Project Description: 

Central Venous Catheter (CVC) insertion is a surgical process frequently performed in the ICU for delivery of large doses of medicine within short periods of time. CVC is mainly used by ICU nurses and surgeons, and is inserted into one of three veins: subclavian, jugular, or femoral. Infection possibility is associated with insertion site and duration of surgery, and could increase due to complexity of the procedure and repeated attempts. Central line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) occur 250,000 times annually in the United States and can cost hospitals more than $70 million in extra patient care for its treatment. CathEase, an innovative system designed to reduce the risk of CLABSI, includes three key parts: a syringe handle, a connector for single handed guidewire insertion, and a peel away dilator pre-attached to the catheter. They function reciprocally to ensure simplicity, single-hand use, and precision during the CVC insertion process. CathEase reduces 3 steps within the main surgical procedure, enabling CVC insertion to be completed within 9 steps in comparison to the original procedure, which requires 12 steps. Meanwhile, CathEase allows single-hand operation during critical steps, which enables simultaneous sonogram monitoring and promotes CVC insertion precision. As a novel CVC insertion system, CathEase seeks to reduce the incident rate of CLABSI by decreasing the number of attempts before proper insertion while streamlining the process. The functionality of CathEase has been verified through mechanical testing and qualification measurements.