Capnospot® Pneumothorax Decompression Indicator

The Capnospot® Pneumothorax Decompression Indicator is a lightweight and compact visual detection device that provides visual confirmation of tension pneumothorax decompression success or failure by using nearly instant (<5 seconds) color change, ideal for noisy pre-hospital environments. The Capnospot® device indicates if the decompression is non-therapeutic, or if the catheter loses patency it will revert to its original color.

Tension Pneumothorax has a 100% fatality rate if not treated immediately and is a leading cause of preventable trauma mortalities. Prior to the Capnospot® indicator, judging needle decompression success was based on hearing a “gush of air” and/or vitals assessment, which is subjective and hard to hear in the field or a noisy ER.