June 9, 2021
Every newborn on a ventilator can now be better protected, thanks to technology that helps prevent a common breathing tube incident
Note to journalists: High-resolution photos of George Wodicka and the SonarMed
TM Airway Monitoring System are available via Google Drive. Journalists visiting campus should follow visitor health guidelines.
In 1990, Purdue University professor George Wodicka conceived of a medical device that gives clinicians vital information to make more informed, life-saving decisions for their smallest patients. (Purdue University photo/John Underwood)
After 30 years of development, a medical device designed to continuously monitor the airways of the tiniest ventilated patients could become the standard of care for babies worldwide
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IMAGE: In 1990, Purdue University professor George Wodicka conceived of a medical device that gives clinicians vital information to make more informed, life-saving decisions for their smallest patients. view more
Credit: Purdue University photo/John Underwood
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. If a newborn is moved or becomes agitated while on a ventilator, the breathing tube also could move. Just a few seconds with the tube in the wrong position might lead to a critical lack of oxygen to the brain, possibly resulting in lifelong disability or brain damage or even ending the baby s life.
The incident is far too common. Unplanned extubation - when a breathing tube accidentally becomes dislodged from the trachea - affects 75,000, or about one in five, newborns on ventilators each year, an analysis by Premier Data Services found. A medical device born out of Purdue University could save these babies lives by helping to keep their breathing tubes at the correct depth.
A sticky subject: Studying shellfish for advanced adhesives
Note to journalists: Photos of the scientist and shellfish are available via Google Drive. Journalists visiting campus should follow visitor health guidelines.
Jonathan Wilker, A Purdue professor of chemistry, studies shellfish to develop adhesives that are more sustainable and stronger, and work in a wider range of environments than current adhesives. (Purdue University photo/Rebecca McElhoe)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Don’t look now, but you’re surrounded. Really. Within arm’s reach – probably even touching you – are troublesome, sticky, potentially even toxic, substances. Bad for the planet, permanent, maybe even bad for your health. They’re in your shoes, in your phone, in your laptop, lurking in the folds of envelopes, on books, in the chair you’re sitting in, the flooring beneath your feet, and in uncountable other objects in your house, office and everyday world.
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IMAGE: Wilker notes that not everyone in his lab has a chemistry degree; some of the lab members are shellfish about 1,000 of them to be exact. The shellfish play. view more
Credit: Purdue University photo/Rebecca McElhoe
Don t look now, but you re surrounded. Really. Within arm s reach - probably even touching you - are troublesome, sticky, potentially even toxic, substances. Bad for the planet, permanent, maybe even bad for your health. They re in your shoes, in your phone, in your laptop, lurking in the folds of envelopes, on books, in the chair you re sitting in, the flooring beneath your feet, and in uncountable other objects in your house, office and everyday world.