Team 30

Aspire Medical: Improving Tracheostomy Stability and Recovery

Team Members:
Madilyn Bray
Quincy Lyons
Taylor Pennington
Gabriel De La Rocha

Team Mentors:
Ms. Sara Belko, MS - Thomas Jefferson University

Dr. Brent Vernon, PhD - Arizona State University, SBHSE

YouTube Link:
View the video link below before joining the zoom meeting

Zoom Link:
https://asu.zoom.us/j/87380987551


Abstract

A tracheostomy is a surgical procedure that is performed when the usual route of breathing is blocked or reduced. Surgeons create a hole through the neck and into the trachea, called the stoma, and a tracheostomy (trach) tube is inserted into the incision that runs down the trachea to provide an airway. Patients with trach tubes are often compromised and ill due to associated complications that create discomfort and irritation- often leading to bacterial tracheostomy-associated respiratory tract infections (bTARTIs). These types of infections occur in over half of patients in the ICU, and patients are at higher risk early after the procedure. The high occurrence of these potentially preventable complications calls for a simple solution to inhibit bacterial growth at the surgical site using wound-healing applications to lower the incidence of resulting irritation and infections. The concept for such a solution is an add-on component to reduce bTARTIs through the prevention of bacteria growth at the surgical site and optimizing the healing environment at the stoma. This component resides in the form of an adhesive, PVA hydrogel developed to enable a stable tube attachment and release silver nanoparticles to prevent bacterial growth. By fabricating the material to possess antimicrobial properties, the growth of bacteria strains most common in infected patient respiratory cultures, P. aeruginosa and S. aerus, can be prevented to facilitate the healing process after the procedure. These features construct a mechanical barrier between the surgical site and inpatient environment to lower infections that develop after over 50% of tracheostomy procedures. The hydrogel is sized to different patients and holds minimal toxicology risk by containing the lowest silver concentration needed to effectively carry out the target effects. By preventing these complications, additional expenses and cost burdens can be alleviated for patients who undergo a tracheostomy procedure. The global tracheostomy market size is expected to continue to grow, increasing to 199.3 million USD by 2025. The quantification and integration of novel, biomaterial features gives this product high potential to be competitive within this market segment.