Innovating to improve care standards in the NICU and beyond

Extravasation injury (EVI), or the unwanted leakage of life preserving but caustic IV contents into surrounding tissue, is a devastating and far too common injury experienced by NICU patients, it is especially prevalent and impactful in the premature baby population. EVI can require surgical intervention and result in lifelong complications such as scarring, restricted mobility, and amputation. EVI also impedes the delivery of live preserving drugs and nutrition, which is particularly critical for premature babies reliant on intravenous sustenance.

“Extravasation and infiltration iniuries often lead to disastrous complications if not recognised early.”

Prof. Sanjay Patole

Clinical Prof. of Neonatal Paediatrics,

King Edwards Memorial Hospital

Graded chemical burn
Blistering to amputation
Delayed drug delivery
Longer hospital stay
Lifelong disability

Problem

Solution

Pretect is developing a novel non-invasive continuous monitoring device for detection of PIV infiltration and extravasation in our first indication, preterm and term infants, with the aim of preventing EVI.

Pretect devices is driven through personal and professional passion to enhance NICU life support procedures via rapid detection of IV leakage by automatically shutting off the IV pump and alerting healthcare staff to correct IV line integrity. Pretect's solution is integrated into the current NICU workflow and reduces the workload of nurses enabling a higher level of healthcare. In 2021 the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care introduced new clinical care standards for IV catheter management. Our innovation will be a pioneering solution for implementing this new standard across Australia in the NICU and beyond.

Introducing our EVI prevention solution, the Vedette®, a revolutionary device that rapidly detects leakage of peripheral IV fluids. Vedette® is purposely designed for our first target population, NICU babies, to prevent devastating chemical burns and maintain IV line integrity.

Our team is made up of passionate researchers, engineers and clinicians with personal and professional experience in NICUs. Our drive and focus is to innovate and commercialise the Vedette® so EVI can be prevented and the standard of care is improved for the smallest and most vulnerable patients at the start of their lives.

Pretect Devices would like to acknowledge its valued supporters and partners.

Overall winners (2021)

Biodesign NEXT extension funding (2022)

Innovation Booster Grant winners (1 in 2022 and 2 in 2024)

Finalists - Emerging Innovation Category (2024)

Medtech Actuator Accelerator alumni (2023) - Cohort eight

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land where we work and live. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We celebrate the stories, culture and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders of all communities who also work and live on this land.