Team Care
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Introduction
A Doppler based ultrasound sensor built directly into an endotracheal tube that provides continuous, operator independent monitoring of blood flow in ventilated ICU patients by capturing real time signals from major vessels in the chest.
Problem
For many patients undergoing surgery or receiving care in the ICU, keeping circulation stable is critical, yet clinicians often lack continuous, reliable insight into real time blood flow. Today, hemodynamic monitoring relies on intermittent tools like echocardiography or invasive lines such as arterial catheters and pulmonary artery catheters. These methods are either operator dependent, episodic, or carry meaningful risk and cost. As a result, early signs of circulatory instability - such as evolving shock or poor perfusion - can be missed or detected too late. This can lead to delayed treatment, imprecise fluid management, longer ICU stays, and avoidable complications. In short, there is a gap between the need for continuous hemodynamic insight and the practicality of obtaining it safely and consistently in high acuity settings.
Opportunity
We propose a Doppler based ultrasound module integrated directly into the endotracheal tube to enable continuous, operator independent hemodynamic monitoring in mechanically ventilated patients. By embedding a miniaturized transducer at the airway vascular interface, the device captures real time blood flow signals from major intrathoracic vessels without requiring additional invasive procedures or workflow changes. Because endotracheal tubes are already standard in ventilated patients, this approach turns an existing device into a continuous monitoring platform. The system would give clinicians ongoing visibility into circulatory trends, enabling earlier detection of instability, more precise fluid and vasopressor management, and more informed bedside decisions. The goal is to make continuous hemodynamic monitoring safer, simpler, and easier to scale in both surgical and critical care settings.