SBIR Phase I: Automated Clot Preventing Chest Tube

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目旨在制定减轻胸导管（胸管）阻塞的策略。克利夫兰诊所（Cleveland Clinic）的一项研究表明，36%的胸管一度完全堵塞，其中86%的血栓存在于胸腔中，而临床医生却没有发现。胸管闭塞引起的并发症包括术后心房颤动、血胸和心包填塞。该团队将设计、开发并商业化一种新型胸管，以解决高冲击的临床需求。这种新型胸管旨在减少心外科手术后引流相关并发症。该新型系统主动管理导管内腔内的流体流动，以冲洗和排出导管，减少血液堵塞的发生率。拟议的活动旨在开发一种胸管，主动提供液体流动，以防止在心血管手术中与排出液体和血液相关的血凝块形成。该产品引入了一种名为稀释凝血疗法的新方法，用于解决凝血问题，其中无菌生理盐水或抗凝剂被主动用于减少封闭引流空间中的血栓形成，而不是依赖于历史上化学或机械屏障来减少或阻碍血栓形成的方法。该项目旨在使用生物材料和制造方法开发适合最终患者使用的原型，并承担在术后引流并发症的动物模型中展示概念证明和减少凝血的风险。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to develop strategies to mitigate occlusion of thoracic catheters (chest tubes). A study by the Cleveland Clinic determined that 36% of chest tubes were completely obstructed at one point, with 86% of these clots existing in the thoracic cavity, undetected by clinicians. The complications that result from occluded chest tubes can include postoperative atrial fibrillation, hemothorax, and cardiac tamponade. The team will design, develop, and commercialize a novel chest tube to solve the high impact clinical need. This novel chest tube seeks to reduce drainage-related complications following cardiothoracic surgery. The novel system proactively manages fluid flow within the inner lumen of a catheter in order to flush and drain the tube, reducing the incidence of blood clogging.The proposed activity seeks to develop a chest tube that proactively provides fluid flow in order to prevent blood clot formation associated with draining fluid and blood during cardiovascular surgery. The product introduces a novel approach called dilutional coagulopathy for addressing clotting issues, where sterile saline or anticoagulants is proactively used to reduce thrombosis in an enclosed drainage spaces, rather than rely on historical methods of chemical or mechanical barriers for reducing or hindering clot formation. The project aims to develop prototypes using biomaterials and fabrication methods suitable for eventual patient use, and undertake the risks of demonstrating proof of concept and reduced clotting in an animal model of post-surgical drainage complications.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.