Fibrous Capsule Reduction By Applied Electric Fields

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Fibrous capsule formation arising from the body's foreign body rejection response results in a reduction of the useful life time for many subcutaneously implanted medical devices. A proposed novel departure from conventional means of managing this response is to employ electric fields such as those produced by electrophoresis to reduce capsule formation by redirecting this rejection cascade, the goal of this Phase I SBIR program is to evaluate the effectiveness of such electric fields in reducing the thickness of the fibrous capsule in a proof of concept preclinical study. This study will utilize a test platform that represents an implanted medical device. This disruptive technology will enable longer functional life of new designs and applications for percutaneously inserted and/or subcutaneously implanted drug delivery and physiological monitoring systems. A potential significant benefit will be stable or improved absorption profiles for subcutaneously infused drugs, especially for those with low/poor oral route absorption profiles. Additionally, the extended in vivo functionality will also enable implanted sensors to maintain longer useful life and reduce painful replacement procedures.