Miniaturized Multiport Catheter
Background
- Pressure monitoring is used to assess physiologic functions of the cardiovascular system and the gastrointestinal and urinary tracts.
- Monitoring is performed either by using external pressure transducers connected by multi-lumen catheters to the monitor location or by intra-catheter transducers.
- External monitoring systems require cumbersome equipment to be connected to the patient and require large caliber catheters.
- Current catheter-tipped transducers are also of large caliber and are relatively inflexible due to design constraints imposed by the sensor wiring systems currently available.
- Thus, neither of the currently available systems allow convenient, inexpensive approaches for measuring sequential pressures using a single small caliber catheter device.
Description of Current Technology
Drs. Colin Rudolph and Keith McConnell of the Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation has been working to improve and to miniaturize this technology both mechanically and physically. A device has been designed which incorporates microsensors into a 2mm diameter catheter. This system eliminates the cumbersome equipment of external manometry. Sensor position within the catheter may be easily customized to allow specialized catheters for application in all regions of the urinary and gastrointestinal tracts as well as the cardiovascular system. Besides the much reduced size of the catheter, its design is adaptable to the inclusion of other biosensors in the array, such as pH, osmolarity and temperature sensors. Furthermore, because of the 2mm diameter of the catheter, it allows use not only in adult patients but in neonatal and pediatric patients. A prototype device is currently being completed and will include a linear array of pressure sensors in a 2.0mm diameter catheter.
The goal of this project is to provide the medical community with a device to greatly enhance the utility of diagnostic monitoring of pressures and other parameters in various regions of the body.
Objective
We believe this device satisfies the demand for an inexpensive, miniaturized multisensor catheter and will greatly enhance the physician's ability to diagnose, treat and monitor pediatric and adult diseases where such abilities and technologies did not exist previously. We are seeking a corporate partner to provide further support for continuing research in this area of invention and as a licensee in patenting, developing and commercializing this technology.
Contact
To discuss and/or request a confidential disclosure of this technology, please contact:
Joseph D. Fondacaro, PhD
Director, Office of Intellectual Property & Venture Development
Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation
Mail Location 7032
3333 Burnet Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3039
Phone: 513-636-7695
Fax: 513-636-8453
Email: jdfonda@chmcc.org
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