Official Release of Achievements

In emergency medicine, securing reliable vascular access is critical for saving lives. Intraosseous (IO) access needles, medical devices that enable rapid establishment of intramedullary access, have been widely adopted in global emergency-care systems. In recent years, driven by advances in materials science and design engineering, next-generation intraosseous access needles have achieved remarkable improvements in puncture success rate, ease of operation, and patient safety, becoming indispensable tools in emergency departments, ICUs, pre-hospital emergency care, and even military medicine. This series of articles deeply analyses the evolution and value of this technology from multiple dimensions.

R&D Background and Unmet Clinical Needs

In emergency scenarios such as severe trauma, cardiac arrest, profound shock, or extensive burns, conventional peripheral venous cannulation is often difficult to perform rapidly due to vascular collapse, vasospasm, or limited visualisation. The venous access failure rate is particularly high among paediatric, elderly, and obese patients, significantly raising the risk of delayed resuscitation. In addition, special environments including disaster relief and battlefield emergency care impose higher requirements for medical device portability and operational simplicity. Intraosseous access technology was developed to address these pain points, aiming to break time-window constraints and gain precious time for resuscitation.

Core Technological Innovations

Modern intraosseous access needles incorporate multiple innovations based on traditional hollow-needle designs:

Material upgrading: Manufactured from medical-grade stainless steel or titanium alloy to balance mechanical strength and biocompatibility and reduce fracture risks.

Structural optimisation: Features including electrically driven units, integrated puncture handles, and anti-reflux designs improve first-attempt puncture success rates.

Intelligent assistance: Selected models integrate pressure sensing and depth-control functions to prevent penetration of the posterior bone cortex.

Multi-specification adaptability: Specialised needle configurations tailored to paediatric and adult bone anatomy (e.g., proximal tibia, humerus, sternum) enhance anatomical compatibility.

Mechanism of Action

Intraosseous access needles penetrate the bone cortex and position the tip within the vascular-sinus-rich medullary cavity. Connected to the systemic circulation via intraosseous venous plexuses, the medullary cavity allows infused fluids or medications to rapidly enter the central venous system with absorption rates comparable to peripheral venous delivery. Since bone structures remain relatively stable during shock, this access route stays patent under extreme physiological conditions, functioning as a "non-collapsible blood vessel."

Efficacy Validation

Multiple clinical studies have verified significant advantages of intraosseous access in emergency settings:

High puncture success rate (over 90%), with procedural time typically under 60 seconds.

Compatible with infusion of crystalloids, blood products, and most emergency medications (including epinephrine and antibiotics), with pharmacokinetic profiles similar to intravenous administration.

No statistically significant differences in return-of-spontaneous-circulation rates or survival rates between intraosseous and conventional intravenous drug delivery during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Low complication rates, mainly local extravasation, rare infection, or fracture, most of which are preventable with standardised operation.

R&D Strategy and Philosophy

Research and development of intraosseous access technology centre on three core principles: speed, reliability, and universal accessibility.

  Speed: Streamlined procedures and low training thresholds enable safe use by non-specialist physicians, nurses, and even trained emergency responders.

  Reliability: Ergonomic design and real-time feedback mechanisms ensure puncture stability for diverse clinical scenarios.

  Accessibility: Cost control promotes widespread adoption in primary-care hospitals, ambulances, field rescue teams, and low-income regions.

Future Outlook

  Intraosseous access technology will evolve toward intelligence, integration, and minimal invasiveness:

  Precision puncture guided by ultrasound imaging or optical positioning.

  Development of long-term indwelling catheters with antibacterial coatings to extend access duration.

  Exploration of monitoring haemodynamic and biochemical parameters within the medullary cavity.

  Further validation of reliability in extreme environments such as disaster and space medicine to establish new global standards for emergency access technology.