STTR Phase I: Intraventricular Cooling Catheter

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I research project aims to develop a catheter for cooling the brain tissue of individuals who have suffered from traumatic brain injury (TBI). The catheter, which can be set in place by the physician, will enable the direct cooling of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which will in turn, cool the surrounding tissue. Each year 50,000 deaths, 235,000 hospital admissions and 1.1 million emergency room consults occur as a result of TBI. Moreover, nearly 90,000 of TBI patients will have long term damage as a result of the injury. Whole body hyperthermia has been shown to reduce the severity of TBI if administered quickly. But this approach has several drawbacks, including damage to peripheral tissues and organs. Thus, if successful, the proposed technology could have a powerful beneficial effect on TBI patients and is likely to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with TBI.