18 Mar New ThoraXS Device Rapidly Decompresses Pneumothorax
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Ariel Drori
Dr. Ariel Drori MD
Hadassah Medical Center
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for the ThoraXS device?
Dr. Drori: The initial recognition of the need for a device like ThoraXS first came to me on an operational deployment during my reserve service where I serve as a military doctor. While serving on the Gazan border, I was called to a battle scene to treat a soldier who was suffering from pneumothorax after being shot in the chest. A quick evacuation by helicopter meant that I didn’t have the time to perform the entire procedure and I was forced to hand over a partially-treated patient whose condition was unstable.
The reality of constant combat injuries mixed with a rising number of daily civilian terror attack casualties led us to understand that we need to provide a cheap, easy to use, robust and reliable solution that on the one hand can withstand the most extreme combat conditions and on the other, be used by any paramedic and in any pre-hospital and hospital setting.
This line of thought eventually led to the adoption of ThoraXS’s simple yet sophisticated mechanical mechanism that ticks all the boxes.
MedicalResearch.com: Would you briefly explain to our readers what a Pneumothorax is and why it is a life threatening condition?
Dr. Drori: Pneumothorax (or hemothorax) is a medical emergency characterized by air (or blood) that accumulates between the lungs and the chest wall, within the pleural cavity. The accumulation of air (or blood) may cause the lung to collapse and compromise cardiac output, causing respiratory failure, shock and eventually death.
MedicalResearch.com: How does the ThoraXS device differ from traditional chest tube placement?
Dr. Drori: The current procedure involves two steps: a fast needle decompression of the thorax followed by a 10-minute procedure to insert a 1 cm-diameter chest tube, in order to achieve successful decompression and drainage. This procedure is relatively easy to perform in an optimal environment (such as the operating room), but is a difficult and time-consuming procedure in sub-optimal conditions, such as the battlefield or or an accident scene.
ThoraXS is a one-handed thoracic portal opener, which shortens the chest tube insertion time to less than 30 seconds. ThoraXS allows for a fast penetration into the pleural space and its unique mechanism enables a rapid and easy opening of a portal through which the chest tube can be inserted.
MedicalResearch.com: Why would it be valuable in a pneumothorax emergency?
Dr. Drori: Using our device, the ThoraXS, will allow caregivers in the field (military doctors and paramedics) to perform this life-saving procedure quickly and easily, without delaying a rapid evacuation to a medical facility. Saving time can save lives.
MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
Dr. Drori: Sometimes, a complicated problem can be solved with a simple solution.
MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Dr. Drori: Currently, we are looking for an investor who is willing to accompany us on our quest to develop the ThoraXS, and help us save lives.
Comment by: Yaakov Nahmias, Director of the Hebrew University’s Alexander Grass Center for Bioengineering
Necessity is often described as the mother of invention. The violence over the last decade forced Israeli physicians to focus their attention on emergency medicine as they race to save wounded Israeli civilians, Palestinian casualties, as well as Syrian refugees. Combined with the Israeli entrepreneurial spirit, this focus made Israel a dominant force in the medical device sector.
Personally, I believe that we always have a choice of being constructive or destructive when responding to a challenge. At the Hebrew University BioDesign program we strive to create a better world, and we do this by creating solutions that save lives.
MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.
Citation: Press Release
ThoraXS for Treating Collapsed Lungs in About a Minute
Note: Content is Not intended as medical advice. Please consult your health care provider regarding your specific medical condition and questions.
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Last Updated on March 18, 2016 by Marie Benz MD FAAD