Renishaw – the British manufacturer of metal 3D printers, is often takes part in projects of implementation of medical device and implant designs. Their portfolio includes implementation of the 3D printing project of the titanium implant of the mandible, as well as the concept of intelligent, personalized implants equipped with electronics solutions.
As it turns out, the company has been involved in another medicine project for years, associated with an innovative method of treating Parkinson’s disease. Renishaw announced that their intracerebral drug delivery device has completed the phase of clinical testing and is likely to play a key role in optimizing current treatments for this disease.
Renishaw has created a system of delivering directly to the brain CDNF, i.e. brain dopamine neurotrophic factors, capable of protecting and regenerating neurons that are destroyed as part of Parkinson’s disease. It is a neurodegenerative disease, caused by the breakdown of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain, resulting in symptoms such as involuntary tremors, muscle stiffness and slow movement. Currently, the disease is treated primarily symptomatically, and methods of treatment of causes are a complicated issue.
The conducted research proved that the proposed solution has a positive effect on improving the quality of treatment, and at the same time is safe for patients. The company will continue to test and monitor results not only regarding the effectiveness of the treatment, but also device performance, safety and accuracy of puncturing.
The tests are conducted on a group of 17 patients who undergo monthly infusion using a Renishaw apparatus. Rupert Jones, Managing Director of Renishaw Medical, says successful clinical trials provide the opportunity for further product development, including CE certification.
The system consists of four catheters, with retractable needles that are implanted in the target areas of the brain. Access to the catheters is possible using a titanium “port”, which is implanted behind the patient’s ear. The port is created in 3D printing technology from medical titanium. The advantage of the proposed solution is that patients can receive infusions on an outpatient basis, without having to re-implant the catheters for each subsequent infusion.
Source: www.renishaw.com