The Device
Venous Catheter Anchoring System
Our team plans to address this unmet need by developing an anchor for a permanent venous catheter. The anchor must be able to properly hold the catheter in place while remaining compliant to the vein, able to withstand various movement and load, and non-thrombogenic. Design requirements will be verified and validated by running simulations through the software Ansys that is used to test the performance of products under real world conditions. These will determine design thresholds and define appropriate boundary conditions for further testing.
Fabrication Process
The anchor is made of nitinol, a shape-memory alloy that changes its mechanical properties based on temperature. At higher temperatures, nitinol becomes stiff, while at lower temperatures, it remains malleable.
To fabricate the anchor, we will laser-cut a nitinol tube into the desired pattern. Once cut, the stent portion will be expanded around a fixture and heat-treated over 900°F. This process breaks down the bonds in nitinol’s crystalline structure. The material is then rapidly cooled, allowing the bonds to reform and lock the stent's new shape as its natural state.
Implementation
During catheter implantation, the stent will first be placed in cold water to make it more pliable, allowing it to be compressed under a sheath. Once delivered to the target location, the stent will be unsheathed, enabling it to expand back to its pre-formed shape and securely anchor the catheter in the vein.
