Ultrasound System Guides Spinal Anesthesia Needle
By HospiMedica International staff writers Posted on 17 Jun 2015 |
Image: The Accuro phone-sized ultrasound system (Photo courtesy of Rivanna Medical).
A novel handheld device guides clinicians to perform a successful spinal anesthesia injection into the epidural space.
The Accuro device is an untethered, smart phone-sized ultrasound system that is used to create a three dimensional (3D) volumetric image that can be used to provide navigation to an anatomical target. The self-contained, battery operated device consists of an ultrasound system, an ultrasound probe, and a rotatable touch screen display. The device uses ultrasonic reflections acquired from multiple scans, taken in different planes, to obtain the 3D volume scans needed. The operator only needs one hand to control the device.
Anatomical points of interest are recognized via bone-imaging technology and automated image interpretation and depth measurements, which are displayed within the lower part of the screen. Although the device is indicated for spinal anesthesia needle guidance, and is the first ultrasound system designed specifically for that purpose, the company believes the product can be used in a variety of other applications. The Accuro device is a product of Rivanna Medical (Charlottesville, VA, USA), and has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“We believe it is a disruptive, game-changing device platform technology, given the significant unmet clinical need for automated image guidance in general, and the spinal anesthesia market in particular” said John A. Williams, President and CEO of Rivanna Medical. “Potential future indications for the device include diagnostic imaging for cardiac and abdominal anatomies.”
Spinal anesthesia is a form of regional anesthesia involving injection of a local anesthetic into the subarachnoid space, generally through a fine needle about nine centimeters long; extremely obese patients require longer needles. It differs from epidural anesthesia in at that the injected dose for an epidural is much larger and that while in an epidural, an indwelling catheter may be placed that obviates additional injections later, a spinal is almost always a one-shot procedure. Also, an epidural may be given at a cervical, thoracic, or lumbar site, while a spinal must be injected below L2 to avoid piercing the spinal cord.
Related Links:
Rivanna Medical
The Accuro device is an untethered, smart phone-sized ultrasound system that is used to create a three dimensional (3D) volumetric image that can be used to provide navigation to an anatomical target. The self-contained, battery operated device consists of an ultrasound system, an ultrasound probe, and a rotatable touch screen display. The device uses ultrasonic reflections acquired from multiple scans, taken in different planes, to obtain the 3D volume scans needed. The operator only needs one hand to control the device.
Anatomical points of interest are recognized via bone-imaging technology and automated image interpretation and depth measurements, which are displayed within the lower part of the screen. Although the device is indicated for spinal anesthesia needle guidance, and is the first ultrasound system designed specifically for that purpose, the company believes the product can be used in a variety of other applications. The Accuro device is a product of Rivanna Medical (Charlottesville, VA, USA), and has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“We believe it is a disruptive, game-changing device platform technology, given the significant unmet clinical need for automated image guidance in general, and the spinal anesthesia market in particular” said John A. Williams, President and CEO of Rivanna Medical. “Potential future indications for the device include diagnostic imaging for cardiac and abdominal anatomies.”
Spinal anesthesia is a form of regional anesthesia involving injection of a local anesthetic into the subarachnoid space, generally through a fine needle about nine centimeters long; extremely obese patients require longer needles. It differs from epidural anesthesia in at that the injected dose for an epidural is much larger and that while in an epidural, an indwelling catheter may be placed that obviates additional injections later, a spinal is almost always a one-shot procedure. Also, an epidural may be given at a cervical, thoracic, or lumbar site, while a spinal must be injected below L2 to avoid piercing the spinal cord.
Related Links:
Rivanna Medical
Latest Critical Care News
- Powerful AI Risk Assessment Tool Predicts Outcomes in Heart Failure Patients
- Peptide-Based Hydrogels Repair Damaged Organs and Tissues On-The-Spot
- One-Hour Endoscopic Procedure Could Eliminate Need for Insulin for Type 2 Diabetes
- AI Can Prioritize Emergency Department Patients Requiring Urgent Treatment
- AI to Improve Diagnosis of Atrial Fibrillation
- Stretchable Microneedles to Help In Accurate Tracking of Abnormalities and Identifying Rapid Treatment
- Machine Learning Tool Identifies Rare, Undiagnosed Immune Disorders from Patient EHRs
- On-Skin Wearable Bioelectronic Device Paves Way for Intelligent Implants
- First-Of-Its-Kind Dissolvable Stent to Improve Outcomes for Patients with Severe PAD
- AI Brain-Age Estimation Technology Uses EEG Scans to Screen for Degenerative Diseases
- Wheeze-Counting Wearable Device Monitors Patient's Breathing In Real Time
- Wearable Multiplex Biosensors Could Revolutionize COPD Management
- New Low-Energy Defibrillation Method Controls Cardiac Arrhythmias
- New Machine Learning Models Help Predict Heart Disease Risk in Women
- Deep-Learning Model Predicts Arrhythmia 30 Minutes before Onset
- Breakthrough Technology Combines Detection and Treatment of Nerve-Related Disorders in Single Procedure