SmartSleeve: A sutureless, soft robotic epicardial device that enables switchable on-off drug delivery in response to epicardial ECG sensing
Keegan Mendez, Claudia E. Varela, Jean Bonnemain, Jue Deng, Hyunwoo Yuk, Brian Ayers, William Whyte, Xuanhe Zhao, Ellen T. Roche
Abstract
Epicardial drug delivery offers the potential to increase drug concentration at the target site, decrease systemic side effects, and reduce overall drug usage and cost. However, controlled drug delivery to the epicardium remains challenging, limiting exploration as a feasible administration route. Existing epicardial delivery systems lack precise control over drug dosing and responsiveness to local physiological cues. To address these limitations, we present SmartSleeve, a sutureless, soft robotic drug-delivery device that enables switchable on-off drug delivery in response to epicardial electrocardiogram (ECG) sensing. SmartSleeve is composed of an elastomeric soft robotic actuator with self-sealing therapy reservoirs, coupled to an adhesive bioelectronic interface. With SmartSleeve, we demonstrate controlled epicardial delivery of therapeutic agents in response to real-time ECG changes in animal models. SmartSleeve provides a sophisticated platform for studying epicardial drug delivery, with the potential to transform cardiac therapy delivery in clinical applications, including postoperative arrhythmia management and chronic inotropic support.