Improved shunt for unborn babies with bladder blockage
Developing a novel vesico-amniotic shunt to treat fetal lower urinary tract obstruction
Using a new tiny shunt designed to help unborn babies with lower urinary tract blockage keep their lungs and kidneys healthier before birth.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vortex Medical INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Woodside, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11248666 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project is building a new vesicoamniotic shunt to create a safe bypass for urine when a fetus has a blocked bladder, helping restore amniotic fluid and support lung development. The shunt design adds stronger anchors to stay in place, materials that show up better on ultrasound to guide placement, and a reinforced channel that resists kinking and can grow with the fetus. The team has made prototypes and tested them in lab bench tests and a pilot fetal sheep study and is advancing development toward use in clinical care.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Pregnant people carrying a fetus diagnosed with severe lower urinary tract obstruction in the second or third trimester who are being considered for fetal shunting would be the primary candidates.
Not a fit: People with mild or resolving obstructions, major additional fetal anomalies that rule out fetal surgery, or pregnancies outside the eligible gestational window may not benefit from this device.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the shunt could lower the chance it falls out, reduce repeat fetal surgeries, and improve survival and organ outcomes for babies with severe LUTO.
How similar studies have performed: Vesicoamniotic shunting is an established fetal treatment that can help some babies with LUTO, but existing shunts often dislodge and this novel design has so far shown promise only in bench and animal (fetal sheep) tests.
Where this research is happening
Woodside, United States
- Vortex Medical INC. — Woodside, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Johnson, Eric — Vortex Medical INC.
- Study coordinator: Johnson, Eric
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 below.