Inflators play a crucial role in interventional radiology and cardiology to restore blood flow to obstructed veins. Given the high-risk nature of these procedures, inflators must be sterile. Consequently, they are designed for only single-use. This practice results in the annual incineration of around 100.000 inflators annually in the Netherlands, contributing to approximately 62500 kg of CO₂-eq emissions.
Our research, employing literature review, HotSpot and Disassembly maps, interviews and observations identified key barriers to reuse of the current inflators. These devices are designed for single-use, applying materials that cannot withstand decontamination and lacking the ability to be disassembled. In addition, parts are fixed together to reduce the chances of failure during the procedure.
This master’s thesis proposes a circular model for endovascular inflators, focusing on the reuse of valuable components within healthcare institutions while disposing of the rest. POMPA. POMPA is a circular redesign of the inflators. It aims to make inflators easy and safe to use, disassemble, decontaminate, reassemble and reuse. POMPA adopts materials suitable for decontamination and redesigns the architecture of inflators to achieve complete dis- or reassembly of the product in less than a minute without compromising its functions and performance.
The new system and product-level interventions enable the decontamination and reuse of key components for about 1000 patient procedures. POMPA has a lower environmental and economic impact than current single-use inflators after just nine uses.
In conclusion, POMPA offers a sustainable, convenient, and safe alternative to single-use inflators. This conceptual solution has many features that can be further explored and improved, but for now, it is intended to be a first step towards more circular inflators and to inspire similar innovation change in other medical devices.