Prof. Wang Shumin of Peking University Third Hospital Develops Ultrasound-Guided Thoracentesis Device with Integrated Micro-Scissors for Improved Pleural Effusion Drainage

As an ultrasound diagnostician, Professor Wang Shumin of Peking University Third Hospital has seen too many patients with pneumonia (excluding tuberculosis) whose pleural effusion fibrosis and septation worsened due to the lack of effective puncture. Especially in the special context of recent years, it was impossible for patients to shuttle back and forth among various departments.

Among them, a patient who graduated from Peking University left a deep impression on Wang Shumin. He had received treatment at several hospitals, including Peking Union Medical College Hospital and the 301 Hospital (PLA General Hospital), but his pleural effusion could never be effectively drained. Faced with the dilemma of “multiple septations within the thoracic cavity, where the puncture needle moved back and forth but struggled to aspirate the fluid,” Professor Wang Shumin began to ponder: since ultrasound can clearly visualize these septations, could a micro-scissor be integrated into the puncture needle to cut through these fibrous septations under ultrasound guidance, thereby facilitating successful drainage of the effusion?

Thus, WangProfessor Shumin put this concept into practice, successfully integrating “ultrasound-guided puncture” technology to create a novel thoracentesis device.Professor Wang Shumin told Chengguo Bureau that this tool integrates four major functions—simple operation, efficient treatment, minimally invasive therapy, and precise positioning—providing a more ideal treatment option for patients with pleural effusion.

In recent years, the global market for pleural effusion treatment has demonstrated strong growth momentum. Relevant data indicate that the market’s average growth rate has reached 5.91%. Specifically, global revenue from pleural effusion treatment expanded to USD 4,482.10 million in 2019, and the market size is projected to reach USD 6,809.21 million by the end of 2026.

However,Despite the rapid development of the pleural effusion treatment market, conventional thoracentesis therapy still faces numerous challenges.。

On the one hand, due to the stable mesh-like structure of fibrous septa, it is difficult for puncture needles to effectively disrupt the intrathoracic septations. This results in the inability to completely aspirate pleural effusion with a single puncture, while simply increasing the number of punctures fails to fundamentally resolve the issue. On the other hand, from the perspective of primary care hospitals, the current main approach to disrupting fibrous septa is thoracoscopic surgery. However, this method is not only highly invasive but also involves expensive equipment costs that are prohibitive for primary care institutions, thereby limiting treatment options for patients.

To address industry pain points,Professor Wang Shumin and her team have developed a novel thoracentesis device that combines ultrasound guidance with micro-scissor technology.

Under precise ultrasound guidance, physicians can accurately position the puncture needle to the target area and use micro-scissors to sever avascular fibrous septa within the thoracic cavity, thereby effectively reducing the number of punctures and improving drainage efficiency. Furthermore, the device is equipped with a negative-pressure drainage catheter, meeting the drainage needs of patients with massive pleural effusion and providing a safer and more efficient therapeutic experience.

Professor Wang Shumin stated,This is the first thoracentesis needle in China to enable ultrasound-guided surgical procedures.She emphasized that the thoracentesis needle aims to benefit more patients with pleural effusion. By offering an affordable price, it enables more primary-care hospitals and patients to access and utilize this new medical device, thereby improving treatment outcomes.

In the field of medical devices, product manufacturing is undoubtedly a major challenge. Given that physicians generally lack engineering expertise, it is crucial to establish research and development teams composed of both medical experts and engineers. This approach not only ensures that the devices meet both medical and engineering requirements but also enhances their performance and quality.

“During the surgical procedure, the instrument needs to traverse the thoracic cavity to aspirate accumulated fluid, while also deploying a pair of scissors for cutting and enabling precise retraction. The entire process is quite complex, so I need to find a suitable and high-quality company to handle the prototyping work,” stated Professor Wang Shumin.

By chance, Professor Wang Shumin came into contact with Dr. Wei Wei from Tsinghua University, who had returned from abroad in his early years and was dedicated to the research, development, and innovation of large-scale medical imaging equipment. During a conversation, Professor Wang proposed a novel design for thoracentesis needles. Dr. Wei was immediately interested in the idea, and they initially agreed to collaborate.

For the 1.0 device, this medical-engineering collaborative team controlled the closure of the scissors by designing a trigger mechanism.In the 2.0 phase, Professor Wang Shumin aimed to “innovate with surgical scissors.” During surgical procedures, particularly when cutting fibrous tissue, physicians must remain highly vigilant about the risk of bleeding. “To ensure both safety and efficiency, the surgical scissors are coated with a hemostatic coating to minimize bleeding as much as possible.”

To further reduce this risk, Professor Wang Shumin believesAdding hemostatic functionality or integrating electrode capabilities into surgical scissors is a promising avenue for in-depth research.. These potential improvements can not only enhance the safety of surgery but also make ultrasound technology a strong candidate to completely replace thoracoscopy in certain scenarios.

Currently, Professor Wang Shumin’s team has successfully completed the prototype development phase of a novel thoracentesis product; however, she feels deeply overwhelmed by the subsequent research and development and commercialization efforts.Due to the heavy workload of daily clinical practice, physicians find it difficult to devote substantial time to the specific process of translational research.

Similar situations have also emerged in other research projects led by Professor Wang Shumin. She previously collaborated with Beijing Institute of Technology to co-develop an antimicrobial drainage tube, whose core technology lies in the use of a cationic antimicrobial agent developed by the institute—namely, cationic liposomes. Leveraging their positive charge, these liposomes can effectively adsorb and kill bacteria that carry negative charges on their surfaces, demonstrating significant antimicrobial efficacy.

For this project, the team has completed preliminary animal experiments to verify the efficacy of the antimicrobial agent and is collaborating with a specialized drainage catheter manufacturer to incorporate the antimicrobial drainage catheter into commercial products.

Earlier, Professor Wang Shumin also participated in a project aimed at reducing radiation risks in pediatric intussusception examinations. She revealed that the project team had held preliminary discussions with several companies and received positive feedback. However, due to her busy schedule and other factors, no further in-depth cooperation negotiations were pursued between the parties.

Professor Wang Shumin told VCBeat,She expects the company to take over the patent transfer of the project or continue in-depth collaborative R&D.“As the project undergoes further transformation and advancement, we are also seeking suitable partners to jointly promote the widespread application of these innovative achievements, thereby bringing significant benefits to patients,” said Professor Wang Shumin.