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Design of a flexible endotracheal tube holder device and study of its effect on cutaneous blood flow in the skin using laser Doppler velocimetry

The use of medical devices is essential for proper care and treatment of patients in hospitals. Many of these devices have also been the primary cause of pressure ulcers resulting in skin damage. Pressure ulcer formation is preceded by the impairment of cutaneous blood flow in the dermis. Endotracheal tube (ETT) support devices are one such category of medical devices which are attached on the face to secure ETT during invasive ventilation in intensive care units. In this paper we compare an existing design of ETT supporting device and investigate its effect on cutaneous blood flow (CBF) in skin. CBF is measured after it is removed, using Laser Doppler Vibrometry (LDV) measurement technique at multiple points on the upper surface of the hand. Additionally, we propose a novel design of an ETT support device to reduce the pressure ulcer formation. The aim of the proposed inflated support design is to reduce skin friction and the resulting damage, which was achieved by reducing the contact area and using a flexible lightweight material with a modular shape. The results observed on one such fabricated device have been provided here and are compared with the twill tape securement technique for transverse blood flow velocity and vibrations.