A Self-Monitoring Artificial Vascular Graft

描述(由申请人提供)： 开发一种自我监控的移植物是该项目的长期目标。这样的移植物不是被动的血液管道，而是测量流经它的血液，如果流量接近移植物可能发生血栓的水平，就会直接向医生传达治疗的需要。目前，美国每年有6万例人工旁路小腿移植手术。大多数在三年内失败，导致截肢。通过制造这样的移植物来传达即将到来的失败的信息，这些肢体中的许多应该会被挽救。已经开发出特殊的超声换能器，可以嵌入移植物的壁内，测量通过移植物的血液流量。拟议的第一阶段工作将通过构建具有流量传感能力的操作移植物来证明智能移植物的可行性，通过分析表明，相关的电路和电源可以植入5年或更长的寿命。该计划的第二阶段继续进行原型智能移植物的制造和植入。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Development of a self-monitoring graft is the long term goal of this project. Such a graft, rather than being a passive conduit for blood, would measure the blood flowing through it and, if the flow approached levels at which the graft might thrombose, communicate the need for treatment directly to the physician. At present, 60,000 artificial by-pass leg grafts per year are implanted in the USA. Most fail within three years,leading to amputation. By making such grafts "smart grafts" that communicate impending failure, many of these limbs should be saved. Special ultrasound transducers have been developed that can be embedded in the walls of the graft and measure the blood flow passing through the graft. The proposed Phase I work would demonstrate the feasibility of the smart graft by constructing an operating graft with flow-sensing capability, and by analysis show that the associated circuitry and power source could be implanted with 5 year or more life. The Phase II continuation of the program would undertake the fabrication and implantation of prototype smart grafts.