Title: Identifying risk of stent malfunction in biliopancreatic stent patients.

Team: Baden Dense, Nicole Wang, Maya Horenstein, Jianhua Lim

Client: Cardiology – Craig Munroe, MD (UCSF)

Patients with hilar biliary strictures experience chronic narrowing or collapsing of the hilar region of the bile duct. This phenomenon occurs when the bile duct gets smaller or narrower, making it difficult for bile to pass from the liver to the small bowel, causing a buildup of bile. Endoscopic stenting of biliopancreatic stents is the most common standard of care for obstruction of the common bile duct or of the main pancreatic duct. Stents are tubular devices made of plastic or metal that are used to hold open or clear passages in the body. Stents often require removal and replacement due to stent failure and other post-implantation effects, however, stent failures are often difficult to diagnose and monitor.

Our unmet need is centered around a method to detect stent occlusion in vivo in patients with hilar biliary strictures that are treated with biliopancreatic plastic stents to prevent stent restenosis and stent infection