A press release for Vidacare Corporation states that the company has equipped its intraosseous vascular access system EZ-IO® with lithium-powered driver to replace the alkaline battery-powered drivers used previously.
The new EZ-IO Power Driver addresses the single biggest concern associated with using a battery-operated device in an emergency situation: the condition and reliability of the batteries. By using a lithium ion power supply, emergency personnel can complete 500 to 750 EZ-IO insertions–more than 10 times the insertions they could make using alkaline batteries. Additional attributes of the lithium battery upgrade include an increased shelf life to 15 years, a 10 percent increase in torque over alkaline batteries, decreased battery weight and elimination of the linear decline in battery performance associated with alkaline batteries. Vidacare anticipates that the user should not have to change the lithium batteries over the life of the product, thereby making it a hassle-free battery-powered device.
Being curious clinicians, we have ventured to check the official product’s page (some of us are in the ER field):
The EZ-IO® Product System by Vidacare® consists of a small battery-powered device and two beveled, hollow drill-tipped needles that were specifically designed to provide safe, controlled vascular access via the intraosseous (IO) route to patients of all ages in emergent situations when vascular access is challenging or impossible. The two needles apply to patients of the weight ranges 3 – 39kg and 40kg or greater. The EZ-IO product system creates a stable port into the intraosseous space accessing the central vascular system within seconds, causing minimal trauma to the patient. The greater than 40kg needle was specially designed with a beveled drill tip to quickly and easily penetrate through the hard exterior of adult bones while the 3 – 39kg needle is shorter in length permitting easy access through the softer bones of pediatric patients. This design provides the EZ-IO product system with superior control, a stable, secure port, and effectiveness unparalleled by the alternate IO products on the market today.
The press release…
Product page…
Flashback: Bone Injection Gun™