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