ABOUT OUR PRODUCT
Ultrasound-Guided Injection System
Peripheral nerve blocks are being performed with increasing frequency by anesthesiologists in both inpatient and outpatient surgical settings. These injections have multiple benefits, including decreased anesthetic requirement and associated risks, decreased postoperative narcotic requirements and associated risks, improvement in postoperative pain, improvement in postoperative mental status, decreased nausea and improved bowel function during recovery, easier participation with physical therapy, and better overall patient satisfaction. Yet, one of many caveats to performing peripheral nerve blocks effectively is the requirement of two participants. This is because a modern peripheral nerve block utilizes ultrasound guidance. They are accomplished by first placing an ultrasound probe over the target nerve to be blocked. Once the nerve is visualized on the ultrasound display monitor, the anesthesiologist inserts a needle under the ultrasound probe and observes it on the screen. Holding the ultrasound probe in one hand and the needle in the other, the anesthesiologist guides the needle tip towards the target nerve. The needle is connected through tubing to a syringe that an assistant holds. When the needle is adjacent to the target nerve, the anesthesiologist asks the assistant to aspirate (pull back on the syringe), confirms there is no blood in the tubing (indicating the needle tip is not in a blood vessel), and then asks the assistant to inject (push forward on the syringe), bathing the target nerve in local anesthetic. Therefore, every patient requiring a peripheral nerve block consumes the time of two medical providers. In addition, another weakness of this current system is the anesthesiologist relies on what their assistant is “feeling” when they aspirate or inject. This information serves as data vital to the physician, as resistance when injecting may indicate an injection directly into the nerve (intraneural injection), a dangerous event that must always be avoided. Additionally, even if the anesthesiologist could “feel” the syringe resistance and even in the hands of an experienced assistant, this method is subjective and does not always predict intraneural injection.
At AnesTech, we developed, prototyped, and successfully tested a solution. It consists of an ergonomic system that is lightweight and exceedingly mobile. It allows anesthesiologists to perform peripheral nerve blocks independently, in a safer, more efficient manner than the currently utilized method. Detailed description of our system can be found in US Patent Number 10,441,713. For further information or to request a meeting please contact us at dfeldman@anestechllc.com
