Manufacturing high quality urinary catheters.
Forty-four percent of hospital patients with indwelling catheters can develop significant bacteriuria within 72 hours of catheterisation. It is, therefore, critical that catheters are manufactured with perfectly smooth surfaces and apertures to reduce the potential for infection. An ultrasonic cutting technology is described here that produces smooth apertures and eliminates problems associated with debris.
GlaxoSmithKline, Harlow, UK. luigi.gmartini@gsk.com
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Profit
D016470:Bacteremia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006801:Humans; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011786:Quality Control; D014546:Urinary Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation*