Toward Self-Clearing Ventricular Catheter for Hydrocephalus Application

描述（由申请人提供）：脑积水患者最常见的治疗方法是手术植入脑脊液（CSF）分流管。不幸的是，这种对降低颅内压至关重要的装置具有相当大的失败率。失败的主要原因是脑室导管阻塞。基于我们对脑室导管阻塞的研究和我们使用磁性MEMS的经验，我们寻求通过集成磁性微致动器来实现自清洁脑室导管，该磁性微致动器能够机械地保持透明脑室导管，而无需将植入式电源植入分流器中。我们提出的工作将主要集中在预防和/或逆转近端脑室导管阻塞。在大多数情况下，由于粘附在导管表面上的蛋白质上的炎性细胞的积聚，导管变得阻塞。本项目的目标是设计一种脑室导管，通过使用微机电系统（MEMS）技术，可抵抗细胞积聚引起的闭塞。我们以前已经证明了MEMS磁性微致动器在生物流体中的操作，而不需要直接有线电源或控制电子设备。我们还设计并测试了体外循环细胞培养装置，以模拟细胞闭塞过程。使用我们的体外系统，我们试图评估我们的MEMS器件在预防和消除细胞闭塞方面的性能。我们的具体目标如下：（1）确定使用常规导管、微制造孔、非致动装置和完全致动装置的闭塞率;（2）确定激活的最佳参数（即，角偏转、激活频率和激活持续时间）以维持通过孔的流动;以及（3）将我们的磁性微致动器集成到商业脑室导管中并测试其孔清除效率。这项研究的成功完成将产生一种先进的医疗器械，通过降低分流阻塞的概率来改善脑积水患者的生活。此外，我们的远程激活的自清洁装置技术可以容易地转化为其他医疗应用，其中管腔或孔中的阻塞是并发症的来源（即，其他长期导管、动脉、静脉）。

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 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 have also designed and tested an in vitro circulating-cell-culture setup to model cellular occlusion process. Using our in vitro system, we seek to evaluate the performance of our MEMS devices in preventing and removing cellular occlusion. Our specific aims are as follows: (1) to determine the rate of occlusion using conventional catheter, microfabricated pores, non-actuated devices, and fully-actuated devices; (2) to determine the optimal parameters of activation (i.e., angular deflection, frequency of activation, and activation duration) for maintaining flow through pores; and (3) to integrate our magnetic microactuators into a commercial ventricular catheter and to test their pore-clearing efficiency. The successful completion of this research will result in an advanced medical device that will improve the lives of hydrocephalic patients by decreasing the probability of shunt obstruction. Moreover, our remote activated self-clearing device technology may easily be translated into other medical applications where obstruction in the lumen or pore is a source of complication (i.e., other long-term catheters, arteries, veins).