The impact of improved materials in poly(vinyl chloride)-based endotracheal tubes

Abstract

Endotracheal tubes (ETs) are used to aid artificial ventilation in millions of medical patients every year and are known to invoke the proliferative phase in the cell linings. The technical objective of this work was to investigate in vitro the interaction between epithelial cells and current poly(vinyl chloride)-based ET materials, as well as some ET samples embedded with materials intended to improve biocompatibility properties of the tubes. Cells were grown in wells with small samples of ETs and proliferation and migration were observed using phase microscopy. ETs appeared to increase cell growth wherever cells came into contact with the material. The cell morphology altered once in contact with the ET sample. Cell growth on and around the ETs with embedded material appeared to slow, but had significant visible changes in cell morphology. The need for continued research in this area of research and development and future steps are addressed. A proposal for starting a company around a safer material for use in endotracheal tubes was developed and showed significant barriers to entry for a small medical device company with a single product. Subsequently, the most appropriate approach for bringing a new ET to the market would be by way of a licensing with an existing manufacturer.