New Catheter System Delivers Drugs Directly to Kidneys

Because a kidney’s function is to remove waste products from the body, delivering drugs to the organ is difficult by nature. To address this challenge, researchers have developed a novel minimally invasive method to deliver drugs directly to the kidney.

The two-part catheter system was developed by Omer Raheem, MD, a urologist and assistant professor of surgery at the University of Chicago, and Mohamed Kamel, MD, a professor of clinical surgery at the University of Cincinnati who specializes in treating urologic oncology patients. The pair has patented their invention with the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago, which helped generate the CAD model and detailed drawings for a prototype based on initial sketches.

The researchers say their design is cost-effective and simple to manufacture. It can be changed in an outpatient setting and is inserted in a path familiar to urologists and interventional radiologists, making it convenient for both patients and providers.

“The device would enable repeated access to the kidneys over time, without incisions or repeated administration of general anesthetic,” said Dr. Raheem. He and Dr. Kamel believe their invention has considerable market potential.