Triangle

 

Designing a cannula cover which tracks potential infection and corresponding visual aid devices for medical staff.

 

Isabella Robinson

Hello, I'm Issy and for my Meng major project I created IVY, a cannula cover which tracks potential infection and corresponding visual aid devices for medical staff. I chose to create a medical device for my major project due to previous work experience in a medical design company in Melbourne, Australia.

Isabella Robinson, MEng Product Design and Manufacture 

 
 

 

IVY

The project consists of three products, one product centred around patient care, the cannula cover and two products used by medical professionals to track potential infections caused by the cannula at the insertion sites. The main goals of this project were to increase patient safety and comfort whilst bearing in mind the impact on hospital staff. The cover is placed over inserted cannulas to provide environmental protection, physical and chemical. I prioritised the most common placements the back of the hand and the inside of the elbow, and through iterative modelling created a universally adult sized cover.

To track potential infections the cover is paired with a Bluetooth receiver. The Bluetooth receiver and receiver charging hub are the two products used solely by medical professionals. The receivers are recharged and repaired between uses. The Bluetooth Receiver is attached to the patient's bed be a quick visual aid for attendings and nurses. The cover tracks temperature increase around the insertion sight as this is one of the bodies reactions to a budding infection, if the temperature increases to 38 degrees this is flagged and sent via the Bluetooth pairing to the receiver. This then illuminates providing a clear visual to medical staff for assistance.

The cannula circuity is basic and easily encapsulated in the silicon base. NTC thermistors measure the temperature of the skin. As the temperature increases the resistances decreases, at the resistance reading to 38 °C, the Bluetooth chip is activated and send out the turn on light signal to the receiver.

Ivy cannula cover
 

 

Design work

 

 

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