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Gavin-Miller extractor

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Project Overview

Many emergency rooms across the country experience children coming in with objects stuck in their nasal cavities. Removing the object can be a delicate process because it is difficult to get it out without risking pushing it further back. This situation is only made worse if the child is experiencing any discomfort. Current designs either involve very invasive procedures to get around the object and pull, such as with the Katz extractor, or don’t allow any input from a licensed doctor, such as in the mother's kiss technique. The goal was to create a new device to remove these nasal foreign bodies in a noninvasive way that can be controlled by medical staff. A device was built that would provide negative pressure to the obstructed nostril, in an attempt to pull the object out the way it came in. The prototype was comprised of a CPAP mask and head strap, which were attached to a system of tubes connected to a syringe. The syringe would be pulled to generate negative pressure and attempt to dislodge the object. During testing the device worked to dislodge play doh from blocked tubes as well as generating adequate (2.41 psi) pressure through a model of a child’s head. This shows that the device not only works, but meets
all of the criteria presented.

Team Picture

Team members from left to right: Michael Nelson, Carly Rogers, Emma Pappano, Connor McBrayer, Andrew Meixelsperger
Team members from left to right: Michael Nelson, Carly Rogers, Emma Pappano, Connor McBrayer, Andrew Meixelsperger

Contact Information

Team Members

  • Carly Rogers - Team Leader
  • Michael Nelson - Communicator
  • Andrew Meixelsperger - BSAC
  • Emma Pappano - BWIG
  • Connor Mcbrayer - BPAG

Advisor and Client

  • Dr. Ed Bersu - Advisor
  • Dr. Christopher Ford - Client

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