During surgery, anesthesiologists ensure that a patient remains unconscious during the procedure. They also maintain vital functioning, such as that of the respiratory system. When that patient is an infant or young child, proper maintenance is a delicate balance that demands well-designed tools.
University of Wisconsin pediatric anesthesiologist Lana Volz found herself in the unenviable positions of having to deal with a cumbersome, unreliable respiration apparatus component, known as a wye, during sensitive surgeries at American Family Children’s Hospital.
“For many years I’ve been taking care of children in the operating room and we have this problem with the breathing circuit,” explains Volz, an associate professor of anesthesiology at Wisconsin. “Sometimes, during surgery, the circuit falls apart and can even fall on the floor. When this happens, the baby’s not receiving any oxygen and when babies don’t have enough oxygen, their heart rate can decrease. If they have a slow heart rate, that means they’re not getting enough blood to their brain and this can lead to severe brain damage and even death. So, this is a really serious problem and we only have a few minutes to fix it.”
Faced with an untenable situation, Volz turned to the Biomedical Engineering (BME) Design program at Wisconsin. During the program design sequence, students in this program are tasked with creating workable solutions to unmet medical needs.
Read the full article at: https://btn.com/2020/01/01/wisconsin-students-design-medical-device/