Team 20

Weks Biomedical: Mechanically Controlled Catheter for Targeted Intracavitary Brachytherapy

Team Members: William Anderson, Evan Bann, Suleica Garcia, Kathryn Smith - SBHSE

Team Mentors: Eric Nguyen - Creighton University School of Medicine
Dr. Shyamal Patel, MD - University of Arizona Cancer Center at Dignity Health

YouTube Link: View the video link below before joining the zoom meeting

Zoom Link: https://asu.zoom.us/j/93904546847

Abstract

Weks Biomedical’s goal is to bring our specialized CT/MR-compatible brachytherapy applicator, known as the Weks Applicator, to market. The Weks Applicator contains a mechanically maneuverable radiation channel with rotational capabilities that will accurately treat endometrial cancer while minimizing the dose of radiation that hits healthy surrounding tissues. Unlike the one-dimensional brachytherapy applicators that are currently available in the market, the Weks Applicator offers many advantages.It is the first CT/MR compatible brachytherapy applicator that has bidirectional movement via a pulley system as well as rotational capabilities. These advantages will give oncologists a level of precision that has never been available for intracavitary brachytherapy treatments and could potentially reduce treatment times in patients. The design of experiment (DOE) was implemented to test the degrees of movement of our device, the speed of movement of our device, the rotational capabilities of our device, and the ability of our device to withstand heat. The results of our DOE indicate that the Weks Applicator is adequately able to bend and rotate and it moves at a reasonable speed. Additionally, the DOE results show that the Weks Applicator will not be adversely affected by radiation or the heat caused by the radiation. In order to receive FDA clearance for the Weks Applicator, Weks Biomedical will be filing a 510(k) premarket notification showing that the Weks Applicator is substantially equivalent to other similar legally marketed devices.

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