Convection-enhanced delivery (CED) has been proposed as a treatment option for a wide range of neurological diseases. In order to prepare health care professionals for adoption of CED, accessible training models are needed. We describe the use of agarose gel as such a model of the human brain for testing, research, and training.
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Method Article
Image-guided Convection-enhanced Delivery into Agarose Gel Models of the Brain
In This Article
Summary
Abstract
Convection-enhanced delivery (CED) has been proposed as a treatment option for a wide range of neurological diseases. Neuroinfusion catheter CED allows for positive pressure bulk flow to deliver greater quantities of therapeutics to an intracranial target than traditional drug delivery methods. The clinical utility of real time MRI guided CED (rCED) lies in the ability to accurately target, monitor therapy, and identify complications. With training, rCED is efficient and complications may be minimized. The agarose gel model of the brain provides an accessible tool for CED testing, research, and training. Simulated brain rCED allows practice of the mock surgery while also providing visual feedback of the infusion. Analysis of infusion allows for calculation of the distribution fraction (Vd/Vi) allowing the trainee to verify the similarity of the model as compared to human brain tissue. This article describes our agarose gel brain phantom and outlines important metrics during a CED infusion and analysis protocols while addressing common pitfalls faced during CED infusion for the treatment of neurological disease.
Introduction
Convection-enhanced delivery (CED) has been proposed as a treatment option for a broad spectrum of neurological disorders including malignant brain tumors, epilepsy, metabolic disorders, neurodegenerative diseases (such as Parkinson disease)1, stroke, and trauma2. CED employs positive pressure bulk flow for the distribution of a drug or other infusate. CED provides safe, reliable, and homogenous delivery of molecular weight compounds, ranging from low to high, at clinically relevant volumes3. Traditional drug delivery to brain tissue is severely restricted by the blood-brain barrier4. Formed by the tight junctions between en....
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Protocol
1. Preparation of Gel Phantoms and Dye
- Prepare 0.2% agarose gel by dissolving 2 g of 0.1% agarose powder in 1,000 ml of deionized water. Stir the solution for approximately 1 min to insure proper mixing; and immediately microwave the solution in 3 min intervals for 9 min or until clear, stirring between intervals.
- While the agarose gel is liquid, pour the solution into 5 cm x 5 cm x 5 cm containers. Allow space at the top of the container to add water and allow the agarose gel to cool and settle.
- Once the agarose gel has solidified (approximately 1-2 hr), add 1 cm of water to the top of the gel and refrigerate. It is best to use the gel....
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Results
Interpreting and analyzing CED infusions involve several important factors such as distribution fraction and infusate reflux. The distribution fraction calculation depends heavily upon the calculation of the Vd. Therefore accurate interpretation of the MR images is critical. We propose a semi-automated method for reliably reproducing these measurements as listed above. These methods objectively determine the cross sectional area of the infusate cloud and an approximate radius. While variable, in agarose gel the infusion .......
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Discussion
The critical steps for ensuring the success of the infusion are: purging the infusion line of air, mixing the agarose gel, analyzing the MR data, using small inner catheter diameters, using stepped catheter designs to minimize backflow, and minimizing the pressure felt by the gel or tissue into which the drug is being infused. As previously stated, the main detriment to the success of the infusion is infusion line air. Correctly and thoroughly purging the infusion line of air is critical to ensure no air enters the infus.......
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Disclosures
The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the staff from the MRI facilities at the Semmes-Murphey Clinic, Memphis, Tennessee as well as the Neurosurgical department at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, Tennessee.
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Materials
| Name | Company | Catalog Number | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prohance | Bracco | Gadoteridol radio contrast media | |
| Bromophenol blue dye | Biorad | 161-0404 | Dye for infusate visualization |
| Agarose gel powder | Biorad | 161-3101EDU | Agarose powder for creating gels |
| Medrad Veris MR Vital Signs Monitor | Medrad | MR safe infusion pressure monitor | |
| 16 G SmartFlow Catheter | SurgiVision | Infusion catheter | |
| Medrad Continuum MR Infusion System | Medrad | MR safe infusion pump | |
| SMART Frame MRI Guided trajectory frame | ClearPoint | Infusion catheter frame | |
| Osirix imaging software and DICOM Viewer | Osirix Imaging Software | OsiriX 32-bit DICOM Viewer |
References
- Miranpuri, G. S., et al. Gene-based therapy of Parkinson's Disease: Translation from animal model to human clinical trial employing convection enhanced delivery. Annals of Neurosciences. 19, 133-146 (2012).
- Sillay, K., Hinchman, A., Akture, E., Salamat, S., Miranpuri, G., Williams, J., Berndt, D.
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