2008 Project Airway
Team Members: P Singh, S Geissler, S Wang, and R Johnson
Capstone Client: James Hardy, M.D., UCSF Emergency Medicine Specialist
Purpose/Goal:
Cricothyroidotomy is an emergency surgical procedure in which a hole is made through the membrane of the patient’s neck into the windpipe to allow air into the lungs. The current cricothyroidotomy Seldinger technique involves inserting a catheter into a blood vessel or space in the patient’s neck. The team focused on designing a new cricothyroidotomy device that reduces the time required to perform the procedure and minimizes the trauma caused on the patient.