
