Vlaio is the Flemish Agency for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and supports innovative companies and projects with a clear added value for the economic potential and the general well being.
Project context
The majority of patients that are admitted to hospital receive a catheter as a vital part of their treatment. One of the major downsides of catheters, is that they can lead to bloodstream infections. For example Central Venous Catheters are associated with Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI). On average a CLABSI infection leads to a direct increased cost of 12k€ and an additional 21 hospital days. In the EU, there are 1,2 million annual BSI (Blood Stream Infection) episodes, with 157.000 estimated deaths.
Project goals
Bedal is supported by VLAIO for the project ‘PortOcaths’, an innovation project to develop new catheter fixation solutions that have a strong impact on the CLABSI rates. By eliminating the need to use sutures, reducing the micro-pistoning (small movements of the catheter), and material selection, a solution can be developed that actively contributes to reducing the number of BSI and reducing the associated annual deaths.