Using 3D Printing to Improve Patient Safety

Neuro ICU team invents clip that solves common equipment issue

Patients suffering from things like hydrocephalus or a brain bleed routinely need extra ventricular drains (EVD) placed in their brain to monitor intracranial pressures during their ICU stay. The drain is connected to a transducer, a device that converts the pressure reading into a format the clinical team can analyze and act upon.

“What we found was where the transducer connects with the drain, it becomes loose or disconnected,” said Matthew Jean, RN, Director of the Neurosurgical ICU and Acute Stroke Neurosurgical Stepdown Unit at Henry Ford Hospital. “For us it’s a very big issue because it opens the system to the environment, which could lead to infection.”

He thought there had to be a way to better secure the transducer.

“My brain instantly went to Legos and how we connect Lego blocks together using round pegs because where the drain connects is a round piece. I thought, ‘maybe we can design something like that.’”

An Email to Henry Ford Innovations

Matthew fired off an email to Henry Ford Innovations (HFI). The response was immediate and positive. They could help.

“It was casual, collaborative,” said Matthew Jean, RN, Director of the Neurosurgical ICU and Acute Stroke Neurosurgical Stepdown Unit at Henry Ford Hospital. “They took the burden of ‘let’s look to see if there’s something already in the field so we aren’t recreating the wheel, is this something we can pursue a patent for?’ It was a really gratifying process.”

Henry Ford Innovations (HFI) was able to make a 3D-printed clip that has worked flawlessly for more than six years. In that time, there has not been a single connection issue between an EVD and transducer. That’s great for patients but it also saves money. If there is a connection failure, the patient has to go through another sterile procedure to replace the expensive drain and transducer.

“If we can reduce or eliminate the need to replace everything, it’s a win, win,” said Matthew Jean, RN, Director of the Neurosurgical ICU and Acute Stroke Neurosurgical Stepdown Unit at Henry Ford Hospital.

Innovation wrapped in innovation by two teams working together – all with the goal to provide the best care to our patients.

Note that our 3D printing services are exclusively available to Henry Ford Health professionals to support surgical planning and patient care. Requests from individuals or organizations outside the HFH system cannot be accommodated.