Auckland dentist Dr James Stone has developed a novel and simple device to help healthcare professionals who use intravenous sedation (iv) infrequently – and it’s introduced him to the US Marine Corps.
“I had a problem administering iv sedation to a patient about to have wisdom teeth removed. It’s not something I do every day and I couldn’t get the line into the vein. I think I was more stressed than the patient,” says Dr Stone.
“Between 35 and 70 per cent of Peripheral IV Cannula/Catheter (PIVC) procedures fail at the first attempt resulting in patient harm, delayed treatments and wasted clinical time and resources – and unneeded stress,” says Dr Stone. As the saying goes, there had to be a better way.
“I went online but there were few options. Most were expensive, required specialist training and were really only viable if you were using them daily. What I needed was something low cost and easy to use with no training. So I got together with a former engineer and we developed a prototype using 3D printed parts.”
The result is Cannulight – a novel, sterile, disposable device that helps clinicians, nurses and paramedics give confident, precise intravenous access every time. It attaches to existing marketed PIVCs. When the IV catheter is inserted and hits the chosen vein, it glows green. If the IV catheter advances too far and exits the vein, it turns off. The clinician can then reposition the catheter back inside the vein, and the device glows green again.
The existing practice of sighting blood in the 'Flashback' chamber of the catheter only indicates first vein entry – not exit, re-entry or correct positioning. This often results in a false-positive which can contribute to a failed PIVC insertion and subsequent injury to patients.
“Using our patent-protected technology, Cannulight gives the user a real-time, accurate, binary signal of success, which results in confident and precise PIVC insertion, every time,” says Dr Stone.
Mike Munley came on board as COO, leveraging his experience in MedTech, pharmaceutical and over-the-counter medicines across many markets. He has worked in US and Anglo-American multinational corporations, US and UK start-up and scale-up healthcare companies as well as his successful consultancy business.
Recently, Cannulight Technology has been in discussions with the USMC for some months after pitching at an NZTE organised event in Feb2023 to the Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) programme.
“The FCT sends teams/missions out internationally to source emerging tech for all branches of the US military. One of these missions passed through New Zealand on their way to Australia . We must have impressed the US Marines then even though we didn’t have a working prototype to show them,” says Munley.
Cannulight hope soon to announce a closer working relationship with the USMC. In May 2024, Cannulight, now with working prototypes, presented the device at the Special Operations Medical Association (SOMA2024) Conference in Raleigh North Carolina (USA). These were tested on our mannequin arm by a dozen or so militaries and numerous US military and EMS medics.
“The mannequin results were encouraging, with 90 per cent of those trialing confident using the device, 79 per cent agreeing it would fit well in their medical kits, and 75 per cent saying they would use it in the field. ,” says Munley.
“Medics often have to put in iv lines in moving vehicles or helicopters, and the speed and accuracy of inserting that line can have a critical role in saving a life,” says Dr Stone.
A study involving 220,000 NHS patients in the UK has shown just how much time and effort Cannulight saves while also improving the experience for both healthcare professional and patient. The New Zealand Navy is also testing Cannulight.
“We’re focusing on military use given the size of that market, along with organisations such as the Red Cross, Médecins sans frontière and the UN. Their uptake will help sell Cannulight and then we can look at the hospital market,” says Dr Stone.
“We’re manufacturing Cannulight in New Zealand but we have the eye of the big manufacturers because there is nothing else like it on the market,” says Munley.
“There are some 1.4 billion iv procedures annually around the globe, so the potential market is huge. No one has to change their technology or their patient pathway; Cannulight just slots into existing procedures,” says Munley.
He credits NZTE, Callaghan Innovation and the New Zealand Navy for their support during the funding and development phases. Over the next six months, Cannulight will focus on working through the regulatory requirements for the USA, UK and Australia.
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