When children have trouble eating, gastronomy tubes can be a vital tool for delivering the needed nutrition and calories directly through the stomach. Yet they are expensive and inaccessible to people in many parts of the world. An innovative, low-cost solution is a Foley catheter; however, this makeshift alternative lacks standardized methods for safely securing it, which can lead to complications. Collaborating with healthcare professionals from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Dr. Kunj Sheth, MD, and co-Principal Investigator and MD candidate Katherine Hu designed a securement device that allows Foley catheters to be safely and effectively used as feeding tubes in low-resource settings.

Having ensured the device’s safety and functionality in a pilot clinical study, the team will refine the design based on study feedback and test it with focus groups at various under-resourced medical sites in Chile. With their innovation, Hu and Dr. Sheth are focusing on a vulnerable population that is often overlooked in health technology development. They hope to improve the quality of life for children who require tube feeding in Chile and, ultimately, around the world — all while emphasizing interdisciplinary and community-based collaboration. They plan to build on existing partnerships and work closely with local communities to ensure the device meets the user’s needs.

“We hope this research will help diversify the medical innovation space and catalyze the development of accessible health technologies for global populations, especially children. Ultimately, we aspire to improve health outcomes and equity in pediatric care and technology access across the globe,” said Hu.

Principal Investigators:

Kunj Sheth, MD, Assistant Professor, Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Urology

Katherine Hu, MD Candidate, Stanford University School of Medicine

Research Team:

Josefina Sáez, MD, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile School of Medicine; Iván Caro, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile School of Design; Alberto González, MS, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile School of Design; Loreto Ludueña, Hospital Josefina Martínez; Xin She, MD, MPH, Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics; James Wall, MD, MS, Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Surgery; Salesa Barja, MD, MS, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile School of Medicine & Hospital Josefina Martínez; Juan Carlos Pattillo Silva, MD, MBA, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile School of Medicine & UC-CHRISTUS Health System

Funders:

Stanford Center for Innovation in Global Health, the Maternal and Child Health Research Institute, and the School of Medicine Dean’s Office