Hemodialysis Wand Holder Keeps Things Clean

R&D DIGEST

Keeping hemodialysis wands clean can sometimes be an awkward task for clinicians. Once the wands are used and rinsed with deionized water, they're not always placed in a completely sanitary area. A nurse who saw this problem decided to develop a device that houses the wands and prevents their contamination between uses.

“After asking hemodialysis technicians and registered nurses who work in the field about the storage of wands, the responders concurred,” says Virginia Graham, a registered nurse from Rosemead, CA. “There is no appropriate storage for the devices. They were hung on the machines exposed to the air or placed in a bucket, which caused them to sit in their own runoff water. That's a potential for cross-contamination.”

Aptly named the hemodialysis wand holder, the product should help keep the wands clean and therefore prevent airborne contamination from bacteria and viruses. It should also give clinicians easier access to the wands for their next use. The plastic container provides a more hygienic alternative to current methods, according to Graham.

The top of the rectangular device has a tightly fitted gasket. It holds up to eight wands, which are arranged in two rows with four circular openings each. The holes are smaller than the upper neck of the wands so that they hang just above the bottom of the container. This design provides room for water to drip off of the wands.

The wands do not touch each other, and a handle on each end of the product aids the clinician in holding and moving the container while preventing contamination. A removable snap-on lid enables disinfection. Possible changes include varying the number of compartments to accommodate 10, 12, or 15 wands. In addition, a longer wand base would be useful to accommodate wands of different lengths.

Graham specializes in hemo­dialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and continuous renal replacement therapies. She is confident in the need for the product and is hoping to find a company that will advertise, manufacture, and distribute it on a mass scale. “There are thousands of hospitals and chronic hemodialysis centers around the world [that would] purchase the HWH [hemo­dialysis wand holder].”

Advent Product Development (Pawleys Island, SC) should be contacted for information about the licensing or sale of the device.

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