Catheters for Hydrocephalus

Hydrocephalus treatment remains a significant clinical challenge, with approximately 30,000 ventricular catheter (VC) insertions or revisions performed annually in the United States alone. Despite their widespread use, the underlying VC technology has seen little innovation since the 1950s. Consequently, VCs exhibit alarmingly high failure rates in pediatric patients, with approximately 40% of devices failing within the first year and nearly 98% failing within ten years, regardless of surgical technique or device type. Proximal end obstruction accounts for over 50% of these failures, followed by infection and mechanical malfunctions, which collectively burden the U.S. healthcare system with costs exceeding $2 billion annually. Current standard-of-care (SoC) devices fall short in addressing the multifunctional requirements of an ideal VC. These limitations prompted the development of a patented, curved-flange, self-cleaning VC design. This novel design integrates bioinspired materials with innovative engineering to significantly reduce infections and obstructions, potentially transforming the outcomes of hydrocephalus treatments.

S. epidermidis incubated on various surfaces — Plot: Crystal violet staining optical density measurements of *S. epidermidis* incubated on various surfaces. A: Medtronic #41101; B: Integra Hermetic; C: Medtronic #41308. SEM images of SLIPS vs. SoC (Integra Hermetic) tube incubated with bacterial broth for 24 hours.

SLIPS-coated PDMS (iPDMS) exhibited a 90% reduction in bacterial adhesion compared to SoC materials (P ≤ 0.001; n=9). SEM imaging further confirmed the absence of bacterial colonization and biofilm formation. In cellular adhesion studies, SLIPS materials showed a 100-fold reduction in cell attachment compared to SoC surfaces, supporting their efficacy in preventing both infection and occlusion.

Contact: Haritosh Patel