EchoNous, a Seattle provider focused on delivering intelligent medical tools, has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance for the EchoNous Vein, an ultrasound-based tool designed specifically for nurses to improve peripheral IV (PIV) catheter placements.
Developed for usage across a wide range of patients including both adults and children, EchoNous Vein provides immediate, clear images at depths from 1 to 5 centimeters for quickly visualizing superficial and deeper veins with just two-button controls. EchoNous Vein will integrate with the company’s existing intelligent medical tool, Uscan, to form the EchoNous platform.
One of the most commonly performed minimally-invasive procedures, peripheral IVs can be challenging due to chronic illness, chemotherapy, obesity and drug abuse; first-attempt IV catheter insertion fails in up to 26 percent of adults and 54 percent of children.1
“Time is critical, especially when patients need an infusion or antibiotic treatment, and finding the right vein can be challenging,” CEO Kevin Goodwin said. “We designed the EchoNous Vein to provide nurses with rapid, clear images of veins to directly improve patient care, satisfaction and HCAHPS scores.
“We wanted to create an easy-to-use tool that would help to reduce failed sticks, as with each failure comes a much higher risk of vessel trauma or infections which can lead to longer stays in hospital and higher medical costs.”
Early feedback from healthcare providers has shown the EchoNous Vein’s unique frequency profile and optimized gain and depth presets have the potential to provide significant advancements in evaluating veins of pediatric patients – a traditionally challenging patient population for IV insertion.
Nancy Moureau, RN, PhD, CEO of PICC Excellence Inc. praised the controls.
“EchoNous Vein’s simple on-screen controls allows clinicians using ultrasound to clearly identify veins in the center of the display, helping to not just locate veins, but to evaluate their health and quality prior to peripheral IV placement,” Moureau said.
“As clinicians we know that IV insertion selecting a healthy vein for catheter placement can help to reduce the chance of post insertional complications. To have a tool specifically designed to easily select veins and guide catheter placement is extremely valuable as we’re always looking to improve the patient experience.”
In addition to launching the new vascular access tool, the company also announced its plan to converge its Signostics brand and AI-driven Uscan bladder scanner product under the single EchoNous brand.
Goodwin said the Signostics brand served as the ompany’s entry point into the U.S. healthcare market, centered on the success of its AI-driven bladder volume measurement tool that combines machine learning with highly miniaturized ultrasound.
Healthcare systems interested in an in-person demonstration of EchoNous Vein should contact sales@echonous.com and see www.echonous.com additional information and videos. VTN
CITATION:
1Helm, Robert E., et al. Accepted but Unacceptable: Peripheral IV Catheter Failure. Journal of Infusion Nursing. 2015 May-Jun;38(3):189-203.
