VascuChek® is the first and only cordless, handheld vascular Doppler FDA-cleared for evaluating intraoperative and subcutaneous blood flow in a sterile field. By addressing the most common challenges with traditional Doppler systems and simplifying blood flow assessments with lighter, more user-friendly equipment, VascuChek has minimized many of the challenges that previous vascular Dopplers presented for intraoperative use.
Benefits of the VascuChek Doppler During Surgery
The cutting edge design of VascuChek provides many benefits, especially for subcutaneous use, including:
- Reduced Risk of Patient Infection: The device’s sterile sheath deployment system, wherein a new probe and sterile sheath is used for each patient, helps maintain a sterile environment in subcutaneous vascular screenings and enhance infection prevention. Deploying the sheath is simple – the surgeon “clicks” the probe onto the cordless transceiver presented by the nurse, then slides the sheath up and seals it. This ensures the surgeon can quickly prepare the device without compromising sterility. Disposable, single-use probes also further eliminate sterilization needs in surgical environments.
- Cordless and User-Friendly Design: VascuChek’s cordless design offers unrestricted movement, simplifying subcutaneous blood flow assessments and eliminating the chance for cords to breach the sterile field. This also eliminates the need for nurses or assistants to hold clunky cords and a transceiver box during surgery, increasing efficiency by freeing them up to handle other needs.
VascuChek in Comparison to Parks Medical
VascuChek offers a safe method for evaluating blood flow subcutaneously in sterile environments due to several features highlighted below. This is in stark contrast to the vascular Doppler from Parks Medical Electronics Incorporated (PMEI), manufacturer of the most commonly used vascular Doppler system for decades. PMEI issued a notice to its customers in which they called out that their Class II devices are non-invasive diagnostic equipment and are “not to be used subcutaneously.”1
| VascuChek Doppler | Parks Medical Doppler | |
|---|---|---|
| FDA-cleared for subcutaneous use | X | |
| Intolerable risk of patient infection | X | |
| Sterile-sheath design | X | |
| Disposable, single-use probes | X | |
| Cordless | X |
Importance of Compliance for Infection Prevention
With about 1 in 31 hospital patients experiencing at least one healthcare-associated infection at any given time, compliance with infection control practices in surgical settings is critical.2 Surgeons and OR teams juggle a myriad of responsibilities each day, so devices that simplify infection control go a long way in reducing infection rates. The intuitive design of VascuChek, with infection control at the center, supports providers in ensuring compliance with infection prevention throughout Doppler screenings in high-risk surgical settings. Features such as the user-friendly sheath deployment system, disposable single-use probes, and the ability to quickly assess blood flow all support safe and efficient screenings.
To speak with a representative in depth about the ways in which VascuChek supports subcutaneous use during surgery, schedule a consultation today.
Sources:
- PMEI. Notice to Parks Medical Electronics Incorporated (PMEI) Customers. September 15, 2015, Aloha, OR.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HAIs: Reports and data. Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs). Published November 6, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/healthcare-associated-infections/php/data/index.html