SURGICAL EXPANDING MESH TUBE FOR INTESTINAL LENGTHENING
Implantable Device for Treating Short Bowel Syndrome (SBS)

“Expanding care where it matters most—inside the gut.”

CATEGORY

Medical Devices • Gastrointestinal Surgery • Pediatric & Adult Nutrition Support

OPERATIONAL RELEVANCE

Parenteral nutrition (PN) is often required for trauma survivors and patients undergoing bowel resections, leading to life-altering nutritional deficiencies and long-term dependency. This implantable intestinal expansion sleeve (IES) offers a minimally invasive solution to mechanically stimulate bowel growth and potentially reduce or eliminate the need for lifelong PN. The device is designed to support recovery in austere environments, critical care settings, and post-operative scenarios.

TECHNOLOGY SUMMARY

The device consists of a porous mesh sleeve implanted along a section of the small intestine and anchored with absorbable sutures. It exerts a gentle, consistent force that gradually expands intestinal length. Once the desired growth is achieved, the sutures dissolve, allowing the device to pass naturally. A 30% increase in intestinal length was demonstrated in a preclinical rabbit model.

MILITARY-ALIGNED BENEFITS

• Enhances recovery options for warfighters with traumatic bowel loss
• Reduces dependency on PN in deployed or resource-limited environments
• Simplifies post-surgical follow-up through suture-free removal
• Offers scalable application from military medicine to VA and civilian trauma centers

USE SCENARIOS

• Combat casualty recovery requiring bowel resection
• Pediatric or adult SBS treatment where transplantation is not viable
• Rehabilitation protocols in VA or DoD medical facilities
• Comparative trials against STEP/Bianchi procedures in trauma surgery research

TECHNOLOGY READINESS & IP

• Disclosure: LSUHSC-S-2021-030
• Patent-pending; provisional application filed
• TRL 3: Early proof of concept demonstrated in Sprague Dawley rat studies
• Seeking partners for large animal studies, regulatory consultation, and clinical-grade prototyping

Collaboration Opportunity

We are seeking partners to:

•  Co-develop and test large animal models
• Prepare for clinical-grade prototyping and regulatory engagement
• Collaborate on grant or SBIR/STTR submissions
• Advance translational studies for SBS and trauma-induced gut loss