Design and Development of a Heating Device to Enhance Vein Access in Pediatric Care

Description

Peripheral intravenous catheter (PIVC) placement is the most frequent invasive procedure performed in hospitals. In paediatric patients it is associated with a high failure rate at first attempt, leading to increased pain, vein depletion, needle-phobia, and in extreme cases venous exhaustion. Local warming promotes vasodilation and facilitates vein accessibility, yet current warming methods used in clinical practice are rudimentary, poorly controlled, and may expose patients to thermal injury. This project aimed to address this technological gap by designing and developing a device capable of delivering safe, controlled and reproducible localized heating, intended for use in a clinical study investigating the effect of topical anaesthesia on heat-induced vasodilation.

An infrared-based heating device was developed to provide gradual and stable warming of the vessels combining precise temperature regulation with real-time monitoring. The device integrates an infrared LED, a temperature sensor embedded in a thermal interface layer and a closed-loop control algorithm managed through a graphical user interface to maintain a target temperature range.

Device performance was evaluated through laboratory testing on tissue-mimicking phantoms and preclinical evaluations on healthy volunteers, together with assessments of usability, biocompatibility and ultrasound compatibility.

Results showed that the device reliably achieved and maintained the target temperature range of 38–42°C within 10 minutes and without exceeding safety thresholds. The system enabled bilateral synchronized operation, remained compatible with ultrasound imaging, and provided stable thermal delivery for the duration required to induce maximal vasodilation.

In conclusion, the developed device offers a controlled, safe, and reproducible warming method, overcoming the inconsistent temperatures, lack of monitoring, and thermal injury risks of current approaches, while enabling more reliable vasodilation.

Its performance supports its integration into the upcoming clinical trial and indicates substantial potential to enhance PIVC success rates in paediatric care.

Collaborations

• KTH – Royal Institute of Technology
• Karolinska University Hospital
• University of Twente, Faculty of Engineering Technology, Programme of Biomedical Engineering

Thesis Projects

M.Sc. by Sveva Leonardo

Contact Person 

Contributors

• Sveva Leonardo
• Karl Rönnerard
• Gunilla Lööf