Type-1 diabetes (T1D) is caused by immune-mediated destruction of insulin-producing beta-cells, resulting in insulin deficiency and hyperglycemia. Islet transplantation is a potential treatment for T1D, but clinical implementation is hampered by islet availability and poor islet survival post-transplantation. To overcome these issues, we developed an intravascular multiside hole catheter with an interior polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) bioscaffold capable of housing a cellular cargo. We used computational fluid dynamics to determine an optimized catheter design, which we then fabricated. Using our hybrid PDMS bioscaffold-intravascular catheter, we demonstrated that this platform can successfully maintain in vitro islet function and viability.
Keywords: bioscaffold; catheter; computational fluid dynamics; islet transplantation; pancreatic islets.