Abstract:

Chronic, incurable ocular diseases, such as, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, and retinitis pigmentosa require lifelong drug management to prevent blindness. These diseases affect millions of adults worldwide. We aim to design an implantable ocular drug delivery device consisting of microchannels embedded between top and bottom covers with a drug reservoir made from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). This type of device can be tailored to specific drugs that have been developed to treat the aforementioned diseases by adjusting the channel design to achieve the appropriate diffusion rate. We designed and fabricated two channel designs based around the corticosteroid Fluocinolone Acetonide. We based the channel design off the biological structures found in lymph nodes in an effort to create a contextualized design. Design generation, channel fabrication, and fluid path analysis are presented.

Fellow:

CJ Norsigian, University of Virginia

Poster:

Norsigian_Poster