Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MagFlow (Introducing the first fully flow-conveyed and magnetically-steered microcatheter system)
Reporting period: 2020-10-01 to 2022-12-31
In MAGFLOW project, we explored the feasibility of commercial exploitation of our unique technology in minimally invasive medical interventions. The technology consists of a magnetically-steered, ultra-lightweight and ultra-flexible microcatheter that takes advantage of the viscous flow inside blood vessels for transportation through small arteries with arbitrary tortuosity. Exploiting hydrodynamic forces for advancement and homogenous magnetic fields for navigation nullify the need for proximal pushing and rotating, and hence allows an extremely flexible and compliant microcatheter. During this project, we performed pre-clinical tests to validate the technology and its benefits compared to the state of the art in interventional neuroradiology. We built a magnetic control system that is compatible with the fluoroscopy imaging that is required to visualize the vessels and localize the microcatheter tip. The tests have verified that our solution improves the clinical practice of endovascular interventions by increasing the reachability and decreasing the deployment time. Our navigation strategy allows the use of slender microcatheters with cross-sectional area that is orders of magnitude smaller than the commercially available microcatheters. As a result, we could safely reach arteries as small as 0.2 mm in diameter with almost the speed of the blood flow. The slender shape also ensures that the flow will never be obstructed, thus there is no risk of embolization during procedures. In addition to testing the technical capabilities, we also explored the commercial potential of our invention to develop a fitting business strategy that guides product development toward the intended market. The market study has shown that targeted delivery of chemotherapeutic and embolizing agents in the treatment of brain tumors is the best application for our future startup. There are numerous socioeconomic benefits of the commercialization of our technology to the European community and society at large. Most importantly, with the ability to rapidly and safely access small arteries, we will provide unique tools for precision oncology, specifically in the treatment of brain tumours.