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Last modified: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 3:46 PM CST
Heitkamp advancing use of Site Saver at NDSCS
by Erin C. Hevern • Daily News
Mantador entrepreneur Bob Heitkamp shared his award-winning invention, the Site Saver, Monday with North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS) nursing department students and staff, who in labs this week will test the product's viability.
Site Saver, designed by Midwest Applied Technologies, is a device set to stabilize IV tubing in an easy and safe way. It recently became approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and will be a registered trademark Dec. 1.
"We're fulfilling our promise to donate our Site Saver to any training facility. That was one of our commitments we said early on," Heitkamp said.
In the next four days, 25 nursing students will become familiar with the Site Saver and demonstrate its application on one another.
"It really is going to have the ability to stabilize the catheter in the vein, so it doesn't cause trauma to the vein," said Kathy Weigel, instructor in the NDSCS nursing department. "We're thrilled to be part of the Site Saver's progress."
The invention's progress stems beyond classrooms at NDSCS, however, receiving recognition in three inventor's competitions prior to the end of summer and a second place award at the Sioux Falls, S.D., Innovation Expo.
Heitkamp and his crew also catalogued approximately 100 contacts interested in working with the Site Saver at the Association for Vascular Access' (AVA) 23rd annual national convention in Las Vegas.
At a convention that also featured products from Baxter/Bard and 3M, Heitkamp said Midwest Applied Technologies held its own ground.
"We had a very, very large interest in the product," he said, adding that he visited with at least one nurse from every state in America.
"Judging by the notes we took, we probably had a 97 percent approval rating, people who were willing to try it and further its use."
Heitkamp is continuing communications with colleges, hoping to expand on his invention's educational uses.
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| The North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS) nursing department was the recipient Monday of one of the newest devices in the medical field — the Site Saver, created by Mantador entrepreneur, Bob Heitkamp. Before introducing the device to all 25 students, instructor Kathy Weigel, demonstrated the Site Saver's use on first-year student Kristina Peterson from Forest Lake, Minn. All the students will use the device in labs this week. photo by Erin Hevern |
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