Esophocclude: Making Emergency Care Safer
Aspiration, the flow of gastric contents from the stomach into the lungs, can cause pneumonia and damage of the lungs and sometimes be deadly. Aspiration often occurs in the time between sedation and placement of the breathing tube into a patient. Current solutions to prevent aspiration, such as cricoid pressure, naso-gastric tubes, and gastric-emptying drugs, are unreliable, uncomfortable for the patient, and may have harmful side effects. Esophocclude prevents aspiration by temporarily blocking the esophagus and stopping the flow of gastric content from traveling into the lungs, making it both safer and more efficient.
Description
Esophocclude is a small pill that is attached to a string and swallowed by the patient. The device takes advantage of the natural physiological process of swallowing which ensures that the stent properly goes down into the esophagus. Once the device is swallowed by the conscious patient, the pill deploys and effectively blocks the esophagus. A functional prototype has been developed and has shown promising results in human cadaver and pig testing. Unlike other current methods of preventing aspiration, the Esophocclude device provides a much more comfortable experience for the patient and can be used just minutes before surgery.Applications
· Emergency breathing tube placement for medical and surgical indications· In-patient surgeries
· Out-patient surgeries for patients who forgot, or were unable, to fast
· Surgeries involving patients who are pregnant or who have chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity, elevating their risk of aspiration
Advantages
· More complete protection against aspiration· Can be deployed more quickly compared to other methods
· Less invasive
· Easy to insert and remove