Project Details
Description
Recent advances in implantable or wearable drug delivery devices have seen novel sensors built into the device, enabling drug delivery to occur at optimal times based on biomarker levels, in a closed-loop drug-delivery system. Numerous drug-delivery devices have been developed for the inner ear, including the cochlear implant, although to date no implantable inner ear sensors have been developed. This project aims to break that ground by developing an implantable Ion Sensitive Electrode (ISE), and using it to monitor, as a first target, changes in the potassium concentration of inner ear fluids in an animal model of Meniere’s disease, where controlled drug delivery would be ideal to halt disease progression. Moreover, we aim to obtain fundamental parameters that will allow the future development of a drug delivery device that is co-localized with the ISE in the inner ear, providing K+-controlled drug release. Our team consists of experts in 1) animal models of hearing and balance disorders, particularly Meniere’s disease, 2) fabrication of ion sensor devices, 3) surgical approaches to inner ear implantation, and 4) implantable microfluidic drug delivery devices.
Acronym | IDEAS 23 (Curtin led) |
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Status | Active |
Effective start/end date | 1/01/24 → 31/12/26 |