Motion-activated prevention of clogging and maintenance of patency of indwelling chest tubes.
OBJECTIVE
We designed a device that applies motion-activated energy (vibration) to prevent chest-tube clogging and maintain tube patency. We evaluated the efficacy of this device in vitro and in vivo.


METHODS
The motion-activated system (MAS) device assembly comprises a direct current motor with an eccentric mass (3.2 g, centroid radius of 4.53 mm) affixed to its motor shaft. The device was tested in vitro using a model of an obstructed chest tube, with clots of bovine blood and human thrombin. The in vivo study (in nine healthy pigs, 46.0 ± 3.3 kg) involved a bilateral minithoracotomy and placement of 32-Fr chest tubes (with and without the device). Whole autologous blood (120 ml) was injected every 15 min into the right and left chest each over 120 min total.


RESULTS
Chest-tube drainage over these 2 h using the MAS was significantly higher than that without the device (369 ± 113 ml vs 209 ± 115 ml; P = 0.027).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that the motion-activation of the chest tubes may be an effective tool to maintain chest tubes patent. Further optimization of this technology is required to obtain more consistent prevention of clot deposition within or outside the chest tubes.
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Jamshid H
JH
Karimov
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Raymond
R
Dessoffy
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Mariko
M
Kobayashi
Medical Device Solutions, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
David T
DT
Dudzinski
Medical Device Solutions, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Ryan S
RS
Klatte
Atrial Fibrillation Innovation Center, Global Cardiovascular Innovation Center, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Jacqueline
J
Kattar
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Kaufman Center for Heart Failure, Miller Family Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Nader
N
Moazami
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA fukamak@ccf.org.
Kiyotaka
K
Fukamachi
D000818:Animals; D001777:Blood Coagulation; D002417:Cattle; D015505:Chest Tubes; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004322:Drainage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D004868:Equipment Failure; D006491:Hemothorax / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D013552:Swine; D013908:Thoracotomy; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013997:Time Factors; D014732:Vibration / Q000627:therapeutic use*
Chest; Complications; Haemothorax; Pleural space (drainage; Pneumothorax; Surgery; management)