Presscuff: new spin-off from VUB and UZ Brussel develops tube to reduce pneumonia risk during prolonged artificial ventilation

During artificial ventilation in intensive care, a ventilation tube is inserted into the patient's throat, taking air directly to the lungs. In one in four patients, using a tube leads to pneumonia. The new VUB and UZ Brussel spin-off Presscuff wants to bring the first pressure-based endotracheal tube to market, to greatly reduce the occurrences of pneumonia in intensive care patients. It was developed by former UZ Brussel intensive care nurse Emiel Suijs, with former head of intensive care and VUB professor Spapen. When using conventional endotracheal tubes, fluids such as saliva often run down the outside of the tube directly into the lungs. As these fluids contain lots of bacteria, in one in four cases it leads to ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), in patients who are already weakened. Academic studies show that 10 to 15% of these patients die of pneumonia. Tubes with a balloon (or cuff) proved insufficient Researchers have previously tried to prevent these fluids entering by using a balloon or cuff around the tube. They can be inflated to stop leakage. However, leaks proved impossible to stop, as the cuff cannot be inflated too far to avoid damage to the trachea. In addition, each trachea is different in shape and size. Small openings or channels always develop in the cuff, through which fluids can seep. Alternatives such as other shapes of cuffs, cuffs made of new materials and multiple cuffs offered no solution. Presscuff uses small openings to hold back liquids