JHU Ref #: [C15551, C17109, C17520, C17716]
Value Proposition
· Real-Time Physiological Monitoring: Provides continuous, high-resolution images of the spinal cord and microvasculature, enabling real-time assessment of spinal cord blood flow (SCBF) to determine points of intervention and mitigate secondary phase injury following spinal cord injury surgery.
· Integrated Treatment Modalities: Combines electrical and ultrasound modalities for targeted therapeutic applications, including the modulation of spinal cord blood flow for improved patient outcomes.
· Multi-Modal Physiological Sensing: Integrates ultrasound, photoacoustics, qEEG, and thermal imaging.
· Controlled Degradation: Engineered to naturally degrade, eliminating the need for surgical removal.
· Expanded Clinical Utility: Extends beyond spinal cord injury, with potential use in limb ischemia detection, and smart tourniquet design for dynamic blood flow control.
· Clinical Workflow Integration: Integrates into the clinical workflow with a custom surgical rail system that can position the MUSIC device on the spinal cord with lateral and vertical adjustability.
Unmet Need
· Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a neurologic condition resulting from traumatic or nontraumatic events that disrupt motor, sensory, and autonomic pathways. In the United States, approximately 282,000 individuals live with SCIs, with 17,000 new SCI cases annually. Although many patients with SCIs undergo surgery, recovery is complicated by inadequate spinal cord blood flow and inflammation. Thus, there exists a strong need to develop technologies that monitor spinal cord blood flow after surgery to identify intervention opportunities and mitigate secondary phase injury.
Technology Description
· Researchers at Johns Hopkins have developed the Multi-Functional Spinal Cord Implant (MUSIC) device that integrates multiple sensing modalities to track spinal cord blood flow after surgery to improve patient outcomes.
· The MUSIC device is a flexible, epidural patch that occupies approximately 50 mm³ in the epidural space with a flexible patch structure that can partially wrap around the dura for optimal anatomical contact.
· Leverages sound-based analysis from ultrasound to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy tissue states, such as cancerous vs normal, injured vs uninjured, or compliant vs non-compliant, and may enable early detection of blood clots or assess organ health, including liver and heart valve function.
· Measures tissue elasticity and conductivity to assess injury and necrosis, supporting audio-based methodology for diagnostics, prediction, and automated classification.
Stage of Development
· A functional prototype has been developed. The MUSIC device was granted Breakthrough Device Designation by the FDA. Current efforts are underway to generate additional clinically relevant insights.
Data Availability
· Data and working model available upon request.
Publication
N/A
