Biomedical Device Laboratory

1. Biomedical Device Laboratory Dr. Duncan Maitland Associate Professor – Department of Biomedical Engineering Texas A&M University Mary Biediger John Marshall High School Northside Independent School District – San Antonio, Texas

2. Facts about Stroke • 750,000 cases per year • 150,000 deaths per year (3rd leading cause of death) • 30,000 hemorrhagic strokes (treatable) • Leading cause of disability • $40 billion spent on treatment and rehabilitation annually

3. Historical Treatment (since 1937) • Surgical Clipping – via craniotomy Still used today

4. If it’s working, why change it? • Surgery on any one area may cause problems with speech, memory, muscle weakness, balance, vision, coordination, and other functions. • Blood clot or bleeding in the brain • Seizures • Stroke • Coma • Infection in the brain, in the wound, or in the skull • Brain swelling Source: http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/surgery/brain-surgery/overview.html

5. Timelines • Hospitalization – 5 to 7 days • Recovery time before returning to work – 6 to 12 weeks Source: http://www.umm.edu/news/releases/brain_aneurysm.htm

6. Alternative Treatment (since 1991) Detachable coil embolization -Can reach previously inoperable aneurysms

7. Risks • Catheter-related risks: Intra-arterial catheterization involves a risk of bleeding, infection and arterial damage. • Surgical risks: As with any invasive procedure, there is a slight risk of death or illness. • Approximately 7% of cases require additional treatment or surgery. Source: http://www.crrnc.com/dce.php#9

8. Additional Complications • Surgery time (varies with number of coils being implanted) • Doctors not happy • Patients not happy • Customers not happy – product less likely to sell • Clots forming in the blood stream • Problems downstream

9. Timelines • Hospitalization – 2 days • Recovery time before returning to work – about a week Source: http://www.umm.edu/news/releases/brain_aneurysm.htm

10. Cutting Edge Treatment • SMP Foam – made to fill aneurysm

11. Cutting Edge Treatment • Crimped to a cylindrical shape to be fed through a micro-catheter and actuated at the site.

12. Why do it? • Catheter and Anesthesia • Foam is more biocompatible • Healing time significantly reduced *This is one aspect of the work going on in the lab. It is nearly ready for animal trials, not yet used in humans.

13. Another treatment (currently in use) - Metal Stent Reinforce the weak artery wall Encourage normal blood flow Reopen partially blocked passages

14. Angioplasty vs. Stent Source: http://www.heartsite.com/html/stent.html

15. Stent use for aneurysm treatment • In combination with coiling • For “wide-neck” aneurysm. Source: http://www.muschealth.com/bin/h/a/stent%20bridging%20aneurysm%20neck%20to%20asisst%20coiling.jpg

16. In the lab • SMP plastic tube

17. Why do this? • Can you tell me

18. What I will do • Use an MRI from a current patient

19. What I will do • Make a model using 3D printer

20. What I will do • Make a negative model

21. What I will do • Create a SMP plastic stent to treat the aneurysm and test it in the model.

22. Summary • Focus of the lab: • Design devices to treat aneurysms, fistulas, and stroke • Improve treatment options from what is currently used in practice • Use Shape Memory Polymers to create devices that will be more readily accepted by the human organism

23. Acknowledgements • TAMU E3 program • NSF, NPI, and TWC • Dr. Duncan Maitland, PhD.

24. Acknowledgements • John Horn – Graduate student who is graciously donating his time to teaching me about the work in the lab. • All of the graduate students in the biomedical lab who gleefully answer my queries about their various projects.

25. Questions?