Unmet Need
Approximately 600,000 patients in the United States today are on hemodialysis. In order for long-term applicability of hemodialysis, either arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) or arteriovenous grafts (AVGs) are utilized. AVFs utilize the patient’s own vein while AVGs are artificial conduits that allow long term access to the patient’s blood flow and supply. AVFs require at least 2-3 months of maturation time prior to needle access to allow the vein to increase caliber and AVGs require at least 3-4 weeks to allow surrounding tissue to adhere to the external surface. During the maturation period, the patient is unable to undergo dialysis due to the high risk of complications. However, many patients require immediate and early dialysis, and the current early access AV grafts on the market have poor handling characteristics. They degrade quickly and do not last as long as conventional grafts. Thus, there is a need for a better, more durable graft so that patients can be dialyzed early and safely.
Technology Overview
The inventors have created a novel hybrid graft that allows for early accessibility and longevity through the accurate puncture of small targets on the AV graft comprised of early puncture fabric. After the maturation time, the early access areas will be abandoned, and the rest of the graft will be used for access. The graft will be mostly compromised of conventional puncture graft fabric. The early puncture fabric will be comprised of small disks that are circumscribed by a magnetic disk. After implantation of the graft, when dialysis is required, a marker magnetic hollow disk will be placed on the skin surface. The disk magnet will adhere to its corresponding implanted magnet, accurately marking the location of the early puncture graft. This mechanism allows the majority of the graft to be comprised of the durable, conventional graft fabric. Magnetized areas can also be incorporated into conventional grafts to achieve homeostasis. For example, after needle access, solid disk magnets could be placed on top of puncture sites to arrest needle hole bleeding. The magnetic targeting mechanism can also be utilized for chemotherapy. Subcutaneous ports are usually utilized for chemotherapy administration. Magnets can be integrated into implantable ports, making percutaneous access more accurate, and less prone to complications.
Stage of Development
The invention is currently in the prototyping phase.
