Breakthrough for Endotracheal & Tracheostomy Tubes

IDC (Industrial Design Consultancy) has just completed a groundbreaking medical design project to produce the LMA LoTrach™ Cuff Pressure Controller for Endotracheal and Tracheostomy tubes. Designed for Venner Trading (Singapore) Pte Ltd to work with LMA LoTrach™ Endotracheal and Tracheostomy tubes, the system is set to help save the lives of many critical care patients by preventing VAP (Ventilator Associated Pneumonia).

Currently Endotracheal and Tracheostomy tubes include an inflatable cuff that is designed to seal against a patients’ trachea when they are ventilated and should prevent fluids entering into the lungs of patients, causing potentially fatal infections such as pneumonia. To date, these cuff devices have only provided a partial seal that can allow secretions to pass down to the lungs.

IDC’s task was to upgrade and design a robust new Cuff Pressure Controller (CPC) based on an existing prototype. The CPC was required to monitor and control inflation pressure within the sealing cuff to ensure effective sealing without causing patient discomfort or damage. The resulting design of the LMA LoTrach™ Cuff Pressure Controller is so effective that the LMA LoTrach™ tube system can be used for up to 30 days. With mains and battery power to the system, the CPC can also be used during patient transfer. Trials have already proved how effective the product is and critical care patients should reap the benefits of the system with a reduction in lung infections and VAP.

IDC was originally selected to redesign the housing, manage modelling and tooling elements of the project. However, Venner soon recognised IDC’s expertise with ‘on-tap’ resources and facilities, and gave full project management responsibility to IDC. The fact that IDC’s designers, engineers and project management were all based under one roof meant that the original timescales were cut, as activities could be coordinated quickly and efficiently.

Being equipment for the critical care unit, IDC had to ensure that the product was small enough to fit alongside multiple other instruments, while being easy to read, simple to operate and meeting medical compliance to BS EN 60601. IDC effectively managed across continents and to tight timescales, with Venner’s project manager in Singapore, the manufacturer in Germany and components sourced from around the world.