Controlled reduction of intussusceptions: a case study in effective medical device technology

Intussusceptions, defined as an invagination or telescoping of one portion of the intestine into the contiguous distal segment, have an incidence of between 1 and 2 per 1000 live births and generally affects those in the age range of 2 mos. to 3 years. The resultant damage to the intestine, if not corrected in a timely manner, is life threatening. Methods used for reduction include surgical intervention, infusion of barium with fluid pressure regulated using a controlled height, and more recently the use of controlled air pressure. The technique of last resort is surgical intervention. The use of controlled air pressure is compared with the use of barium, and the results demonstrate that the former technique reduces the number of surgical interventions required in order to achieve reduction. A simple pneumatic device, providing controlled air pressure, is an effective medical device technology for intussusception reduction