Project Description:

In critical care environments such as ICUs and catheterization labs, pressure transducers are essential for monitoring real-time blood pressure and cardiac function in over five million patients annually. For these readings to be accurate, the transducer must be leveled to the right atrium. However, clinicians currently rely on a carpenter’s levels, often too short for the task, to perform this task leading them to estimate it by eye. This leads to frequent misalignment, which introduces measurement error that can result in incorrect treatment, delayed patient care, and even loss of transplant eligibility. Our project addresses this gap with a leveling system that improves the accuracy and reproducibility. The system consists of a mechanical laser clip that attaches to the pressure transducer clip and a reference patch that adheres to the patient’s chest over the phlebostatic axis. The clip-mounted laser projects a beam onto the patch, allowing clinicians to precisely align the transducer in real time, even as bed height or patient positioning changes. We tested our prototype in ICUs and catheterization labs and incorporated feedback from nurses and physicians at Emory University Hospital. Results showed time-effectiveness and improved alignment reproducibility across users. This solution offers a low-cost, easy-to-use, and time effective alternative that addresses an under monitored and underestimated error in patient monitoring.