This device holds an intravascular catheter and sheath in position relative to one another to prevent catheter movement during medication infusion. The global catheter securement devices market will reach $1.9 billion by 2025. When patients present with an acute blood clot formation in their vascular system, doctors place a catheter to infuse thrombolytic medication slowly into the occluded blood vessel to dissolve blood clots. A slow infusion of the medication reduces the risk of life-threatening bleeding. This thrombolysis therapy can take anywhere from 2 to 24 hours and requires precise positioning of the catheter throughout the procedure. The most common cause of catheter dislodgement is movement at the junction of the catheter and vascular sheath at the vascular access site of the patient. To prevent the catheter from moving, surgeons often suture or tape the catheter and sheath together and then fasten them to the patient. This practice, however, is often ineffective. It allows movement and increases the risk of a needle-stick injury to the physician.
Researchers at the University of Florida have developed a device that locks a catheter and vascular sheath in place relative to one another. This clamshell case decreases the time it takes to secure the catheter’s position, decreases the needle-stick risk, and ensures medication flows without interruption.
Device that secures and stabilizes a sheath and catheter together during vascular medication infusion
This plastic case fits the sheath and catheter perfectly. The case closes by a rotating hinge and clips in place by a locking snap mechanism. The case preserves access to the side port and catheter but does not allow the sheath or catheter to move relative to one another, thus maintaining the catheter’s precise positioning in a blood vessel. An adhesive at the bottom of the clamp allows the case to stick to a patient’s skin. These cases can come packed with existing catheters.