An important follow-up step has been taken in the development of an artificial uterus. The consortium led by Eindhoven researchers working on this groundbreaking innovation has received a European grant of €2.9 million. The artificial womb could ensure the survival of many premature babies.
The idea of the artificial uterus was presented last year during Dutch Design Week and since then virtually the entire medical world has been watching the research. The creation of the innovation is a step closer now that the researchers have been awarded a new €2.9 million grant from EU programme Horizon 2020.
Many premature babies have a much better chance of survival thanks to an artificial uterus mother. In it, the conditions of a real womb are mimicked. A year ago there was only a design, thanks to the grant a working prototype can now be made. The initiators in the European consortium who received the grant are Prof Frans van de Vosse and Prof Loe Feijs of Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) and Prof Guid Oei of Máxima MC (MMC) and TU/e.
An artificial uterus serves as a replacement for the incubator and artificial ventilation. It is much more natural because it is much closer to the natural conditions of a real uterus. "The goal is to use an artificial uterus to help extremely premature babies get through the critical period of 24 to 28 weeks," Guid Oei, a gynaecologist working at MMC and part-time TU/e professor, told me in a press release. Survival rates of babies born this early are small; about half die at 24 weeks of pregnancy. The babies that survive often have lifelong problems with chronic conditions such as brain damage, reduced lung function and/or retinal problems possibly resulting in blindness. "With every day the growth of a 24-week foetus in an artificial womb is extended, the survival rate increases. If we can extend the foetal growth of these children in the artificial uterus to 28 weeks, the risk of premature death is reduced to 15%," says Oei.
Support
"We will start from different technologies to create the artificial uterus," says Frans van de Vosse, professor of Cardiovascular Biomechanics within TU/e's Faculty of Biomedical Engineering and coordinator of the project. "The environment in which premature babies are cared for is fluid-based, just like the natural uterus. In this, therefore, no ventilation with oxygen via the lungs takes place. Oxygen and nutrient exchange takes place through the umbilical cord with the help of an artificial placenta. The system that takes care of this continuously monitors the baby's condition. This includes heart rate and oxygenation, as well as brain and muscle activity. Advanced computer models simulating the baby's condition are used to very quickly support the doctor in decision-making regarding the settings of the artificial uterus."
Industrial Design of Embedded Systems group led by Loe Feijs is also active within the project. They are developing a foetal manikin that can accurately simulate babies born far too early in an intensive care unit. This will allow the artificial gestational mother to be evaluated in a realistic test environment before it will be applied in the clinic.
Further research
"Over the next five years, we will further investigate, test and develop these technologies in a European scientific context to arrive at a first prototype artificial uterus. That is a tremendously beautiful challenge," Oei said. TU/e and MMC are initiators of this European consortium in collaboration with LifeTec Group, Nemo Healthcare, Politecnico di Milano and Universitätsklinikum Aachen. The partners working together in this consortium are experts in all the subfields needed to develop the artificial beard mother. By sharing experience and joining forces, the realisation of the artificial uterus is fast approaching.
Horizon 2020
Horizon 2020 is the largest ever EU research and innovation programme with almost €80 billion of funding available over seven years (2014 to 2020) - in addition to the private investment it will attract. It promises more breakthroughs, discoveries and world firsts by bringing great ideas from the lab to the market.
Source: TU/e/AD.nl
