I-Corps: Next Generation Device for Airway Clearance

这一I-Corps的更广泛影响/商业潜力是开发一种用于民用和军用急救人员使用的气道清理医疗设备。 所提出的技术是便携式吸引装置。 气道管理对创伤患者至关重要，气道损伤是战场上潜在生存死亡的第二大原因。有效的便携式抽吸是第一响应者的气道清除的关键组成部分;然而，目前可用的装置要么太重且体积太大而无法携带（例如，电单元）或供电不足（例如，手动驱动）是有用的。许多战斗医务人员和平民急救人员决定不携带抽吸装置，因为它们的功效很差，而且无法证明其套件的重量和空间是合理的。目前，没有一种可用的产品能满足护理大规模伤员的战斗医务人员的功能需求，也没有一种产品具有移动的和敏捷的军事力量所需的稳健设计和后勤考虑。此外，气道清除可能在民用急诊科和重症监护室中具有重要的适用性。拟议的战场准备抽吸套件是专为战斗伤员护理提供者或他们的平民同行。 所提出的技术基于内部流动回路的创新，减少了流动阻力，实现了更高的吸入压力和排空流速。此外，该器械设计为能够在使用过程中以任何物理方向运行。 所提出的内部流动回路还可以允许更轻、更紧凑的设计，与市场上当前的电动便携式抽吸单元相比减小了尺寸和重量，这代表了便携式装置的关键改进。 一个原型已经开发和结果表明，拟议的气道管理设备可能有适用性的创伤患者在急诊科和重症监护病房。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps is the development of a medical device for airway clearance to be used by civilian and military first-responders. The proposed technology is a portable suction device. Airway management is critically important in trauma patients, and airway compromise is the second leading cause of potentially survivable death on the battlefield. Effective portable suction is a key component of airway clearance for first responders; however, currently available devices are either too heavy and bulky to be carried (e.g., electrical units) or insufficiently powered (e.g., manually powered) to be useful. Many combat medics and civilian first responders decide against carrying suction units due to their poor efficacy and cannot justify the weight and space in their kits. Currently, none of the available products meet the functional needs of combat medics caring for massively injured casualties, and none have a robust design and logistical considerations needed by a mobile and agile military force. In addition, airway clearance may have important applicability in civilian emergency departments and intensive care units.This I-Corps project is based on the development of a medical device for airway clearance. The proposed battlefield-ready suction kit is designed for combat casualty care providers or their civilian counterparts. The proposed technology is based on innovations in the interior flow loop that reduce resistance to flow, enabling higher suction pressures and evacuation flowrates. In addition, the device is designed to be capable of operating in any physical orientation during usage. The proposed interior flow loop also may permit a lighter, more compact design, reducing the size and weight as compared with current electrically powered portable suction units on the market, which represents a critical improvement for a portable device. A prototype has been developed and results demonstrate the proposed airway management device may have applicability in trauma patients in emergency departments and intensive care units.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.