Novel Cardiovascular Conduit

In pediatric cardiovascular surgery, no commercially available vascular conduit is capable of growing with the patient following implantation. This inability to grow with the patient is particularly relevant for newborns and young children because additional surgeries are required to replace the implanted conduit. In order to address this issue, PECA Labs has developed a novel cardiovascular conduit that can be expanded with a minimally invasive balloon catheter. This technology has been achieved by altering the properties of expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) through a propriety manufacturing process. A prototype of PECA's expandable conduit has successfully been developed, produced, and validated through in vitro and ex vivo preliminary studies. The overall goal of the proposed research is to gain important knowledge of the biocompatibility and in-vivo performance of this expandable ePTFE conduit (EEC). Benchtop ex-vivo testing has illustrated the functionality of the proposed EEC: resisting spontaneous expansion at normal pressures, but capable of expanding by dilation with a standard balloon catheter. Expansion to well over three times the original diameter has been demonstrated without compromising the mechanical strength. PECA's proposed research includes continued animal studies, biomechanical testing, and guided expertise from pediatric cardiac surgeons in order to further develop this device.