MEDICINE DELIVERY METHOD FOR BLADDER DISORDERS


Michael Cima
Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Bladder disorders ­ from incontinence to interstitial cystitis to cancer ­ affect more than 33 million people in the United States alone. Even the most benign of these illnesses can have embarrassing or painful symptoms, yet delivering drugs to treat them is difficult and an often-overlooked field of medicine. This project attempts to develop a new technology to deliver drugs directly to the bladder via a small device inserted using minimally invasive means. The drugs will then be absorbed by the target more rapidly and in higher amounts, leading to better patient outcomes.
 
The current research has progressed to the creation of the device and measured release rates of the drug compounds.  The project's goal is to create a procedure on which to conduct studies in animals.