Plastic example: a new device will make breast reconstruction safer
Russian scientists have developed the country's first autonomous auto-injector that will help surgeons repair mammary glands after removal due to cancer. The compact device allows the patient's own adipose tissue to be injected with high accuracy and uniformity, controlling the rate of its delivery. The development has already passed preclinical trials and in the future can make reconstructive surgeries more predictable, reduce the risk of complications and improve the quality of life of women, oncologists told Izvestia. At the same time, the technology must undergo a full test cycle, experts noted.
An auto-injector for breast reconstruction
NUST MISIS scientists, together with specialists from the 3D Bioprinting Solutions Laboratory and the Loginov Moscow Clinical Research and Practice Center, have created Russia's first autonomous device for the precise injection of biomaterials, including adipose tissue, for reconstructive and plastic surgery. One of the key applications of the device is reconstructive surgery after mastectomy, that is, surgery to remove the entire breast or part of it.
— When restoring the shape of the mammary glands, the patient's own adipose tissue can be used. It must be administered in small portions and evenly distributed in the desired area. The injector allows you to set the feed rate and maintain it during the entire procedure, which increases the accuracy and uniformity of the injection of the material," Timur Aydemir, senior researcher at the NUST MISIS Laboratory of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, told Izvestia.
Injector developers from NUST MISIS, 3D Bioprinting Solutions of the A. S. Loginov International Scientific Research Center
An auto—injector is a compact device that a doctor can hold in one hand. Unlike stationary equipment, it does not require connection to a 220 V network, installation on a special rack and the use of supply and discharge tubes. Thanks to this, the specialist can freely change the position of the device and work from different angles without taking up additional space in the operating field.
The built-in electronic system is responsible for feed control. One charge lasts for eight hours. Software algorithms automatically adjust the operating mode of the drive, allowing you to maintain smooth feeding even with high viscosity of the material.
Breast reconstruction after mastectomy requires jewelry precision from a surgeon, said Evgeny Shivilov, oncologist, mammologist at the Department of Clinical Mammology and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery of the mammary Gland at the A.S. Loginov International Research Center. The autoinjector allows you to inject the patient's own adipose tissue in small portions, evenly and at a set speed. The procedure becomes more predictable and comfortable, and the surgeon gets precise control over the process.
"Thanks to this project, a real tool appears in clinical practice that will reduce the risks of complications and help women return to their usual lives sooner and improve their quality of life," he said.
Prospects of using the new device in medicine
According to Alevtina Chernikova, Rector of MISIS University, materials and technologies in the field of biomedical engineering developed by university scientists within the framework of the Priority 2030 state program are being successfully implemented in medical practice, and the new auto–injector has already successfully passed preclinical tests.
In addition to reconstructive surgery, the auto-injector can be used in plastic surgery, said Yusef Hesuani, General Director of the 3D Bioprinting Solutions laboratory.
— For example, it can be used for the introduction of liquid—phase corrective formulations, and in the emergency room, intensive care unit, and intensive care unit - for the precise administration of drugs, including highly viscous media. The device's autonomy is especially important in situations where access to stationary equipment or the power grid is limited," he said.
To date, there has been an increase in the incidence of breast cancer, said Oleg Kaganov, Head of the Department of Oncology, Radiation Diagnostics and Radiation Therapy at Samara State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Professor, chief freelance oncologist at the Ministry of Health of the Samara Region.
— An important area for this group of patients is complex treatment, which includes organ—preserving operations. And the reconstructive stage is one of the important stages in this area. In this regard, we can say that the proposed methodology is promising. It can lead not only to an improvement in long-term outcomes, but also to an improvement in the quality of life of cancer patients. This indicator is now one of the main ones in oncology," said the doctor.
Transplantation of one's own adipose tissue, or lipofilling, has long been used in breast reconstruction after mastectomy. The result largely depends on the technique, Lyudmila Bystritskaya, a specialist in biomaterials and tissue engineering at NTI Healthnet, told Izvestia.
— Today, the surgeon does this manually, and the result depends on his experience and even fatigue by the end of a long operation. A device with a preset feed rate can make the procedure more stable and predictable, and autonomy and one—handed operation add convenience to the operating room," she noted.
However, it will be possible to talk about the benefits for patients after clinical trials. They should show how much better adipose tissue takes root, whether the number of complications and repeated interventions is reduced compared with manual administration. There is also the registration of a medical device ahead and, importantly for implementation, an understandable cost for clinics.
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