Dr. Wang Chen of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital: Putting Patients First in Medical Innovation with a Real-Time Cuff Pressure Monitoring Endotracheal Tube

Anesthesia is the foundation of all surgeries. Behind every successful surgery, the cooperation of anesthesia is indispensable.

During most general anesthesia surgeries, to ensure patient safety, doctors need to perform endotracheal intubation for anesthesia. In the process of endotracheal intubation, controlling the pressure within the cuff of the endotracheal tube is extremely critical.

If the cuff pressure is too high, it is highly likely to cause postoperative sore throat, and in severe cases, a series of complications that affect the patient’s postoperative quality of life. If the cuff pressure is too low, air leakage may occur during mechanical ventilation, and secretions accumulated above the cuff (such as gastric fluid and sputum) may pass around the endotracheal tube cuff into the patient’s lungs, potentially leading to ventilator-associated pneumonia in mild cases or hypoxia endangering life in severe cases.

Although the risks are substantial, many clinicians currently rely on palpating the pilot balloon to estimate cuff pressure. How is this assessment performed? Existing textbooks have stated that when intracuff pressure is appropriate, the cuff’s consistency feels “elastic like the tip of the nose.” These five highly subjective words have become the standard by which many physicians judge cuff pressure, and they represent a primary cause of overinflation leading to excessively high cuff pressures in clinical practice.

Yet the course of human medicine is always moving forward. Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, with decades of clinical experience in anesthesiology,Dr. Chen WangAfter recognizing this clinical pain point, he quickly began seeking methods to control cuff pressure more accurately and objectively. In addition to using a cuff manometer for intermittent measurements, he found that connecting the endotracheal tube cuff pressure to a patient monitor via a pressure sensor was simpler and more practical, leading to the development ofDisposable Endotracheal Tube Device with Cuff Pressure Monitoring(hereinafter referred to as the "cuff pressure monitoring device").

Dr. Wang Chen told VCBeat’s Orange Fruit Bureau: “With the disposable endotracheal tube device for monitoring intracuff pressure,”We can accurately, in real time, and continuously measure the intracuff pressure of the endotracheal tube.“The cuff pressure values can also be transmitted electronically and imported into electronic anesthesia records, thereby greatly facilitating postoperative electronic archive management. Moreover, its application value extends beyond anesthesia to respiratory therapy, critical care medicine, and emergency resuscitation—indeed, to any medical field requiring endotracheal tube devices.”

So, as a clinician,How did Dr. Wang Chen embark on the path of research and development? What approaches did he employ during the R&D process? And where will his scientific achievements lead in the future?To address these questions, the2022 2nd High-Value Patent Project Selection in the Field of BiomedicineInvitation,VCBeat Orange BureauAn Exclusive Interview with Dr. Wang Chen of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital

During his graduate studies at Peking Union Medical College, Dr. Wang Chen conducted extensive research on artificial lungs and cardiopulmonary bypass under the supervision of his mentor, Professor Hei Feilong, and participated in two projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China as well as four patent projects. Building on this scientific foundation and addressing current clinical pain points, his mentor advised him to direct his future research towardPerioperative Lung Protectiondevelopment. This also laid the groundwork for Dr. Wang Chen’s later development of a compartment pressure monitoring device.

However, what truly inspired Dr. Wang Chen to develop the idea for a bladder pressure monitoring device was an anesthesia experience involving a “mysterious disease.”

A few years ago, a patient suffering from dyspnea and profuse sweating upon minimal exertion was transferred to Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, where Dr. Wang Chen practices, after unsuccessful treatment at a hospital in Urumqi, Xinjiang. Following comprehensive examinations, the team at Chaoyang Hospital determined that the cause of the patient’s breathing difficulties was not cardiac in origin, contrary to the initial diagnosis made by the Urumqi hospital.

After taking the patient’s medical history, the pulmonologist found that the patient had previously undergone emergency endotracheal intubation for acute myocardial infarction and received prolonged mechanical ventilation via an endotracheal tube in the intensive care unit. The dyspnea was most likely a complication caused by excessive endotracheal tube cuff pressure.

