This shunt is being developed for fetal hydrocephalus, a condition involving the buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in or around the brain. [Image courtesy of the University of Pittsburgh]
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued the Blueprint MedTech grant to the team led by Stephen Emery — professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and director of the Center for Innovative Fetal Intervention at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital — and Youngjae Chun, professor of industrial engineering at Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering.
The researchers are developing the low-profile shunt to treat fetal hydrocephalus, a condition involving the buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in or around the brain. According to the University of Pittsburgh, the device will normalize intracranial pressure before birth and address significant risks associated with untreated fetal hydrocephalus, like seizures, developmental delays and vision problems caused by ischemic injury (tissue damage that occurs when blood flow to a part of the body is reduced or stopped, depriving tissue of oxygen) and axonal shear (a traumatic brain injury when the brain’s nerve fibers are torn).
The grant also provides the team with FDA regulatory guidance, commercialization resources and strategic support for the shunt. Emery and Chun plan to collaborate with researchers from Duke University, Magee-Womens Research Institute, and Medical Device Regulatory Solutions, LLC for the project.
“This support is critical for translating a pioneering treatment that could improve the lives of thousands of newborns with hydrocephalus,” Chun said. “Currently, no shunting techniques are designed specifically for use in the fetus, making this effort timely and impactful.”
