Terasaki Talks Presents: “Injectable Hydrogel Electrodes as Conduction Highways to Restore Native Pacing”, Presenter: Prof. Elizabeth Cosgriff-Hernández
Terasaki Talks Presents: “Injectable Hydrogel Electrodes as Conduction Highways to Restore Native Pacing”, Presenter: Prof. Elizabeth Cosgriff-Hernández
Abstract: Re-entrant arrhythmias—the leading cause of sudden cardiac death—are caused by diseased myocardial tissue and consequent delayed myocardial conduction. Access to the coronary veins that cross the “culprit” scar regions where re-entry originates can provide improved pacing to these delayed regions, offering a novel opportunity to prevent ventricular arrhythmias. However, there are no pacing electrodes which are small enough to navigate these tributaries. To address this need, we have developed an injectable conductive hydrogel that can fill the epicardial coronary veins and their mid-myocardial tributaries. When connected to a standard pacing lead, these injected hydrogels can be converted into flexible electrodes that directly pace the previously inaccessible mid-myocardial tissue. In our two-component system, hydrogel precursor solutions can be injected through a dual lumen catheter in a minimally invasive deployment strategy to provide direct access to the diseased regions with precision and ease. Mixing of the two solutions upon injection into the vein activates redox-initiated crosslinking of the gel for rapid in situ cure without an external stimulus. An ex vivo porcine model was used to identify the requisite viscosity and cure rate for gel retention and homogeneity. Ionic species added to the hydrogel precursor solutions conferred conductivity above target myocardium values that was retained after implantation. Successful in vivo deployment demonstrated that the hydrogel electrode filled the anterior interventricular vein with extension into the septal (mid-myocardial) venous tributaries to depths far more distal and refined than any current technologies allow. In addition to successful capture and pacing of the heart, analysis of surface ECG tracings revealed a novel pacing observation highly specific for and suggestive of capture of extensive swaths of septal myocardial tissue. In vivo cardiac electroanato
Event Information
Event Date
09-20-2023 1:00 pm
Event End Date
09-20-2023 2:00 pm
Registration Start Date
09-15-2023
Cut off date
09-20-2023 2:00 pm
We are no longer accepting registration for this event
Abstract: Re-entrant arrhythmias—the leading cause of sudden cardiac death—are caused by diseased myocardial tissue and consequent delayed myocardial conduction. Access to the coronary veins that cross the “culprit” scar regions where re-entry originates can provide improved pacing to these delayed regions, offering a novel opportunity to prevent ventricular arrhythmias. However, there are no pacing electrodes which are small enough to navigate these tributaries. To address this need, we have developed an injectable conductive hydrogel that can fill the epicardial coronary veins and their mid-myocardial tributaries. When connected to a standard pacing lead, these injected hydrogels can be converted into flexible electrodes that directly pace the previously inaccessible mid-myocardial tissue. In our two-component system, hydrogel precursor solutions can be injected through a dual lumen catheter in a minimally invasive deployment strategy to provide direct access to the diseased regions with precision and ease. Mixing of the two solutions upon injection into the vein activates redox-initiated crosslinking of the gel for rapid in situ cure without an external stimulus. An ex vivo porcine model was used to identify the requisite viscosity and cure rate for gel retention and homogeneity. Ionic species added to the hydrogel precursor solutions conferred conductivity above target myocardium values that was retained after implantation. Successful in vivo deployment demonstrated that the hydrogel electrode filled the anterior interventricular vein with extension into the septal (mid-myocardial) venous tributaries to depths far more distal and refined than any current technologies allow. In addition to successful capture and pacing of the heart, analysis of surface ECG tracings revealed a novel pacing observation highly specific for and suggestive of capture of extensive swaths of septal myocardial tissue. In vivo cardiac electroanato