The Trans-Radial Team
The Trans-Radial Team
Andrew W. Shealy - Andrew has extensive experience in general fabrication, especially the welding of a wide range of metals and plastics. His obsession with quality and practical mechanical creativity are fundamental to our corporate culture. He is the head of Research and Manufacturing at Trans-Radial Solutions, LLC, and is Chief Executive Officer.
Robert M. Shealy, PhD - A Human Anatomy and Physiology professor for over 25 years, Dr. Shealy provides basic scientific expertise for product development and applications.
Barney C. Wasson, Jr. – Prior to entry into the medical field, Barney was trained as a tool and die machinist. Barney brings more than 10 years of design and tool manufacturing into his medical career. After receiving his BSN from Clemson University, he transitioned into critical care departments. This journey led him to the cardiac department of a large interventional cardiac center. His combination of native talent, experience, and "can do" attitude impress all who have worked with him.
TCT, Washington DC, 2016
Dr. Shealy demonstrates a Cardio-TRAP setup
ACC-15 San Diego
The TRS team at our first ACC Expo
The Cardio-TRAP® Story:
The Cardio-TRAP® was developed by three individuals. Two of them, a scrub-tech and a critical care nurse, worked in a three-room cath-lab with seven cardiologists. The scrub tech had a radiation background and the critical care nurse had a machine tool and manufacturing background. The third individual had a welding and fabrication background. Together they were able to incorporate improvements quickly and make changes to the design over-night, to accommodate the need for patient safety and the demands of the cardiologists.
Every detail of the Cardio-TRAP® has resulted from continuous feedback from over 20 hospital staff during the two-year period of its development. The Cardio-TRAP® went through nine generations as it was being designed and tested. The current design of the Cardio-TRAP® has been used in over 4,000 cases before being put into production. Because it was being used by seven cardiologists, each having individual preferences, the design had to accommodate both femoral and radial access cases.
The two most innovative features of the Cardio-TRAP® are the Left Radial Base and the Radiation Shield. The Left Radial Base was created after towels stacked under the patient's arm suddenly collapsed during a left radial case. The patient had a wire in place that came out, but fortunately for the patient no interventional steps were being taken at the time. The Upper Radiation Shield was developed to reduce the scatter radiation dose to the physician and the scrub-tech.
The Rad-Guard Story
Often, the circulating staff must approach tableside IV poles in order to "push" drugs as needed. Imaging while the circulating nurse is standing at the IV pole exposes the nurse to an extra large dose of scatter radiation. The Rad-Guard was designed to block scatter radiation by clamping onto an IV pole, while allowing adequate space for the pumps behind and maintaining IV pole stablility.