Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh have developed a novel device for coating medical conduits with solid state micro/nano particles. These will act as biodegradable nerve guides/conduits to bridge long-gap nerve damage and improve regeneration.
Description
Nerve guides are used to surgically treat peripheral nerve damage. Successful manufactures require uniform and consistent micro/nano particle coating within and between each conduit to ensure efficient and localized delivery of medicinal agents to patients. This device, the RegenCoat™ is designed to repeatedly create a consistent, uniform layer of microparticles.
Applications
• Peripheral nerve injuries
• Nerve regeneration
Advantages
Peripheral nerve injuries affect approximately 20 million Americans. Surgical methods such as primary nerve repair, or nerve grafts to repair the damaged nerve often only succeed in <50% of patients. To further improve surgical efficacy, nerve guides containing neurotrophic factors to stimulate axonal growth encapsulated in microspheres (MS) have been developed. However, current methods for coating such devices can result in the following problems:
• Horizontal dipping – uneven coating often resulting in a clump or strip of microparticles on the conduit
• Vertical dipping – requires larger amounts of MS, difficulty quantifying amounts of MS and drug on the guide
• Spray technique – messy and potentially damaging to MS along with difficulty in quantifying the coated drug.
This device overcomes these challenges by creating an even sheet of micro/nano particles homogenously distributed on wax/parchment paper to provide consistent wall thickness for each conduit, and between conduits, which is easy to use and can precisely administer drug dosages.
Invention Readiness
A 3D printed prototype has been produced for the manual coating of medical conduits and is being used in a GMP facility. Further development of a high throughput device is required.
IP Status
https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2024006366A2
