Preliminary Development and Engineering Evaluation of a Novel Jason P. Carey1 e-mail:
[email protected] Cricothyrotomy Device Morgan Gwin Cricothyrotomy is one of the procedures used to ventilate patients with upper airway Andrew Kan blockage. This paper examines the most regularly used and preferred cricothyrotomy devices on the market, suggests critical design specifications for improving cricothyro- Roger Toogood tomy devices, introduces a new cricothyrotomy device, and performs an engineering evaluation of the device’s critical components. Through a review of literature, manufac- turer products, and patents, four principal cricothyrotomy devices currently in clinical Department of Mechanical Engineering, Downloaded from http://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/medicaldevices/article-pdf/4/3/031009/5678925/031009_1.pdf by guest on 24 September 2021 University of Alberta, Edmonton, AL, T6G 2G8, use were identified. From the review, the Cook™ Melker device is the preferred method of Canada clinicians but the device has acknowledged problems. A new emergency needle cricothy- rotomy device (ENCD) was developed to address all design specifications identified in literature. Engineering, theoretical, and experimental assessments were performed. In Barry Finegan situ evaluations of a prototype of the new device using porcine specimens to assess Department of Anesthesiology and Pain insertion, extraction, and cyclic force capabilities were performed. The device was very Medicine, successful in its evaluation. Further discussion focuses on these aspects and a compari- University of Alberta, son of the new device with established devices. The proposed emergency needle crico- 8-120 Clinical Sciences Building, thyrotomy device performed very well. Further work will be pursued in the future with Edmonton, AB, Canada, T6G 2G3 in-vitro and in-vivo with canine models demonstrates the capabilities of the ENCD.