Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee and UnivLabs Technologies, India, signed a Technology Transfer Agreement and a Memorandum of Association (MOA) for translating research findings into real-world applications.

This relationship enhances the potential for success in developing and commercialising the technology developed by a team of researchers from IIT Roorkee and resources with UnivLabs Technologies, India, stated a press release

The technology is entitled 'A biodegradable polymeric composite with enzymatic degradation for ureteral stent and its methods of preparation' (202411011898).

This patented technology is based on the Ureteral stents, these are often used to maintain fluid drainage from the kidney to the bladder when the ureter is obstructed due to many clinical reasons, such as, kidney stones, tumors, blood clots and post-operative swelling and infection.

They are required to be in place for a maximum of four months in general.

However, the currently used ones being non-degradable, needs a surgery to remove them and are often associated with discomfort leading to pain, urinary tract infection, stent migration, fragmentation of breakage, and very importantly, sedimentation on them, known as encrustation.

Available clinical stents are made up of silicone and polyurethane polymer.

A team of researchers Prof Debrupa Lahiri, Prof Partha Roy, Gunjan Kaushik from IIT Roorkee and Dr Anil Mandhani from Univ Labs and Fortis, Gurugram have developed materials for a total biodegradable stent with required degradation profile and mechanical integrity for an ideal ureteral stent, which will reduce biofilm formation and encrustation, while also ensuring that the stent disappears completely without the need for a second surgery for its removal.