This technology is a dual-action, multi-lumen microneedle device designed for safe and precise intracochlear drug delivery and perilymph fluid sampling while maintaining a zero net volume change in the inner ear.
Effective diagnosis and treatment of many auditory and vestibular diseases require access to the cochlea for drug delivery and diagnostic sampling. Current methods for intracochlear drug delivery and fluid sampling are imprecise, unpredictable, and potentially traumatic due to the cochlea's sensitive structure and limited volume. Systemic drug delivery often fails to reach the inner ear effectively due to the blood-labyrinth barrier, while direct cochlear administration risks damage and increased pressure. There is a need for a solution that provides both safe and controlled drug delivery and diagnostic sampling without disturbing the cochlear environment.
This technology consists of ultra-sharp, durable microneedles with multiple lumina, enabling the precise injection of therapeutics and aspiration of cochlear fluid simultaneously to maintain a zero net volume change. Manufactured using two-photon polymerization lithography (2PP) or two-photon templated electrodeposition, the microneedles can be integrated into a modular array. With at least two lumina, one for injection and the other for aspiration, the system avoids pressure build-up in the cochlea. This dual-lumen, simultaneous aspiration is especially useful in applications where delivery or aspiration of a large volume of fluids is required.
This technology has been validated both ex vivo and in vivo.
Patent Pending(WO/2023/150564)
IR CU21117, CU22207
Licensing Contact: Sara Gusik