Project Overview
The ReDVA project proposes to perform a joint industry-academia research programme to overcome the scientific and technical barriers to the understanding, development and adoption of technologies to combat the significant clinical problem of the failure of renal dialysis venous access. The partnership will capitalise on the exchange of complementary inter-disciplinary knowledge and expertise between partners in the clinical imaging and medical device industries, and leading academic research centre’s in Renal Medicine, Vascular Biology, Vascular Surgery, Medical Physics, Clinical Imaging, (CT, MRI and Ultrasound), Imaging Contrast Media, and Computational Fluid Dynamics. This collaboration brings together the translational aspects of vascular biology, physics, applied medical physics, engineering, and clinical trials. This translational approach is targeted at developing vascular surgical, medical therapeutic and medical device strategies to improve the performance and longevity of renal dialysis venous access which underpins the life supporting haemodialysis techniques used in patients with kidney failure and renal replacement programmes. Through active and ongoing knowledge transfer the partners anticipate that this synergistic and intra-sectoral multi-disciplinary research partnership will create significant momentum, enduring relationships, visionary researchers and a roadmap towards significant European market share, as well as delivering on truly excellent scientific objectives.
Project Goals
The ReDVA project will perform a joint industry-academia research programme capitalising on the knowledge and expertise of exchanged researchers between inter-disciplinary research centre’s in Renal Medicine, Vascular Biology, Vascular Surgery, Medical Physics, Clinical Imaging, (CT,MRI and Ultrasound), Imaging Contrast Media, and Computational Fluid Dynamics. The partnership is between the Universities of Dundee, Limerick and Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham and commercial partners, Vascular Flow Technologies Ltd and Guerbet. This collaboration brings together the translational aspects of vascular biology, physics, applied medical physics, engineering, and clinical trials. This combined expertise will be utilized to overcome the scientific and technical barriers to the understanding, development and adoption of technologies to combat the significant clinical problem of the failure of renal dialysis venous access. This translational approach is targeted at developing successful vascular surgical, medical therapeutic and medical device strategies to improve the performance and longevity of renal dialysis venous access which underpins the life supporting haemodialysis techniques used in patients with kidney failure and renal replacement programmes.
The main goal of the project is to develop clinical technologies and methodologies that improve the long-term performance of vascular dialysis venous access by the techniques available.
Developments beyond the state of the art are pursued in the research areas targeted by the project are:
- The development of new methods of assessment of ReDVA using ultrasound techniques.
- The CT/MRI assessment of peripheral veins , central veins and cardiac function prior to, immediately after ReDVA surgery or implantation and at follow-up
- Further Development of flow rig simulations of ReDVA models and dedicated confrontational fluid dynamics analysis based on patient’s 3D geometries and observes flow patterns to predict wall stress patterns implicated with vascular occlusion.
- Assess serum biomarkers and imaging biomarkers of predictors of a DVA failure.
- Development and assessment of new vascular devices for ReDVA.
- Mapping of combination strategies of surgical technique, vascular devices and medical therapy to optimize vascular access long term patency for clinical trial evaluations.