PI Peter Wearden
Co-Investigators Rick Koepsel, Alan Russell, Tom Gilbert
Title Nanotechnology Based Infection Control for Ventricular Assist Devices
Description Control of infection and thrombosis in total artificial heart technology has been of great concern for the last five decades. Even for totally implantable total artificial hearts, infection control is necessary because patients still need percutaneous lines for collecting post-implant hemodynamic data. During the Phase I contract with NIH/NHLBI, ND Life and University of Pittsburgh developed a highly effective anti-infection coating system based on nanotechnology that can be easily applied to the treatment of drivelines for ventricular assist devices (VADs). A novel green processing technique has been explored to immobilize silver nanoparticles on Dacron in Phase I. Irreversibly immobilized silver nanoparticles on Dacron showed significant reduction of bacterial challenges in Phase I. In the Phase II, ND Life and University of Pittsburgh will optimize the nanotechnology-based antimicrobial coating systems by a novel green processing technique through in vitro and in vivo studies. The system we propose here will provide a simple and highly effective anti-infection coating technology for VAD drivelines, with relevance to a broad range of other implantable medical devices.
Source NanoDynamics Life Sciences, Inc. DBA LIG Sciences (via an NIH SBIR)
Term 05/15/11 – 04/30/13
Amount
Year 1: $191,955 direct and $67,890 IDC
Total: $348,421 direct and $490,000 IDC