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Polyvinylpyrrolidone-Coated Catheters Decrease Astrocyte Adhesion and Improve Flow/Pressure Performance in an Invitro
Leandro Castañeyra-Ruiz1, Seunghyun Lee1, Alvin Y Chan2
1CHOC Children's Research Institute, and CHOC Neuroscience Institute, 1201 W. La Veta Avenue, Orange, CA 92868, USA.
Children (Basel, Switzerland)
|January 21, 2023
Summary
Polyvinylpyrrolidone catheters demonstrate reduced cellular adhesion and obstruction, offering a promising solution for preventing ventricular shunt failure in pediatric patients. These findings aid in selecting optimal catheters for clinical use.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Neurosurgery
- Materials Science
Background:
- Proximal catheter occlusion is a primary cause of ventricular shunt failure in pediatric hydrocephalus.
- Current shunt catheter materials vary in their susceptibility to cellular adhesion and obstruction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate and compare the in vitro cellular adhesion and obstruction characteristics of four different ventricular shunt catheter types.
- To identify shunt catheter designs that minimize cellular adhesion and obstruction for improved clinical performance.
Main Methods:
- Four catheter types (antibiotic- and barium-impregnated, polyvinylpyrrolidone, barium stripe, barium impregnated) were tested.
- Cellular adhesion was assessed by seeding catheters with astrocyte cells.
- Obstruction was evaluated using a 3D-printed ventricular phantom system with artificial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow and differential pressure sensors.
Main Results:
- Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) catheters exhibited significantly lower median cell attachment compared to other tested catheters (p < 0.01).
- PVP catheters demonstrated significantly higher flow rates (0.12 mL/min) in the phantom system than antibiotic-coated (0.10 mL/min), barium stripe (0.02 mL/min), and barium-impregnated (0.08 mL/min) catheters (p < 0.01).
- PVP catheters showed reduced cellular adhesion and were least prone to obstruction by astrocyte cells.
Conclusions:
- Polyvinylpyrrolidone catheters present superior performance regarding reduced cellular adhesion and obstruction.
- These findings support the clinical use of PVP catheters to mitigate ventricular shunt failure in pediatric populations.
- Optimizing catheter material selection can enhance the longevity and efficacy of shunting procedures for hydrocephalus.
