Intelligent Ureteral Stent System for Prevention of Renal Damage

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At least 10% of the Canadian population (>3.5 million Canadians) will develop a kidney stone**in their life, resulting in significant patient morbidity and burden on the healthcare system. This**problem is further deteriorated as ~50% of the patients will have a repeat episode within 5**years. Most patients are treated by placing a ureteral stent, a thin hollow plastic tube, in the**ureter (the duct that bridges the kidney to the bladder) to ensure proper urine drainage past**the stone that may be blocking it. Ureteral stents are also used in cancer patients to maintain**urine flow through the ureter that may be compressed by growing tumor. The stent itself,**however, often causes an obstruction in the urine flow, by limiting the ureters wave-like**motion to push urine down to the bladder and/or by building up crystals on the stent. In such**case, the kidney swells, a condition known as hydronephrosis, which results in kidney injury**and eventual failure if left untreated. This research will develop a novel smart ureteral stent**that will continuously track renal pressure while it is indwelling, uniquely allowing for early**detection of increased pressure before damaging hydronephrosis develops. This will enable**non-invasive, quantitative, and cost-effective tracking that is currently not available via any**existing diagnostic route. The stents will be developed to function as radiofrequency**antennas, with embedded micro pressure sensors and microelectronic chips to wirelessly**sense and transmit renal pressure. The device will be prototyped using microsystems**technology available at UBC. This novel stent technology will allow kidney stone patients to**check the status using a portable monitor at home, giving an alarm for the need of further**diagnosis and necessary treatment by urologists. The research results are anticipated to**promote different types of stents and other implants to acquire perceptual features for a wide**range of medical applications beyond the urologic area.