A Medical Device Daily

The Beaumont Technology Usability Center (BTUC; Royal Oak, Michigan) said it will begin research on the next phase of the FDA’s study on tubing and catheter misconnection errors.

In 2006, the Joint Commission released a Sentinel Event Alert on the potential dangers of tubing misconnections. According to the Alert, eight deaths and one instance of permanent loss of function were due to tubing misconnections.

It said that “misconnection errors occur with significant frequency” and can have “deadly consequences.”

Many of the medical devices used to deliver medication and gases to patients have similar or even identical connectors. Research is being conducted industry-wide to ensure a safer connector design.

In December 2006, the FDA and Social and Scientific Systems (Silver Spring, Maryland), with the support of FDA’s Medical Product Safety Network, contracted with the BTUC, which developed a risk assessment approach and educational tools intended to increase awareness of healthcare professionals and provide strategies to reduce patient risk.

FDA is now asking BTUC to continue contributing to its this initiative. BTUC clinical engineers and clinicians with the Department of Education at Beaumont Hospital (Troy, Michigan) will use the new approach to examine the types of connectors currently in use and the potential risk associated with each setup.

In other agreements:

• Inviro Medical Devices (Atlanta) reported signing a new agreement with WNC Health Network (WNCHN), to make available the infection control company’s portfolio of Invirosnap Safety Syringe products to the network’s more than 53 acute care hospitals across North and South Carolina and Virginia.

WNCHN is a group affiliate of Premier Purchasing Partners (Charlotte), a group purchasing organization. Inviro was awarded a three-year contract in October 2007 with Premier, thus opening the door to the agreement with WNCHN.

“This contract places our manually retractable safety syringes in the hands of respected and strategically located healthcare organizations throughout the Carolinas and Virginia,” said Jim Charlesworth, senior VP of strategic accounts for Inviro.

• Vestibular Technologies (Cheyenne, Wyoming) said it has been awarded a contract in the physical therapy products portfolio with Premier Purchasing Partners.