SMART Implantable Vascular Devices for Restenosis - Development to Proof of Concept

Studentship strategic priority area:Healthcare Technologies Strategies
Keywords: Cardiovascular disease, Restenosis, Stent, Wireless, Reporter

Background: Cardiovascular disease and vascular access remains one of the most significant medical, social and financial burdens in both Scotland and globally, with almost 1 in 3 deaths still attributable to vascular complications that cut across research funders. Patient care can be improved by integrating electrical biosensors into existing medical devices. Biosensors are electrical units that can detect a change in a biological condition in real time; recent examples include continuous glucose monitoring, cardiac pacemakers and integrated cardiac defibrillators. Recent advances in technology mean we can test the feasibility of using novel sensors that can report diagnostic information that could remotely detect internal blockages inside culprit blood vessels. Detecting and potential treating these at source would be transformative to healthcare and would significantly reduce clinical complications, inpatient stays, follow-up and repeat interventions. This work is a perfect fit to the remit of the EPSRC healthcare technologies theme of "accelerating translation to healthcare applications" but in future has wide appeal to funders across research councils and would offer significant benefit to both the NHS and UK taxpayer.

CVA is one of the most common medical procedures performed globally, yet accounts for over 10% of the healthcare budget due to complications arising from narrowing, scarring and blood clots. At least 200,000 central venous access procedures are performed annually in the UK with failure rates as high as 35% which can prove fatal for high risk patients. Currently, central venous access for transfer of blood and drugs is provided by 1. Polyurethane catheters inserted into a blood vessel. These are used for short term access but frequently become infected with biofilms, fibrose or become malpositioned. 2. Synthetic grafts that are a flexible artificial vessel tubes which are sutured between a vein and artery and provide a resealable surface needed for repeated use but can re-block at the site of suturing together. 3. Surgical fistulas are formed when a high pressure artery is directly anastomosed (joined) to a vein but suffer from the same complications as grafts. All three of these approaches could benefit from a smart integrated self-reporting device that can detect cellularity through electrical impedance2.
In consultation with our clinical collaborators we propose to develop a flexible version of our existing impedance sensor using a soft lithography through facilities at the James Watt nanofabrication unit. Then using expertise at the BHF Cardiovascular Centre Glasgow to complete ex vivo testing and incorporation of the sensor onto our custom 3D printed device and our telemetry unit (CSO CGA/17/29, funded 2018) for relaying diagnostic data to the clinician, ultimately through an iOS based app.

This project will offer the student access to cutting edge technologies to facilitate development of the first wireless biosensor through testing in vitro, ex vitro and eventually in vivo. This will include gold lithography, 3D printing and cell and tissue culturing using hydrogels.