Consequently, the pulmonologist examined the patient’s trachea and identified a circumferential scar-induced stenosis within the lumen. This condition was highly likely caused by excessive cuff pressure from endotracheal intubation, which exceeded the capillary perfusion pressure of the tracheal mucosa. The resulting ischemia led to mucosal necrosis and sloughing, followed by ulcer healing and subsequent scar formation. This scar tissue narrowed the tracheal lumen from its original diameter of 10–20 mm to approximately 2 mm, thereby causing the patient’s respiratory distress.

Following an exceptionally high-risk anesthesia procedure, the pulmonologist removed the scar tissue using electrocautery resection and balloon dilation. The patient’s dyspnea completely resolved, and the profuse sweating subsided.

This particular case, involving long-term complications caused by excessive cuff pressure, may be rare, but it planted a seed in Dr. Wang Chen’s mind. He reflected: “It is not only such abnormally dangerous anesthesia scenarios; clinically, patients frequently experience post-extubation sore throat due to high cuff pressure, which also undermines the goal of providing a comfortable medical experience. Since we can avoid the aforementioned complications by controlling cuff pressure, why not take proactive measures and address this issue early on?”

Thus, he embarked on a process of continuous exploration, striving to identify the most effective solution. After prolonged periods of overturning previous approaches and starting anew, along with a series of experiments, he finally developed a cuff pressure monitoring device. Dr. Wang Chen told VCBeat’s Orange Fruit Bureau: “Regarding postoperative sore throat, we often reassure patients that it is normal and that symptoms will resolve within a few days. However, I prefer not to wait until patients complain before taking action; instead, I aim to act proactively. Only in this way can we reduce unnecessary suffering for patients and ensure they receive better care.”

Once the prototype of the intracuff pressure monitoring device was developed, Dr. Wang Chen began to consider how to bring it to market, thereby benefiting more patients.

However, this is no easy feat. For clinicians like Dr. Wang Chen, balancing a demanding daily workload while independently launching ventures to translate research into practical applications presents an exceedingly formidable challenge.

Consequently, Dr. Wang Chen began to seek partners—specifically manufacturers with production lines and R&D capabilities—to collaborate on the research, development, and improvement of intracranial pressure monitoring devices.

To discuss collaboration, clinical data must be provided to demonstrate the product’s safety and efficacy; however, the existing cases from Dr. Wang Chen’s department of anesthesiology are far from sufficient. Therefore, he began seeking assistance from Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, where he is affiliated.

It is reported that Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, a Grade A tertiary hospital specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of respiratory diseases, offers a comprehensive range of medical conditions, thereby providing substantial practical support for Dr. Wang Chen’s clinical research. Conducting clinical studies across various specialties to validate the efficacy and safety of the capsule pressure monitoring device yields more compelling evidence than data derived from a single field.

Moreover, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital has implemented a comprehensive ward management system that covers the entire patient journey from admission to discharge across all departments, along with standardized clinical trial procedures. These measures have enabled Dr. Wang Chen’s clinical research to better align with the Unified Standards for Clinical Trial Reports, thereby significantly enhancing the credibility of his study data.

It is precisely because of the support from clinical data that Dr. Wang has greater confidence when seeking partners for his scientific research projects.

But how should one go about finding it?

In an interview with VCBeat’s Orange Bureau, Dr. Wang Chen stated, “When seeking partners, we have encountered numerous companies expressing interest in collaboration. However, once discussions turned to the practical implementation and commercialization of technologies, these parties began to hesitate, explicitly stating that they only wished to purchase patents. Some companies may act this way due to a limited understanding of technology transfer, while others are merely attempting to exploit innovation-related policy benefits, such as tax reductions, by acquiring patents.”

However, this deviates from Dr. Wang Chen’s original intention in developing the intracranial pressure monitoring device. Aiming to help more patients receive better medical care, he naturally sought to apply his scientific research achievements to clinical practice.Therefore, he cannot accept a strategy of acquisition without conversion.

At that juncture, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital once again extended an olive branch to Dr. Wang Chen. Upon learning of his difficulties in securing partners, the hospital promptly provided lateral support, including funding and other resources, giving Dr. Wang Chen another crucial push on the path to translating his research achievements into practical applications.

