Infection Prevention Urinary Catheter

The goal of the project is to design and develop a urinary catheter that can reliably reduce the incidence of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTIs).

=Problem Definition=

Background
Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTI)
 * CAUTIs are the most common type of nosocomial (hospital-related) infection. About 23% of patients in US hospitals require the use of a urinary catheter. The risk of acquiring a CAUTI increases by about 3-7% each day that an indwelling urinary catheter remains inside the patient.

Value Proposition

 * Currently, in the medical field CAUTIs are perceived as an inevitable illness. Team Infection protection focuses on CAUTI prevention to give patients and healthcare workers peace of mind.

Deliverable

 * Develop a catheter design that will reduce bacterial growth and build-up within the urinary tract. The design must be manufacturable on a large scale basis, and it must be adaptable in size.

Specifications
=Design Considerations=

=Project Learning=

Understanding the Root Cause of Infection

 * While using a catheter, a patient will become more susceptible to bacteria encroachment. The body has a natural defense
 * to UTIs through recurrent urination throughout the day. A catheter inhibits the flow of urine in direct contact the urethra.
 * Instead, urine flows intraluminally through the waste channel, and the urethra is left stagnant.


 * The anatomy of the human body leads to heightened risks of infection. Escherichia coli (E. coli) is the most common type
 * of bacteria that causes UTIs. The E. coli typically migrates from the anal cavity to the external urethral orifice (opening).
 * Once the bacteria has entered the urinary tract, it can spread all throughout the urethra to the bladder, and if not treated,
 * into the bloodstream.

Early Prototyping Methods
=Chosen Design= {| ! scope="col" width="width:30em;" | ! scope="col" width="width:20em;" |

Composition

 * This design features 3 ports and 3 distinct channels. The largest channel
 * is for waste drainage. The remaining two channels are the same size, with
 * one being for the balloon anchor, and the other for urethra irrigation.The
 * outer profile of the catheter includes a spiral to create space within the
 * urethra.


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How It Works

 * The catheter was designed to bio-mimic the natural bodily function, urination.
 * To do so, the design allows for an irrigation solution to be injected into the
 * appropriate irrigation port. The flushing solution travels through the
 * catheter tube up to the base of the balloon, where the fluid is released to the
 * urethra. The fluid then spirals down and out of the urinary tract, while
 * establishing contact with the maximum urethral tissue surface area.


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=Validation=

Manufacturability


=Team Members=

=Additional Documentation=

Project Schedule



Meeting Agenda



Meeting Minutes



Presentations



Budget