Multipoint injection technology improves therapeutic coverage and infusion rate, reduces the number of injections required and minimizes surgical time.

The use of adeno-associated virus (AAV) for therapeutic gene transfer to the brain has reached the clinical stage and is being used for treatment of diseases of the brain, such as Parkinson’s Disease, where the therapeutic target can be any superficial or deep brain structure. Thus far, AAV has been delivered to the brain via injection with a single cannula. Initial trials have shown inefficient and sub-therapeutic dosage in one injection, requiring serial injections to three separate areas of the putamen, lengthening and complicating the surgical procedure.

In a collaboration between the University of Pennsylvania and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Dr. Vitale and Dr. Gonzalez-Alegre have developed an intracerebral drug delivery system that consists of three flexible, retractable silicone microcannulas housed within a single central catheter. This device delivers AAV to the full putamen through a single trajectory with double the infusion rate. This reduces the number of injections and minimizes surgical time.

The flexible silicone microcannulas minimize acute trauma and bleeding compared with conventional metal cannulas. The technology is expected to be compatible with treatment of other brain regions using any fluid-based drug delivery system, such as chemotherapeutic agents for glioblastoma.

• 3x volume infused with a single injection
• Reduced length, cost and risk of surgical procedure
• Compatible with MRI and current surgical guidance workflows
• Can be approved by the FDA via 510k pathway as class II medical device

• Delivery of gene therapies
• Delivery of other fluid-based therapies to different areas of the brain
• Brain electrical activity recording for intraoperative diagnostic monitoring