Expert discusses cost effectiveness of reusable catheters

In this video, Ana Lidia Flores-Mireles, PhD, discusses the Urology study “Initial Antimicrobial Testing of a Novel Reusable Intermittent Urinary Catheter System and Catheter Reprocessing Device.” Flores-Mireles is the Janet C. and Jeffrey A. Hawk Collegiate Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana.

Transcription:

Could you elaborate on the cost-effectiveness of the Aurie System compared with traditional single-use catheters?

The idea with this device is that you buy the device 1 time, and the idea is the cost of the catheter will be exactly the same as standard catheters. As I mentioned, there are several no-touch features in some catheters, but those catheters cost 4 times the price of standard ones. So the idea that this company has is to have exactly the same price to be competitive. At home, you have 6 catheters with you. You [can] clean all 6 catheters, and you keep reusing them. You're going to be able to use these catheters over time, for long periods. You're going to reduce the production of waste, because imagine how many urinary catheters are in the garbage. Again, the idea of this company is to have these catheters be the same price and [be affordable]. I do not know anything about the device by itself, but the idea is that the catheters [can be reused] at least 100 times. That's what we tested.

This transcript was edited for clarity.