AgiTube: Device to Prevent Retained Hemothorax

In recent military engagements, thoracic injuries occurred in nearly 10% of wounded US personnel and are a primary or contributing factor in up to 75% of all civilian trauma-related deaths. Hemothorax, an accumulation of blood in the pleural space, is a common, life threatening result of chest trauma. The primary treatment of hemothorax is tube thoracostomy. While the majority of traumatic hemothoraces are managed by tube thoracostomy alone, in many cases a measurable amount of blood remains in the chest after tube placement, a condition known as retained hemothorax (RH). Early video assisted thorascopic surgery (VATS) has become a preferred primary management option for RH. VATS, however, requires skilled surgical specialists and supporting technology and staffresources that are not found in all settings that manage thoracic trauma. To this end, InnoVital Systems proposes to develop the AgiTube a low-cost and simple-to-use device to be used in conjunction with existing chest tubes, administered at the time of initial chest tube placement, and continued at the bedside over the duration of chest drainage. The AgiTube, will use a combination of mechanical agitation, optional multidirectional saline spray, and suction to slow the clotting process, prevent gelling of blood, and maintain drainability.