Guidance Recipients

Overview

• Minimally invasive surgery is rapidly advancing with particular interest in neural block procedures, including paravertebral block (abbreviated PVB). Current PVB is performed using surface ultrasound imaging to guide needle insertion dorsally to the spine into an intercostal space for anesthetic injection. However there are limitations in this method: the large angle between the surface ultrasound probe and the needle head, the greater depth in PVB insertion, can lead to unclear ultrasound image of the needle head undermining accurate needle positioning and can lead to difficulty in the anesthetic procedure, and can increase risks of pneumothorax or nerve injury.
• This team is developing a high frequency ultrasound probe which can be inserted as an micro-probe with the anesthesia needle to allow real-time display of the distance between the needle head and the pleura, providing puncture location assistance and warning system to support accurate anesthesia positioning.
• Increasing the safety and success rate of anesthesia puncture in the thoracic region, reduce procedural risks such as pleural injury and pneumothorax.