Medical Device Developed With the Support of OhioHealth Research and Innovation Institute Helps Ease the Pain of Frequently Performed Procedure

One in four hospitalized people in the U.S. require urinary catheterization, a process that is painful, particularly for men.  To ease some of the pain associated with this procedure, a urologic surgeon at Riverside Methodist Hospital has invented a device that allows for medical professionals to see inside the urethra while inserting a catheter.  The device was developed by Dr. Errol Singh who says it will reduce the pain and injury that can often result from “blind” catheterizations done by feel. 

The device, which is expected to receive final approval from the FDA this summer, uses fiber optics to transmit images of the urethra onto a monitor which a nurse watches while inserting the catheter. 

Clinical studies on the device have been supported by the OhioHealth Research and Innovation Institute.  According to John Niles, the institute’s director, this is a prime example of the type of research the institute supports.  OhioHealth Research and Innovation Institute supports research efforts from concept assessment through commercialization for initiatives by doctors and clinicians at OhioHealth Corp. 

“As physicians and practicing surgeons, we see clinical situations and we think about how we can improve parts of them,” says Singh.  “If you have an entrepreneurial spirit and a hospital system that supports you, then there’s a great synergy.”

For more, see the story as reported in Business First.