BME seminar title

Reducing shunt failure for patients with hydrocephalus via topographical surface modifications

Speaker

Aaron Gonzales, Wayne State University

Abstract

Hydrocephalus is the accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles due to an imbalance between the production and absorption rate. This leads to an increase in pressure and an expanding of the ventricles that can lead to death if untreated. Current treatment requires the permanent implantation of a catheter within the ventricular space. Despite medical and engineering advances since the first recorded use of a perforated rubber tube in 1903, shunts still fail at an unacceptably high rate: 30% to 50% will fail in the first year and up to 70% will fail over 10 years. It is widely accepted that obstruction of the ventricular catheter portion of the shunt due to cell attachment and accumulation is what is causing most of these failures. The use of surface coatings to reduce cell attachment has been explored but as to date a definitive solution is still lacking. Herein, we propose the use of micron scale, topographical changes to the catheter surface to reduce obstruction caused by cell accumulation and proliferation.