Pitt Engineer Receives $1 Million to Reimagine the Coronary Balloon Device
According to the World Health Organization, heart diseases are the leading cause of death globally.
One in particular – coronary artery disease – is only expected to increase in various populations. Coronary artery disease, also called ischemic heart disease, happens when plaque builds up in the arteries that supply blood to the heart, thereby constricting the arteries and restricting blood flow.
Several treatment options are available, including dual antiplatelet drug therapy, drug-eluting stents, and Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA) drug-eluting balloons. These balloons are coated with an antiproliferative drug on the surface which is released directly to the lesion during balloon inflation. The drug inhibits the growth of smooth muscle cells in the arterial wall, reducing the risk of restenosis and maintaining continuous blood vessel patency.
Despite the advantages, challenges remain in optimizing drug delivery, ensuring uniform drug distribution, and determining the optimal drug dose for various patient populations. Youngjae Chun, professor of industrial engineering with a secondary appointment in bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, is part of a consortium that received approximately $1.1 million in USD from the South Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Healthcare Technology R&D Project to revolutionize the design of the coronary balloon device.
“Our consortium, which includes members from industry, academia, and research, is aiming to create a new device that will feature an innovative drug eluting mechanism that will help improve healing and lessen the risks of restenosis and late thrombosis, as well as improve the outcomes for many cardiovascular patients throughout the world,” he explained. Chun’s lab, the Translational Medical Device Research Laboratory, will provide the numerical analysis on the drug elution with the microparticles produced through a new fabrication method. The Pitt team will work with lead investigator and medical device manufacturing company Osstem Cardio, as well as Daegu Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation, located in South Korea.
The three-year project, “Development of a next-generation PTCA drug-coated balloon catheter coated with 4μm class biodegradable tissue-adhesive drug delivery microparticles for the effective vascular recovery,” is to support innovative medical device companies and their collaborative institutes to commercialize the device technologies.