Mechanical stabilization of non-vascular catheters using a low-profile suture-anchored device

To evaluate the mechanical performance of AnchorDoc, a novel, low-profile, two-piece, suture-anchored device, against standard securement methods. We hypothesized that AnchorDoc would provide superior mechanical stability without compromising catheter patency. Using a custom anatomically-informed gelatin phantom of the human flank with porcine-skin overlay, we compared the performance of AnchorDoc against a standard adhesive device (StatLock) and a suture-tape technique (Roman sandal) for 8.5, 10.2, and 12 French (Fr) catheters. We conducted: (1) static tensile testing under dry and wet conditions to measure peak force to catheter slip (≥ 5 mm); (2) dynamic gait simulation to assess time-to-failure; and (3) static flow testing to evaluate for lumen compromise. In tensile testing, AnchorDoc required a significantly higher dislodgement force than both StatLock and Roman Sandal under dry (e.g., 10.2 Fr: 31.1 ± 1.4 N vs. 20.5 ± 2.4 N and 18.8 ± 2.3 N, respectively; p < 0.0001) and wet conditions (25.5 ± 1.0 N vs. 10.9 ± 1.3 N and 18.7 ± 1.0 N; p < 0.0001). The adhesive device’s retention strength degraded by nearly 50% when wet, while AnchorDoc maintained its superiority. In dynamic gait simulation, Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that AnchorDoc had a significantly higher survival probability (fewer failures) while tested over 12,000 cycles compared to both comparators (p < 0.05). Flow testing confirmed that AnchorDoc did not cause a statistically significant reduction in flow rate or lumen diameter across all catheter sizes (p > 0.05). The AnchorDoc device provides significantly greater resistance to both static and dynamic dislodgement forces than common adhesive and suture-tape techniques, particularly in a laboratory-simulated wet environment, without impairing catheter function. This suture-anchored, two-part platform represents a promising solution to mitigate the risk of non-vascular catheter dislodgement.