Developing smart catheters to prevent urinary tract infections
Official title: Controlling Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections Using Smart Catheters with Rationally Designed Active Topographies
Funded at Syracuse University · NIH-10735881 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing a new type of catheter designed to help prevent urinary tract infections by using special surfaces that stop bacteria from growing, making it safer and more effective for patients who need catheters.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Syracuse University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Syracuse, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2021 |
| Project end | November 30, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $417,058 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EB030621-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-10735881 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are patients who require long-term catheterization, such as those with urinary retention or undergoing certain surgical procedures.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not use catheters or have short-term catheterization needs may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on addressing catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs), which are common and serious healthcare-associated infections. The approach involves engineering smart catheters with specially designed surfaces that can actively prevent microbial colonization and biofilm formation. By using magnetically responsive pillars that can move and disrupt bacterial growth, the goal is to create a catheter that remains effective for longer periods without leading to infections. This innovative technology aims to improve patient outcomes by reducing the incidence of CAUTIs.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly reduce the occurrence of urinary tract infections in patients using catheters, leading to better health outcomes and lower healthcare costs.
How similar studies have gone: While there have been various approaches to tackle CAUTIs, the specific use of smart catheters with active topographies is a novel and untested strategy.
Where this research is happening
-
Syracuse University
Syracuse, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ren, Dacheng — Syracuse University
- Study coordinator: Ren, Dacheng
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
New ways to stop urinary tract infections by blocking bacterial adhesion
A study to test new methods that prevent bacteria from sticking to urinary tract tissues and devices, potentially stopping infections before they start.
-
Hybridization capture sequencing to quickly identify canine urinary pathogens and resistance genes
A new sequencing approach directly from dog urine aims to rapidly identify bacteria causing urinary infections and their drug-resistance profiles to guide treatment.
-
Enterococcal Proteases and CAUTI: How the body’s environment activates bacteria to cause infections
A small grant is exploring how two enzymes from Enterococcus faecalis interact with the urine environment to drive catheter-associated urinary tract infections and why these infections are hard to treat.
-
Daily nitrofurantoin with or without bladder cauterization to prevent recurrent bladder infections in women
This study tests two approaches to prevent recurrent bladder infections in women: taking a low-dose antibiotic every day versus adding a bladder cauterization procedure plus the same daily antibiotic.
-
New bacterial pathway that helps cause bladder infections
Researchers are exploring how bacteria steal nutrients in the bladder and how the body fights them to help people with urinary tract infections.
-
New oral antifungal for tough Candida UTIs
A Johns Hopkins team is testing a new oral antifungal medicine called fungerps to treat urinary tract infections caused by azole-resistant Candida fungi.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.