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Published on: November 9, 2016
A novel device for the clearance and prevention of blockages within biomedical catheters
Richard Fox1, Jonathan Norton2
1Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Insights
Vibration therapy effectively clears blockages in biomedical catheters, preventing fatal occlusions and reducing re-operation risks. This non-invasive method maintains catheter patency, offering a safe solution for fluid management.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Medical Device Technology
- Fluid Dynamics
Background:
- Biomedical catheters are crucial for fluid management but prone to occlusion by blood or debris.
- Catheter occlusion can lead to severe health consequences, including fatality and costly re-operations.
- Current methods for managing catheter occlusion are often invasive or insufficient.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a reliable model for catheter occlusion in clinical settings.
- To investigate the efficacy of vibration as a method to clear and prevent catheter occlusions.
- To establish optimal vibration parameters for maintaining catheter patency.
Main Methods:
- Developed occlusion models for ventriculo-peritoneal shunt systems and external ventricular drains.
- Applied vibration therapy in the 50-60 Hz frequency range to occluded catheters.
- Tested vibration efficacy under varying concentrations of blood and different application intervals.
Main Results:
- Vibration reliably generated occlusions mimicking clinical scenarios.
- 50-60 Hz vibration successfully cleared complete blockages and maintained catheter patency.
- Intermittent vibration (150s every 30 min) preserved catheter function in high blood concentrations.
Conclusions:
- Vibration therapy presents a safe and non-invasive approach to manage biomedical catheter occlusions.
- The frequency and application interval of vibration can be adjusted based on clinical conditions.
- This method has the potential to significantly improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.
Abstract:
Biomedical catheters are commonly used to move fluids from one part of the body to another, or remove them from the body completely. In some instances, these catheters become occluded due to blood or other debris. Such occlusions may prove fatal or require re-operation with enormous costs and effects on the health-care system and the individual. We developed a model of occlusion in both a ventriculo-peritoneal shut system and en external ventricular drain. Having demonstrated that occlusions can be reliably generated in a manner that resembles the clinical situation we show that vibration can clear the blockages. Vibration in the 50-60 Hz range was able to maintain patency in the catheters or to clear the blockage when the catheter was completely occluded. In high concentrations of blood, 150 s of vibration applied every 30 min was able to maintain the patency of the catheter. Clinically, as the level of blood in the fluid decreases, the time intervals between vibration applications could be increased. We believe that vibration offers a safe, non-invasive method to maintain the patency of biomedical catheters.
