Summary:
UCLA researchers in the Department of Bioengineering have developed a miniaturized bioelectronic stent sensor that provides continuous, real-time, and reliable hemodynamic monitoring.
Background:
Diseases caused by arterial atherosclerosis are the leading cause of death and disability in the United States, affecting over 4.6 million people. To treat atherosclerosis, a metal stent is traditionally implanted into partially blocked or narrowed arteries to improve blood flow. In the following months, however, 41% of cases experience re-narrowing of the artery due to the build-up of endothelial tissue around the stent or of new plaque. As a result, patients need to be monitored for re-narrowing of the artery to prevent serious health complications. The current methods to identify and diagnose this arterial re-narrowing are angiography (X-ray examination of blood vessels using radiopaque substances) or duplex ultrasound. These methods are intermittent, highly operator-dependent, labor-intensive, time-consuming, and/or invasive. They fail to properly identify re-narrowing until corrective action is no longer possible. Current sensing devices that circumvent the need for these diagnostic tools are bulky and inaccurate. Therefore, there is a major unmet need to monitor a patient’s post-operative hemodynamic variations to accurately, reliably, and continuously monitor the re-narrowing of arterial walls.
Innovation:
Professor Jun Chen, his team of researchers in the Department of Bioengineering, and his collaborator from the Department of Neurology and the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry of UCLA have developed a self-powered, bioelectronic stent sensor capable of real-time monitoring of blood flow following stent procedures. Using the principles of the giant magnetoelastic effect in soft polymer systems, this miniaturized sensor is biocompatible and offers accurate and real-time postoperative blood flow rate monitoring. This new technology is fundamentally different from previous sensing devices of its kind. It eliminates the need for external radiofrequency excitation which can lead to inaccurate readings due to positional variations between the sensing device and external radiofrequency source. The system is also inherently waterproof, avoiding the pitfalls of bulky and rigid encapsulation systems of previous sensors, which would largely undermine the device sensitivity. The sensor is also integrated into commercially available stents allowing for traditional displacement/implantations methods to be used. Most importantly, it does not compromise the expanding functionality of the conventional metal stent or promote occlusion.
Potential Applications:
• Hemodynamic monitoring
• Atherosclerosis treatment
• Stenosis treatment
Advantages:
• Self-powered, miniaturized
• Intrinsically waterproof
• Real-time, reliable, accurate monitoring
• Potential for widespread organ/body application
• Does not compromise the functionality of the conventional stent
Development to Date:
Successful demonstration of the device shown; preclinical research stage
Related Papers:
Giant Magnetoelastic Effect in Soft Systems for Bioelectronics. Nat. Mater. 2021, 20, 1670-1676.
Reference: UCLA Case No. 2022-276
Lead Inventor: Jun Chen