In fact, in recent years, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital has done more than just this to promote the translation of in-house scientific research achievements. Since last year, Chaoyang Hospital has held an annual selection for its Science and Technology Innovation Fund, providing financial support to research projects that have obtained patents and seek to translate their results into practical applications, thereby alleviating the pain point of “difficulty in securing financing” at the earliest stage of project development.

In addition to providing financial support, Chaoyang Hospital has partnered with Tsinghua University’s Global Health Industry Innovation Center to launch a Sci-Tech Innovation Training Camp and offer industry consulting services. Each session of the “Training Camp” invites experts from various industries to deliver online lectures on knowledge related to achievement transformation, thereby expanding physicians’ market awareness and enhancing their independent capabilities in translating research into practical applications.

In addition, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital co-hosts project roadshow events with government agencies and universities, thereby providing a market-oriented professional platform for more of the hospital’s research projects.

Dr. Wang Chen remarked that the soundness of a hospital’s institutional framework for technology transfer, as well as its ability to provide physicians with necessary market-oriented resources, is particularly critical to the successful translation of their research projects. It was precisely due to the consistent support from Beijing Chaoyang Hospital that Dr. Wang Chen’s intracranial pressure monitoring device project was able to smoothly advance into the clinical stage.

At present, Dr. Wang Chen’s scientific research achievements have made significant progress, successively earning the Third Prize for Technological Innovation in Medical Devices from Tuoren Medical and the Outstanding Patent Project Award from the Chinese Society of Biotechnology. However, he is not content with these accomplishments; he remains committed to further refining and perfecting his research outcomes.

In the future, Dr. Wang Chen has decided to focus on wireless technology. Based on Dr. Wang’s clinical experience, numerous cables connect patients to monitors during surgery, causing significant inconvenience when patient repositioning is required. Therefore, integrating wireless technology would greatly reduce the physical burden on patients and enhance operational convenience for surgeons.

However, there is still a long way to go in realizing wireless technology. Issues such as the power consumption and heat generation of wireless devices, as well as battery life, must be taken into account. These are among the challenges that Dr. Wang Chen will need to address in the future.

Of course, in addition to performance improvements, Dr. Wang Chen also aims to further reduce the price, after all, only products that “cut costs and increase efficiency” can truly be competitive in the market.

Currently, Dr. Wang Chen’s intracranial pressure monitoring device utilizes imported disposable pressure sensors, with quoted prices ranging from 200 to 300 yuan. In contrast, domestically produced pressure sensors are generally priced between 60 and 80 yuan. However, the current challenge lies in the limited number of domestic manufacturers of gas pressure sensors, which prevents guaranteed production at a substantial scale.

Dr. Wang Chen told VCBeat’s Orange Fruit Bureau that collaborating with manufacturers possessing mature production lines could further reduce costs, thereby alleviating the financial burden on patients and promoting the further development of domestically produced medical devices.

Considering the patient’s perspective was Dr. Wang’s original motivation for conducting scientific research, and it remains the core principle he has consistently upheld.

It is often said that anesthesiologists are the “unsung heroes” behind the scenes in the operating room, because after a successful surgery, patients tend to think only of the lead surgeon. For the Department of Anesthesiology, the highest aspiration is to silently safeguard patients’ perioperative safety and alleviate their pain.

However, after several surgeries, Dr. Wang Chen received expressions of gratitude: “Your anesthesia technique is excellent; the surgery was completely painless!” Some patients even presented silk banners to the Department of Anesthesiology to express their appreciation.

It is precisely such simple praise and affirmation that have further strengthened Dr. Wang Chen’s original commitment to pursuing medicine and saving lives, as he has always prioritized patient safety and their experience during treatment throughout his more than ten years of medical practice.

Therefore, Dr. Wang Chen has repeatedly emphasized,Scientific research must originate from clinical practice, with the ultimate goal of addressing critical clinical challenges.When a physician successfully treats a patient, they are fulfilling their responsibility to that individual alone. However, if physicians can synthesize clinical experience from case after case and conduct rigorous clinical research, the benefits will extend to thousands upon thousands of patients.