Medela LLC demonstrates that its digital chest drain system improves safety, helps prevent cross-contamination
Medela LLC announced that its Thopaz+ Digital Chest Drainage and Monitoring System has undergone multiple quantitative tests that demonstrate its filtration system effectively blocks passage of aerosolized viral particles, such as SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
This would effectively mitigate cross-contamination and transmission of infectious aerosols. The filtration found in Thopaz+ can help provide a safeguard for patients and staff.
“We understand the critical need for a solution like Thopaz+ that can help healthcare professionals provide safer cardiothoracic drainage and reduce cross contamination as well as healthcare-associated infections (HAI), during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond,” said Melissa Gonzales, RN, BSN, executive vice president of Medela Americas. “With its intuitive, easy-to-use design and filtration capabilities, Thopaz+ was developed to meet the evolving needs of healthcare professionals and patients, simplify use while improving health outcomes and reduce costs.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, chest drains have been considered a possible source of aerosol generated particles, contributing to safety concerns for patients and healthcare professionals. To provide healthcare professionals with a proven solution to mitigate this risk, Thopaz+ filters have undergone repeated quantitative laboratory tests. Thopaz+ has been proven to effectively block the passage of aerosolized viral particles as small as 25 nm, garnering a 99.925 to 99.999 percent successful filtration rate. For reference, SARS-CoV-2 virus is approximately 125 nm in diameter. The equivalent effectiveness of Thopaz+ for filtering aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 particles in a real-world clinical setting is expected to be significantly higher. Medela Thopaz/Thopaz+ Digital Chest Drainage and Monitoring Systems have also been proven to help successfully filter bacterial strains that may contribute to hospital-associated infections, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Serratia marcescens, at 500 nm.
“Despite the pandemic crisis, we have to provide our cancer patients with the best postoperative care while protecting health care professionals and other patients,” said Dr. Andrea Bille, Thoracic Surgeon, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Guy’s Hospital, London. “Thopaz digital drains facilitate early mobilization and recovery but also minimize the risk of aerosolised generated particles preventing the spread of the coronavirus.”
