Open AccessAssessment of needle tip geometry during infusions into a brain phantom gel
Author(s) -
Gustavo A. Orozco,
Fernando Casanova,
Jose Jaime García Álvarez
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
scientia et technica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2344-7214
pISSN - 0122-1701
DOI - 10.22517/23447214.21511
Subject(s) - backflow , imaging phantom , biomedical engineering , drug delivery , flow (mathematics) , medicine , volumetric flow rate , mechanics , materials science , nuclear medicine , nanotechnology , physics , geology , geomorphology , inlet
Convection-enhanced delivery (CED) is a promising method to deliver therapeutic drugs directly into the brain that has shown limited efficacy, mainly attributed to backflow, in which the infused drug flows back along the needle track rather than forward into tissue. This study evaluates the effect of sharp and blunt needle tips on backflow length under different flow rates via CED. Infusions were performed in a transparent 0.6% (w/v) brain phantom agarose hydrogel. Backflow length was significantly higher using sharp-tip needles for higher flow rates. No significant differences were observed between tip shapes for lower flow rates. In conclusion, sharp-tip needles present limitations for higher flow rates, which are needed to deliver more drug during shortest times.