MEMS-Enabled Ventricular Catheter for Hydrocephalus

University Of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): One of the most common treatments for patients with hydrocephalus is the surgical implantation of a cerebrospinal-fluid (CSF) shunt. Unfortunately, this device, which is critical for managing hydrocephalus, has a substantial failure rate. The goal of this project is to reduce the frequency of catheter replacement surgeries or to eliminate them all together. I propose to accomplish this by designing a ventricular catheter that will resist occlusion due to cellular accumulation, through the use of micromachining and biological micro-electro-mechanical systems (bioMEMS) technologies. Magnetic microactuators, produced with MEMS technologies, have been operated in biological fluids without the need for a directly wired power supply or control electronics. Such a microactuator technology could be used to mitigate catheter obstruction in a permanently implanted device. The specific aims are: (1) to design, fabricate, and use an in vitro test setup to analyze the obstruction process, (2) to design and implement a magnetic microactuator can be used to resist obstruction, (3) to use the in vitro setup to analyze the obstruction and the obstruction-clearing1 process for the prototype design.