###Instrumented needle to enhance placement accuracy for joint injection
Project ID: 2228bd1014 (You will need this ID for your application)
Research Theme: Healthcare Technologies
UCL Lead department: Electronic and Electrical Engineering (EEE)
Lead Supervisor: Sara Ghoreishizadeh
Project Summary:
Patients with osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis often require adjunct intra-articular (IA) steroid injections for symptomatic pain relief. The global joint pain injections market is expected to grow from $4.71 billion in 2021 to $7.95 billion in 2028, mainly due to the increasing prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in general population.
Challenges in the current methods for IA injection include the lack of accurate data about the surrounding environment of the needle. E.g., the needle tip could be touching a bone or misplaced in the tendon or adjacent soft tissue resulting in haemorrhage or tendon or ligament rupture. A blind joint injection at times may require a few attempts to try placing the needle correctly and therefore increases the risk of infection. Ultrasound can be used to guide the accuracy of needle placement but the procedure is costly. A flare of arthritis may also be associated with joint effusion. In such instances, the synovial fluid is aspirated to allow further analysis (e.g. diagnose of gout, septic arthritis) and diagnosis before injecting steroid.
The student will explore the feasibility of developing an instrumented needle (IN), to ultimately allow an improved accuracy of placement. The IN ideally measures tissue impedance and provides a chemical image (concentration of a panel of molecules) of the joint fluid.
The project includes the development of a heterogenous system with sensors and instrumentation microelectronics and their packaging and integration with the needle for in-vitro and in vivo validations. The student will join the interdisciplinary team of the primary supervisor with expertise on microelectronics design and sensor integration and receive guidance from co-supervisor on relevant clinical aspects of the technology and to ensure maximum impact.
Ideal candidate should have relevant education, or past experience in either microelectronics circuit design and/or miniature lab-on-chip biosensors.
Further reading: [1]https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/joint-pain-injections-market-100871 [2]DOI 10.1007/s10067-009-1357-y [3]DOI:10.1016/j.berh.2005.01.009 [4]DOI:10.1038/s41551-019-0350-2