The last decade has seen a rapid expansion of new minimally-invasive treatments, for instance in structural heart repair, where certain market needs are not well addressed. For example, controlled delivery of bulky devices from small bore endovascular catheter-based delivery systems can be a challenge. Teflon surface modification exists in the marketplace today, but shortcomings of this approach related to performance and price present significant market needs. This project is investigating the ability of bionanocomposite coatings developed to produce comparable transformative lubricity and biocompatibility performance in bio-medical conditions as already seen in fundamental lab experiments. This class of high performing nanocomposites has not previously been successfully implemented in such applications, mainly due to insufficient mechanical durability. This long-standing hurdle has recently been overcome by the team.
This innovation effort will enhance scientific and technological understanding by paving the way for transferring superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic materials out of the lab and into the bio-medical field. Stemming from discussions with potential partners, the transformative improvements in lubricity and hemocompatibility are believed to be ideally suited to endovascular delivery catheters (for improved lubricity) and stents (for improved hemocompatibility). The 50-90% reductions in liquid friction gleaned from the fundamental research, combined with the recent mechanical durability achievements should allow for disruptive enhancements in lubricious coatings to improve access, deliverability, and predictable deployment of such medical devices. These coatings could vastly reduce side effects, accelerate natural healing processes, and may even improve hemocompatibility. With the proposed I-Corps project, it is also planned to grow the small entrepreneurship program at UVA by involving undergraduate students and expanding the facilities in creating a high-profile effort to transition a potentially disruptive technology out of a university lab and into the market and grow the local innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
This grant focused on translating the super-hydrophobic technology of spray-based nano-/micro- textured surfaces to medical devices where high lubricity is important. The Composite Nanocoatings team met with 106 potential customers during the I-Corps program. At the start of the program, the potential value propositions and addressable markets were hypotheses. As a result of the customer meetings, it was determined that the market sector which best suited this technology at its current state and capability was medical device coatings. Specifically, during a meeting with a vascular catheter company, it was learned that Teflon liners accounted for 25% of their cost and were "a pain to use". Thus, a need and market niche was identified and later confirmed after talking to more vascular catheter companies. Further meetings yielded the customer archetype including such characteristics that they: 1) are acutely aware of cost, 2) state that that ease of fabrication is extremely important, 3) want to use a"cool technology" to differentiate from competition, 4) need a reliable process, 5) are sensitive to FDA and regulation, 6) are happy with current friction performance, and 7) are very focused on their particular device. The addressable market was then discovered to be about $900 million. As a result of discovering this need in the market, the team is pursuing a product that involves replacing the expensive and complicated Teflon liners with a low-cost and simple nanocomposite coating. For example, it was learned that a Teflon liner typically costs about $12 per device, where as a nanocomposite coating could be applied for as little as $0.10 per device. The team has also partnered with Surmodics Inc to leverage their existing expertise and channels in the medical device coatings market in order to more quickly and efficiently launch such a product. This activities associated with this grant have resulted in a much clearer understanding about the path and performance needed to bring such a technology from the university laboratory to the potential adopters in commercial marketplace.
