Drug eluting coating with ultra-low friction interface for urological guide wire to reduce trauma during surgical removal of renal stones. - IsoWire

Project summary

The essence of IsoWire project is combination of a urological guide wire with active coating to avoid pre-stenting during kidney surgery. IsoWire is a urological guide wire with bio-compatible hydrogel coating capable of rapidly eluting vasoactive substance like Isoprenaline to affect muscular tone of the smooth muscles in the wall of mammalian ureter. The use of active-hydrogel surface would reduce incidence of iatrogenic ureteric trauma associated with such instruments insertion. The benefits of such novel device will be realized without changing or significantly modifying current practice that involves insertion of a plain (non drug eluting) guide wire. The impact of such device if proven to be effective and beneficial in reducing cost of treatment due to reduction in pre-stenting requirements. Hence patient stent related symptoms and associated with them absenteeism will be reduced. Furthermore, cost to health funders and medical waste production will be significantly decreased.