Navi device aims to help ill newborns

Navi Medical Technologies will use an NHMRC Development Grant worth $879,000 to progress commercialisation of its innovative instrument which gives ill newborn infants the chance of better treatments.

The National Health and Medical Research Council grant will take research on improving the care of vulnerable neonates to the proof-of-concept stage, a critical step on the pathway to successful product commercialisation.

Navi, the University of Melbourne, The Royal Women’s Hospital and The Royal Children’s Hospital have developed its Neonav device to aid the correct placement of central venous catheters(CVC), also known as central lines, to deliver drugs and nutrients in those who are unable to give feedback during the procedure.

Forty per cent of lines are misplaced during such procedures and many fail quickly, threatening infant recovery.

Navi Chief Medical Officer Dr Christiane Theda said: “I know firsthand of the frustration of finding the catheter misplaced on an X-ray just after having completed the procedure – and I’m not alone.”

Clinicians use X-Ray or ultrasound to place the CVC tip but this creates delays and requires trained staff.

The Neonav is an ECG tip location system designed for babies and infants which provides accurate central line confirmation, leading to reduced patient X-ray exposure, faster drug delivery, and improved workflow.

Theda said: “The Neonav ECG Tip Location System works a bit like a car’s parking sensor, it provides clinical staff with crucial real-time visual information on where the catheter is located within the patient by analysing ECG signals within the body.

“This helps avoid misplacement and ultimately allows for faster drug delivery and better patient outcomes.”

To date, the prototype has shown promising early results.

Navi’s research into central line management will also be extended in older children.

NHMRC Development Grant applications are assessed by up to 10 peer reviewers – five scientific reviewers and five commercial reviewers.

Pictures: Navi Medical Technologies

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