NICU Needs Analysis

The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is often overlooked by medical device corporations. Many products used in today’s NICUs are adult products that, while FDA-approved for adults, are not optimized for infants. To address this unmet need, IPI and its Pediatric Hospital Consortium are working together to analyze the current state of NICU equipment and identify opportunities for improvement.

Some of the largest areas of concern are currently in respiratory care, comfort and security of the infant, and the use of adhesives on infants’ delicate skin. These areas of concern were identified by the consortium hospitals, and verified through an on-line survey of 100 neonatology physicians and nurses in hospitals not affiliated with the Consortium.

With the help of Product Genesis, an engineering design strategy firm, IPI conducted a product imagination workshop in December 2007. The workshop included the sponsoring device company, Children’s Medical Ventures, IPI staff, and a senior nurse clinician from a Consortium hospital.