We are used to IV poles, walkers, and O2 caddies, so why change any of that?
We’re talking about equipment that was developed decades ago, when the demands of patient care were much different than they are now. Today, patient outcomes are measured precisely and issues of patient safety are front and center. Outdated equipment that was once “cutting edge” now falls short of providing real value in the today’s high-acuity, do-more-with-less healthcare environment.

The IVEA replaces a variety of outdated, cumbersome and even potentially dangerous equipment. It provides a better way to ambulate patients sooner and more safely. It improves efficiency by reducing the number of caregivers needed for key activities. And it reduces clutter in patient rooms by storing compactly against the wall or under the bed.

The IVEA also makes an important statement to patients! It says that hospitals that provide this state-of-the-art product have their clients’ best interests at heart. The decision to provide the best care doesn’t looks backwards; it looks to the opportunities ahead.

How can the IVEA help reduce our healthcare costs?
The IVEA is positioned to help reduce your costs in several ways. First, the IVEA is specifically designed to safely mobilize patients sooner, which leads to earlier discharges and improved outcomes. Second, the IVEA’s unique design should help reduce costs associated with patient falls by providing secure and stable mobility support. Third, the IVEA is expected to help protect caregivers from injury by providing the patient with the opportunity to rely on the equipment rather than the nurse for physical support. This reduces the risks nurses face as they try to manage the patient and multiple pieces of equipment. Fourth, the IVEA enables one nurse to accomplish tasks that typically take two or more nurses to complete. And lastly, the IVEA stores compactly and out of the way when not in use, thereby providing practical solutions within an environment held to tight accreditation standards.

How do I train staff on the use of the IVEA?
The IVEA is designed to be intuitive and easy to use. Every IVEA comes with a comprehensive Users’ Manual that provides complete “how-to” instructions. This information is also available here. (hyperlink to Information Center page) For volume orders Firefly Medical may provide on-site, in-service support, and we are always just a phone call away and ready to answer any questions related to the IVEA.

How much does the IVEA cost?
Contact us and we’ll be happy to connect you with a distributor in your area who can provide you with pricing information.

Does the IVEA work at the bedside as well?
Absolutely! The IVEA is uniquely-designed to provide full infusion support, whether the patient is bed bound or mobile. It fits closely beside the head of the bed, and it positions infusion pumps at an upward angle to offer better viewing and access for the nurse. Brakes on each caster can be used to hold the IVEA in position, while convenient hooks and clips permit electrical cords and IV tubing to be neatly organized and secure. When the patient is ready to get out of bed, the IVEA offers excellent ergonomics to assist the patient from a sitting to a standing position.

Does the IVEA hold anything that an IV pole holds?
Yes, and more besides. The IVEA can accommodate up to four IV bags and their respective infusion pumps, an E-cylinder of oxygen, two pleur-evacs, a catheter bag, various drainage devices (ex. hemovac), and a regulatory-approved power strip. Any item that mounts to an IV pole will easily mount to the IVEA.

The IVEA rolls so easily. Won’t it get away from my patient?
Several aspects of the IVEA’s unique design were specifically intended to help patient mobility. In an IRB Study from 2014, both staff and patients agreed that the IVEA made ambulation a safer and more positive experience. 

The quiet, easy-rolling wheels of the IVEA function in stark contrast to the clunky, conventional casters found on many IV poles and other pieces of medical equipment today. These high-grade polyurethane wheels smoothly glide over various floor surfaces and minor obstacles. For nurses accustomed to the unwieldy “catches, chatters, grates, and spins” of traditional IV poles and walkers, the silky smooth responsiveness of the IVEA will feel airy and light. However, the IVEA is exceptionally stable and is designed to promote a normal gait and proper posture, enabling the patient to have better control and a more comfortable experience.

Nurses might be surprised by the IVEA’s easy motion, but patients unfamiliar with the troublesome nature and feel of antiquated medical equipment only know that the IVEA gives them instant ease of mobility and stable, hassle-free movement. Even when it’s loaded up with multiple infusion pumps, IV bags and other devices, the IVEA remains easy to maneuver and use.

All this being said, the IVEA was not intended to replace good nursing judgment. Given the patient’s physical abilities, caregivers must decide whether use of the IVEA is appropriate.

What is the range of patient heights that the IVEA can accommodate?
The handles on the IVEA easily adjust to accommodate a wide range of patient heights, from children to tall adults. The IVEA has been successfully evaluated with patients just over four feet tall to patients well over six feet tall.

How much does the IVEA weigh?
The IVEA weighs less than 30 pounds. It is easy to fold, roll about, carry, and store.

What keeps the IVEA from tipping over?
The design of the IVEA is inspired, in part, by products and technologies in other markets that have effectively demonstrated the ability to safely support significant weight over a rolling base. The unique V-base and angled main mast of the IVEA position the force of the patient and the weight of equipment over a proper center of gravity. The stability of the IVEA increases as proper weight is placed upon it.

How easy is the IVEA to steer and rollover different surfaces?
The IVEA’s unique design features a V-shaped base with two wide-set wheels at the back and two close-set wheels at the front. This enables nimble steering and unprecedented stability over virtually any surface, including changes between flooring types and elevator thresholds.

What keeps the IVEA stationary?
The IVEA features a simple, foot-operated braking system on all four of its casters that allows the caregiver to quickly engage and disengage the locking mechanism. This system permits any or all of these brakes to be applied as needed.

Will the IVEA fit in a patient’s hospital room bathroom?
Yes. We know that most patient falls occur between the bed and the bathroom, so we made certain that the IVEA can be mobilized into and within a standard-sized hospital-room bathroom. The IVEA has the ability to fit through doorways as small as 30 inches, and it will pivot 360 degrees, with a patient, inside a five-foot diameter circle.

Hasn’t CMS ruled out the use of power strips?
CMS is permitting a categorical waiver to allow for the use of power strips in existing and new health care facility patient-care areas. This requires the provider/supplier to be in compliance with all applicable 2012 LSC power strip requirements and with all other 2000 LSC electrical system and equipment provisions.

The IVEA was designed to accommodate several models of Tripp-Lite brand power strips that are compliant with UL1363A Specialty Purpose Relocatable Power Tap (SPRPT) criteria and are approved and safe for use in the patient-care room and vicinity. By opting to use and comply with the CMS waiver, a facility is approved to use these SPRPT power strips.

Is the IVEA registered with the FDA?
The IVEA is a Class 1 device which has 510(k) exempt status and does not need pre-market approval from the FDA.