Master Thesis Opportunity - Optimization of thermal response characteristics of an intravascular PiCCO Catheter

Master Thesis Opportunity - Optimization of thermal response characteristics of an intravascular PiCCO Catheter

With a passion for life

Join our diverse teams of passionate people and a career that allows you to develop both personally and professionally. At Getinge we exist to make life-saving technology accessible for more people. To make a true difference for our customers – and to save more lives, we need team players, forward thinkers, and game changers.

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Become part of something bigger

At Getinge, we are committed to helping save lives. Every day, our products support healthcare professionals worldwide in delivering safe and effective patient care. To strengthen our R&D Consumables team, we are looking for a Master's student who is passionate about medical technology, product development, and engineering innovation.

Master Thesis Topic

Optimization of the thermal response time of a PiCCO Catheter for Advanced Hemodynamic Monitoring

The PiCCO catheter is a key component of the PiCCO hemodynamic monitoring technology and enables the determination of cardiac output through transpulmonary thermodilution. A temperature sensor (thermistor) integrated into the catheter measures very small blood temperature changes. The speed and consistency of this measurement, commonly expressed as the thermal response time (τ), are critical for measurement accuracy and clinical performance.

Your Challenge

In this thesis you will investigate how the thermal response behaviour of the existing PiCCO catheter design can be improved and how variability between catheters can be reduced. The current design includes an integrated sensor located inside the catheter, creating a complex heat transfer system between blood, catheter materials, and sensor components.

Scope

• Conduct a literature review on heat transfer mechanisms, sensor technology, and medical sensor design.
• Analyse the current catheter design and identify key parameters influencing thermal response time.
• Develop and assess innovative design concepts to reduce τ and improve measurement consistency.
• Investigate the impact of geometry, materials, sensor positioning, and manufacturing tolerances.
• Perform simulations (e.g., FEM/CFD) and/or experimental testing to evaluate design alternatives.
• Use Design of Experiments (DoE) and statistical methods to identify critical parameters.
• Establish decision criteria considering performance, manufacturability, risk, regulatory impact, and cost.
• Recommend an optimized design concept and implementation roadmap.

Expected Outcome

The thesis should deliver a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing thermal response performance and provide a data-driven recommendation for future product improvements. The results may directly contribute to the