2011 The Branched Thoracic Catheter

The Branched Thoracic Catheter; Efficient Hemothorax Drainage Through Localization Targeting

Team Members: Gary Chan, Albert Lan, Kathleen Lo, Tiffany Truong

Capstone Clients:  Rais Vohra, M.D., UCSF – Fresno Emergency Medicine Physician; Steven Cheung, M.D., UCSF Head and Neck Surgeon

Purpose: Thoracostomy procedures involve an incision made into the chest wall to provide an opening for drainage via a chest tube. The flexible plastic tube removes fluid or air from the pleural cavity, but the drainage location is currently limited to one area within the pleural cavity. The Capstone team introduced a device that allows for constant drainage of a hemothorax in trauma patients requiring a thoracostomy.

2011 thoracic catheter