A novel device for air removal from vascular access line: a bench study

Area of Science:

• Medical Devices
• Vascular Access
• Air Embolism Prevention

Background:

• Efficient air removal from vascular access lines is critical for preventing air embolism.
• Current devices, particularly for rapid infusion, have suboptimal performance.
• There is a need for improved air removal technology in medical infusions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel vascular access line air removal device (VALARD).
• To compare the air removal efficiency and flow interruption of VALARD against the Belmont pump.
• To assess the performance of VALARD under various infusion and air injection rates.

Main Methods:

• Part I: Infusion of saline at 250-750 mL/min with air introduced at 5-15 mL/min, measuring air bubbles >10 µL and flow pause time.
• Part II: Rapid injection of 120 mL air into VALARD at ~500 mL/min, recording air bubbles, flow pause time, and air transit time.
• Comparison between VALARD and Belmont pump performance in air bubble detection and flow interruption.

Main Results:

• VALARD detected no air bubbles >10 µL at any tested flow or air injection rate, without pausing forward flow.
• The Belmont pump allowed air bubbles >10 µL in 60% of tests, often requiring a pause in forward flow.
• VALARD demonstrated efficient air elimination without compromising continuous fluid delivery.

Conclusions:

• The novel VALARD device efficiently removes air from vascular access lines.
• VALARD operates without interrupting forward bulk flow, a significant advantage over existing devices like the Belmont pump.
• Further clinical trials are recommended to validate VALARD's efficiency, safety, and usability in clinical settings.