Journal of Biotechnology & Biomaterials
Open Access

Abstract

The practice of embolisation of blood vessels (deliberate occlusion of the lumen of the vessel to stem blood flow) has been practiced by Interventional Radiologists for many decades. Guide wires and catheters are maneuvered under X-ray imageguidance to target sites in the body where particles are then administered into the vessels create a blockade. A wide variety of particulate embolic agents have been used over the years, many of which are commercially available and consist of different materials, shapes, size ranges and formats, all of which impact upon their clinical performance. The embolic can be temporary (biodegradable) or permanent in nature and can be made from natural or synthetic materials. Some of these embolic agents can contain and elute chemotherapeutic drugs or are inherently radioactive in order to provide a locoregional treatment option for tumors due to the site-specific delivery of the particles. More recent advancements include particles that are visible under the standard X-ray techniques used to guide the interventions, enabling intra-procedural and post-procedural feedback with real-time visualization of embolic particle localization to help the physician optimize the treatment technique for improved clinical outcomes. In this presentation, an overview of different particulate agents will be provided together with a discussion on how the physicochemical properties of the biomaterials from which they are composed, influences their behavior during handling and administration, flow and occlusion properties, tissue interactions and therapeutic delivery capability.

Biography

Andrew Lewis is the Director of R&D in Innovation at BTG. He specializes in the development of advanced biomedical polymer systems, for instance, to enhance the biocompatibility of implants or to modulate delivery of active agents in the body. He has published ~200 papers (H-index 46), 11 book chapters and 50 patent families/applications in the fields of polymers, biomaterials and drug delivery. He was recently awarded the Chapman Medal for distinguished research in the field of biomedical materials.

Email: andrew.lewis@btgplc.com