Abstract
Elevated levels of Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] represent an independent, genetically determined causal risk factor for cardiovascular disease and aortic stenosis, affecting approximately 20% of the global human population. Current therapeutic interventions face severe trade-offs: pharmacological antisense oligonucleotides (e.g., Pelacarsen) have demonstrated sub-threshold event reduction in large-scale outcomes trials (Lp(a)HORIZON) due to depth-of-lowering limits (~72–80%), whereas existing apheresis platforms non-selectively deplete all Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) particles via non-specific adsorption. This disclosure details the full bench-scale prototype specifications, fluid dynamics models, electrical schematics, and testing protocols for the GCI-VABC-R+ Research Engine.
The GCI-VABC-R+ integrates Dean-flow secondary inertial focusing, high-frequency Bulk Acoustic Waves (BAW), and real-time Raman spectroscopic feedback to achieve continuous, highly selective removal of Lp(a) (>95% single-pass clearance capacity) directly from anticoagulated whole blood or plasma. By exploiting the hydro-acoustic force differential conferred by the large (~300–800 kDa) highly glycosylated apolipoprotein(a) tail attached to the ApoB-100 core, the device separates Lp(a) ($d \approx 30\text{--}35\text{ nm}$) from standard LDL ($d \approx 20\text{--}24\text{ nm}$) while maintaining blood shear stress below $8.5\text{ Pa}$ to eliminate red blood cell hemolysis and platelet activation.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Caldwell, Michael Victor Mr., "GCI-VABC-R+ Continuous Acoustic-Inertial Bio-Purification Engine", Technical Disclosure Commons, ()
https://www.tdcommons.org/dpubs_series/11697