Articles | Volume 5, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/ms-5-7-2014
https://doi.org/10.5194/ms-5-7-2014
Guest editorial
 | 
15 Jan 2014
Guest editorial |  | 15 Jan 2014

Design, prototyping, and evaluation of a collapsible device for single-operator sheathing of ultrasound probes

S. A. Lopez, L. R. Hernley, E. N. Bearrick, L. M. Tanenbaum, M. A. C. Thomas, T. A. Toussaint, J. J. Romano, N. C. Hanumara, and A. H. Slocum

Abstract. During interventional ultrasound-guided procedures, sterility is maintained by covering the transducer head and cord with a sterile sheath. The current sheathing technique is cumbersome, requires an assistant to complete, and poses a risk of tangling the probe cord and breaching the sterile barrier. This paper presents the design, proof-of-concept prototyping, and evaluation of a probe holder and cartridge-style, single-use applicator that enables faster, more reliable, single-user sheathing of ultrasound probes, with a decreased risk of compromising sterility.