Copolymer Membrane for TACE Chemofiltration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) face challenges in delivering chemotherapy drugs effectively to tumors while minimizing systemic exposure, with up to 50% of the administered drug entering systemic circulation, leading to reduced local tumor dose and increased toxicity.
Innovation Solution
A highly porous block copolymer electrolyte membrane is developed for use in an endovascular catheter-based chemofiltration device to rapidly bind therapeutic agents like doxorubicin in the draining veins, preventing systemic circulation and enhancing local drug delivery to tumors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If transarterial chemoembolization is performed with chemotherapy agent suspended in lipiodol, then drug residency time with tumor is increased, but systemic exposure is still high (up to 50% of administered drug enters systemic circulation)
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the chemotherapy delivery process into two distinct phases: (1) arterial injection of chemo-lipiodol emulsion for local tumor targeting, and (2) venous filtration through a catheter-based device to capture and remove unbound drug from systemic circulation. This segmentation allows the system to achieve both high local dose delivery and reduced systemic exposure by treating the drug distribution process in separate controllable stages.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a venous filtration device as an intermediary component between the tumor vasculature and systemic circulation. This filter acts as a mediator that selectively captures unbound chemotherapy agents from the blood stream while allowing normal blood flow to continue, thereby reducing systemic drug exposure without interfering with the primary arterial drug delivery mechanism.
2Quantity of substance
If higher drug doses are administered to improve tumor treatment efficacy, then local therapeutic effect is enhanced, but systemic toxicity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the harmful effect of systemic drug circulation into a beneficial outcome by using the venous filtration device to capture unbound chemotherapy agents. The system transforms what would normally be toxic systemic exposure into a controlled filtration process, where the harm (systemic drug presence) is actively converted into benefit (drug removal) by the filter capturing the excess drug before it reaches systemic circulation.
3Duration of action of moving object
If embolic agent is used to block feeding arteries, then drug residency time is increased, but drug delivery efficiency may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary action by performing venous filtration after arterial drug delivery and embolization. The system first completes the arterial injection of chemo-lipiodol emulsion with embolic agent to ensure adequate drug residency time and tumor uptake, then subsequently deploys the venous filter to remove unbound drug. This sequential preliminary action allows both prolonged residency time and maintained delivery efficiency by addressing drug removal after the primary delivery objective is achieved.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The membrane demonstrates high binding capacity and fast kinetics, reducing systemic exposure and toxicity, allowing for higher drug doses and improved clinical outcomes, with potential applications in various solid organ tumors beyond HCC.
Implementation Method 1
The active drug binding component of the membrane is sulfonated polystyrene
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein is a porous copolymer membrane composed of poly(styrene sulfonate)-block-polyethylene-block-poly(styrenesulfonate) for use in the absorption of doxorubicin, and a chemofiltration catheter incorporating the membrane for use in transarterial chemoembolization.