Every year, millions of U.S. patients are outfitted with a PICC line, a catheter threaded to the superior vena cava from the arm for the administration of treatments such as antibiotics or chemotherapy. PICCs are typically placed “blindly”: a nurse or physician measures and cuts the necessary length of catheter, inserts it, and takes a chest X-ray to check that the tip of the catheter is inserted in the lower third of the superior vena cava. If the placement is incorrect, the catheter is adjusted and another X-ray is taken. The process is repeated until the catheter is correctly placed. Improper placement wastes hospital resources and has both financial and physical consequences for the patient. Multiple X-rays, wasted dressing materials, increased patient length of stay, delays in administration of therapy, and patient discomfort can result from improper PICC placement. Only 74 percent of PICCs are properly placed on the first attempt.
Started by a vascular surgeon and a Ph.D, Vasonova of Sunnyvale, Calif., has developed a system to take the guesswork out of inserting PICCs. Their Vascular Positioning System (VPS) combines vascular ultrasound with EKG to guide the placement of a PICC line to the correct spot at least 90 percent of the time on the first try. It is the first intravenous system to measure and analyze multiple changes within the body to aid the physician during catheter placement. A computer console calculates placement of the tip, and the system signals when the tip is correctly placed. The system can also record hours of patient data for later use. Vasonova’s VPS technology may eventually be used for the placement of other catheters such as central venous catheters, temporary hemodialysis catheters, and ports. The need for chest X-rays could potentially be eliminated, further reducing medical costs by allowing many patients to get PICC lines inserted in outpatient or homecare settings. More than 3 million PICCs are sold in the U.S. annually, and the market is growing at 17 percent per year.
Late last year, Vasonova raised $10 million in Series B financing from investors including Arboretum Ventures and Research Corporation Technologies.