Every year, more than 13 million vascular access procedures are performed in the United States alone — and a significant share of them fail.
Central venous catheters and arterial lines are the entry point for the medications, fluids, monitoring, and dialysis that keep the sickest patients alive. The technique that establishes them — a six-step manual procedure known as the Seldinger method — has not fundamentally changed in decades.
Success depends heavily on operator skill. Even in expert hands under ultrasound guidance, failures still occur. In less-experienced hands, in emergency settings, and in patients with difficult anatomy, failure rates climb sharply — and every failure carries direct consequences for the patient.
More than 13 million vascular access procedures each year in the United States — between central venous catheter insertions and arterial line placements — with roughly twice that number worldwide.
Failure rates range from 5% to 20% depending on procedure and setting. Even with ultrasound guidance, 3–7% of central venous catheter placements fail on the first attempt in expert hands.
Failed access attempts drive infection, hematoma, arterial injury during venous access, delayed treatment, extended hospital stays, and preventable mortality — measured in patients, not statistics. Each failure adds $26K–$100K in unreimbursed hospital cost. Failures in arterial access can be fatal and necessitate costly emergency procedures.
Sources: Zimlichman E, et al. Health Care–Associated Infections: A Meta-analysis of Costs and Financial Impact on the US Health Care System. JAMA Internal Medicine. 2013;173(22):2039–2046. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.9763 · Zhan C, Miller MR. Excess Length of Stay, Charges, and Mortality Attributable to Medical Injuries During Hospitalization. JAMA. 2003;290(14):1868–1874. doi:10.1001/jama.290.14.1868
AVAD is the only device that automates the full Seldinger procedure end to end.
Portable, self-contained, and self-powered, AVAD delivers expert-level vascular access on the first attempt — regardless of operator experience, patient anatomy, or clinical setting. Existing systems in the market automate needle targeting and insertion, but leave guidewire placement and complete cannulation to the operator — precisely the highest-skill portions of the procedure.
AVAD closes the loop. Four integrated subsystems — targeting, insertion, detection, cannulation — execute the entire procedure automatically. The device is currently at TRL 4, with a laboratory prototype validated in vascular phantoms and swine at the Uniformed Services University.
A built-in color-flow ultrasound identifies the target vessel and displays it under a real-time crosshair. The clinician confirms the target on-screen — the device does the rest.
Precise trajectory control and controlled advancement replace manual technique — delivering the same expert-level approach angle and depth on every insertion, independent of operator experience.
Electronic vessel-puncture detection confirms entry the moment it happens, and Doppler analysis discriminates arteries from veins in real time — eliminating mistaken arterial punctures during venous access.
Automated guidewire and sheath placement completes the Seldinger sequence — the step existing "AI-guided" competitors leave to the operator. AVAD is the only device that carries the procedure through to a secured, ready-to-use access point.
Sponsor
The Maryland Technology Development Corporation sponsors the development of AVAD, supporting Vascular Rescue's path from laboratory prototype to clinical-grade device.
Funding
UM Build provides funding that advances AVAD prototype development and validation testing at the University of Maryland.
Funding
The Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) program, part of the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (MTECH) at the University of Maryland, funds collaborative research supporting AVAD engineering development.
Dr. Walker's animal test facility has been used to confirm effective vascular access in swine.
Our partnership with Patrick Walker, MD, FACS, Major, US Army — Program Director and Co-Principal Investigator for the Battlefield Shock and Organ Support (BSOS) research team — has been invaluable in the development of AVAD.
The collaboration provides visibility for Vascular Rescue and AVAD within military medicine, where rapid vascular access under field conditions is a direct determinant of survival. Dr. Walker has also supported multiple Vascular Rescue proposals for funding.
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