Researchers break medical ground

published by Asianpost on Tue, 04/15/2008 - 16:34

The British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) is making medical history on infant medical care. In response to the 2003 accidental strangulation of an infant in an Alberta hospital, BC Children’s Hospital contracted with the BCIT Technology Centre to develop a solution.



In partnership with the Provincial Health Services Authority, BCIT’s response was to invent the IV Infant Safety Vest. Referred to as a vest because of its lightweight material, the device is worn by the infant while they are hooked up to medical tubing. A non-slip fabric channel on the garment holds the tubings and channels them away from the patient’s neck area, thus reducing the risk of strangulation.


“We are currently finalizing the design and building prototypes with materials suitable for use on babies in hospitals,” says project leader Judy Findlay. “The prototypes will be thoroughly evaluated against all our design requirements and tested by users, first in the BCIT Living Lab simulated environment before being used in the actual hospital setting.”


While a commercial manufacturer is yet to be determined, BCIT’s Applied Research Liaison Office (ARLO), hopes to transfer the design to a medical device manufacturer who will licence the invention and distribute it to the market.


“It is horrible to think about, but babies can get tangled in their medical tubing and sometimes there is a tragic outcome,” says Findlay. “Our invention will help prevent this by giving nurses a safe, effective, easy-to-use device that keeps the tubing away from the baby’s neck. Our goal is to have this invention become a commercial product and benefit the health care industry here in B.C. and around the world.”


Teams of researchers at BCIT focus on medical and assistive device development and evaluation. Projects conducted range from the design and fabrication of clinical-ready devices to the evaluation of commercial products. ARLO has been established to provide a wide range of support services and guidance to BCIT faculty.


For further information, visit www.bcit.ca/appliedresearch or call 604.456.1032.

 
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