Design and Analysis of an Extraction Device for Retracted Catheter Needles for Multiple Reuses on Simulation Manikins

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2018

Abstract

Healthcare students all over the world use IV catheter inserters to study and practice the different techniques of inserting intravenous (IV) catheters used for various intravenous purposes on simulation (practice) manikins. These IV inserters come with needle safeguard mechanisms that cause the inserter needle to retract into a safety barrel, which renders the catheter needle unusable and ready for disposal after only one use. While the use of catheter needles with needle safeguard mechanisms reduces the risk of accidental needle-stick injuries and blood exposure during IV insertions for actual patients, application of such techniques on practice manikins, however, does not present the contamination risks that are addressed by the needle safeguard mechanisms. Nevertheless, despite the potential for reuse of IV catheter inserters into the arm of a manikin rather than an actual patient, the current practice of disposing of each inserter after a single use is proving far too expensive for healthcare educational programs. Not only is the full cost of catheter inserter incurred for each single application of a catheter by a student on a practice manikin, the associated cost of properly disposing of the catheter needle is also incurred. Despite this widespread and unnecessary waste of functional catheter needles in educational environments, however, efforts to address this waste have been minimal. The proposed “Extraction Device for Retracted Catheter Needles” addresses this problem. The device will be used to extract the retracted catheter needles and thus to reset the IV inserters for multiple uses. The device is specifically developed for the use by healthcare programs in the US and worldwide for providing cost effective IV insertion training to students. It will not only save thousands of dollars that are now being spent by these programs on new catheter needles but also will minimize waste.

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