Description du projet
Une nouvelle technologie de lubrification pour améliorer les résultats de la pose de stent
La pose d’un stent coronaire se caractérise souvent par des complications comme la thrombose et la sténose du vaisseau sanguin traité, connue sous le nom de resténose. À cette fin, les patients reçoivent un traitement pharmacologique qui comporte, cependant, des effets secondaires importants. Le projet COATING, financé par l’UE, propose de mettre au point une intervention fondée sur la nanotechnologie sous la forme d’un lubrifiant pour réduire les contraintes de cisaillement générées entre la surface du stent coronaire et la paroi du vaisseau. Les scientifiques testeront des solutions avec différentes particules magnétiques biocompatibles et promouvront les meilleurs candidats ayant démontré une réduction de la friction et des effets secondaires. D’une manière générale, la technologie COATING est susceptible d’améliorer la qualité de vie de millions de patients du monde entier.
Objectif
COATING aims at developing cutting-edge technology for the reduction of stent thrombosis and restenosis events, based on a multidisciplinary approach linking fluid mechanics and biomedical engineering. Principles of fluid mechanics will be combined with nanotechnology to advance our understanding of the physics of drag reduction and exploit this to establish a novel biomedical engineering application. The nanotechnology is based on magnetorheological fluids, also called ferrofluids (FFs). Specifically, FFs will be used as a lubricant for the reduction of harmful wall shear stresses generated at the coronary stent surface.
The objectives are, firstly, to evaluate the performance in terms of magnetoviscous effects of various biocompatible FFs varying shear and magnetic field strength. Secondly, we will evaluate the FF-based drag reduction by performing extensive FF-coated pipe flow experiments. Finally, we will evaluate the efficiency of the novel drag reduction technique in stents in vitro. The project will be hosted at WSL, Switzerland, which is part of the ETH domain, a world leading and closely cooperating network of research institutes, and will be integrated in a young and dynamic research group, offering a cutting-edge laboratory and excellent opportunities for career development.
The proposed technology strives to complement or even replace adjunctive pharmacological treatments usually adopted after stent implantation, which often have significant harmful side effects. It has the potential to improve the quality of life of the millions of patients worldwide that undergo coronary stenting each year, and to provide a new solution for patients in which pharmacological therapies cannot be prescribed. Finally, the project results are also expected to foster other applications of FFs in the bio-engineering medical field and to develop a new drag reduction technology applicable in other research areas (e.g. oil pipe industries) that seek to reduce energy consumption.
Champ scientifique
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Régime de financement
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinateur
8903 Birmensdorf
Suisse