Project Overview

Surgical suction catheters are used nearly universally, across all surgical subspecialties, and in a variety of operative scenarios. Typically, they are used to evacuate fluid from the operative field to improve visualization or dry the operative field to ensure efficient electrocoagulation. Often times, however, the amount of negative pressure required to adequately evacuate fluid from the field can damage nearby anatomic structures, especially in operations in or around particularly delicate structures. Examples include intracranial operations suctioning on the brain's surface, otolaryngological procedures involving the middle ear, and microsurgical operations involving anastomoses of small nerves or vessels. Suction is of mixed value in these circumstances because of the risk of damage to structures, but the continued need for evacuation of fluid.
Surgical catheters are usually designed with a suction canister connected on one side to a variable negative pressure wall suction input, and connected on the other side to a long piece of sterile tubing which ends in a suction catheter tip. These tips are sterile, variably stainless steel or plastic, and variably reusable or disposable. They come in varying diameters and with multiple variations of openings at the distal tip.
This project proposes that a Frazier-style suction tip could potentially be coated internally with a low friction substance such as Teflon, in order to create a lower coefficient of friction in a laminar flow environment, that would allow for egress of fluid with use at a lower suction level that would disrupt sensitives tissues less.

Team Picture

Contact Information

Team Members

• Kevin Knapp - Team Leader
• Alexander Yueh - Communicator
• Eric Zeman - BSAC
• Eric Howell - BWIG & BPAG

Advisor and Client

• Prof. Chris Brace - Advisor
• Brian Christie - Client