MEMS-Enabled Ventricular Catheter for Hydrocephalus

描述(申请人提供)：脑积水患者最常见的治疗方法是手术植入脑脊液分流术。不幸的是，这种对降低颅内压至关重要的设备有相当高的故障率。失败的一个主要原因是脑室导管的阻塞。基于我们对脑室导管阻塞的研究和我们在磁性MEMS方面的经验，我们寻求通过集成磁性微执行器来实现自我清除的脑室导管，该微执行器能够机械地维持清晰的脑室导管，而不需要在分流管中植入电源。我们建议的工作将主要集中在预防和/或逆转近端脑室导管阻塞上。在大多数情况下，导管被堵塞是由于黏附在导管表面蛋白质上的炎性细胞的聚集。该项目的目标是通过使用微机械和微电子机械系统(MEMS)技术来设计一种能够抵抗由于细胞积聚而导致的闭塞的脑室导管。我们之前已经演示了MEMS磁性微执行器在生物流体中的操作，而不需要直接连线的电源或控制电子设备。我们建议可以使用微致动器技术来减轻永久植入装置中的导管阻塞。我们的具体目标是使用体外设置来分析原型MEMS设计的障碍物和清除障碍物的能力。与公共卫生相关：尽管患有脑积水的患者经常会在大脑中植入导管，以排出多余的脑脊液，但这些设备在使用多年后可能会堵塞，需要另一次脑外科手术才能取出旧导管并植入另一根导管。我们研究的目的是将磁性微执行器集成到导管中，该导管可以使用外部磁场源驱动，从而消除了对植入的电线或电源的需要，并可以产生足够的力来破坏和排出阻塞，从而可以重新建立血流。通过生产一种自动清除微执行器启用的导管并操作它来极大地降低分流阻塞的可能性，患者应该需要更少的替换手术，面临更少的手术风险和压力，并花更多的时间享受功能正常的分流的好处。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The most common treatment for patients with hydrocephalus is the surgical implantation of a cerebrospinal-fluid (CSF) shunt. Unfortunately, this device, which is critical for lowering intracranial pressure, has a substantial failure rate. A leading cause of failure is the obstruction of the ventricular catheter. Building upon our investigation of ventricular- catheter obstruction and our experience with magnetic MEMS, we seek to realize a self- clearing ventricular catheter through the integration of magnetic microactuators that are capable of mechanically maintaining a clear ventricular catheter without requiring an implanted power supply into the shunt. The work we propose will focus primarily on preventing and/or reversing proximal ventricular-catheter obstruction. In most cases, catheters become obstructed due to the accumulation of inflammatory cells that adhere to the proteins on the surface of the catheter. The goal of this project is to design a ventricular catheter that will resist occlusion due to cellular accumulation through the use of micromachining and micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technologies. We previously have demonstrated the operation of MEMS magnetic microactuators in biological fluids without the need for a directly wired power supply or control electronics. We propose that microactuator technology could be used to mitigate catheter obstruction in a permanently implanted device. Our specific aim is to use an in vitro setup to analyze the obstruction and the obstruction-clearing capability for the prototype MEMS-enabled design. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Although patients suffering from hydrocephalus frequently have a catheter implanted into their brain to drain away the excess cerebral spinal fluid, these devices can clog after years of use and require another brain-surgery procedure to remove the old catheter and implant another one. The aim of our research is to integrate magnetic microactuators into the catheter that can be driven using an external source for the magnetic field, which eliminates the need for implanted wires or power supplies, and that can generate enough force to disrupt and dislodge the obstruction so that flow can be re-established. By producing a self-clearing microactuator-enabled catheter and operating it to greatly decrease the probability of shunt obstruction, patients should require fewer replacement surgeries, face less risk and stress associated with surgeries, and spend more time enjoying the benefits of a properly functioning shunt.