Bubble Formation and Kinetics in IV Delivery Systems

Cardinal Health Engineering, 2007-08

Liaison(s): Bob Butterfield
Advisor(s): Anna Hickerson
Students(s): Rachel Howden (TL), Cassandra Cortez, Caitlin Vierra, Janet Komatsu (S), Chieh Chen (F), Lucia Cheung (F)

Air bubbles are one of the primary concerns with intravenous (IV) drug-delivery systems and cause problems ranging from inconvenience for pump operators to compromising the safety of the patient. The Clinic team conducted experimentation investigating the effect of various parameters on bubble formation and mobility. The goal of this project was to use experimental findings to develop an improved IV design that minimizes air bubbles within the system.