A New Device Preventing Air Embolism During the Angiography, Air Trap Device: An In-Vitro Experimental Air Emboli Study

Air embolism occurs when an air bubble enters the arterial system through the catheters. This can happen due to different reasons such as lack of attention, connection failure, or inexperience. This situation results in tissue damage in vital organs such as the heart and brain which may lead to death. To our knowledge, there is no technology preventing an air embolus from happening. Doctors try to prevent this complication with their attention and catheter control. In this project, a new air-trap device that prevents air embolus was tested in-vitro in air embolism model. Experimental results with a prototype showed that the new design was successful. Air embolism was blocked at various pressure-speed ranges. Air Trap device can be used to prevent air embolism by cardiologists, interventional radiologists and cardiovascular surgeons that perform a percutaneous intervention.