NIO Intraosseous Device w/Fixation Dressing - Infant

Key Specifications

Product Overview

Vascular access in infants represents one of the most technically demanding challenges in emergency medicine. Peripheral veins in infants are tiny, fragile, and collapse rapidly under physiologic stress. In a critically ill infant — septic shock, traumatic hemorrhage, respiratory failure requiring medication — the time spent attempting peripheral IV access can exceed the intervention window. The NIO Infant™ was designed to provide a reliable, reproducible alternative: intraosseous access achievable in under 60 seconds by any trained provider.

The NIO Infant's defining feature is its Stepped Needle® technology — a needle that tapers from 14 gauge at the outer shaft to 18 gauge at the insertion tip. This step geometry provides sensory feedback to the provider: as the 18G tip penetrates the cortex and enters the medullary cavity, the tactile resistance changes, indicating successful marrow penetration. The transition to the 14G shaft simultaneously acts as a physical stop, preventing the needle from over-penetrating through the far cortex — a critical safety feature in infant tibias, where bone cortex thickness can be as little as a few millimeters.

The NIO Infant is a manual device — the provider applies controlled downward pressure to advance the needle, with the Stepped Needle providing both feedback and depth control. This design contrasts with the spring-loaded NIO Adult/Pediatric mechanisms, reflecting the different force requirements for infant bone penetration. The device is pocket-sized, lightweight, requires no batteries, assembly, or maintenance, and arrives sterile in an individually labeled peel-back blister pack with a fixation dressing to secure the device post-insertion.

Proximal tibial IO access in infants is the standard primary site: the flat medial surface of the proximal tibia is identifiable by palpation of the tibial tuberosity landmark even in edematous patients. All medications, fluids, and blood products that can be administered intravenously can be administered via IO route, with comparable pharmacokinetics.

NIO Infant Insertion Procedure

• Identify proximal tibia insertion site — medial flat surface, 1–2 cm below tibial tuberosity
• Clean site with alcohol prep pad
• Remove NIO Infant from blister pack; confirm device integrity
• Hold NIO at 90° to the insertion site with non-dominant hand stabilizing the leg
• Apply firm, controlled downward pressure until Stepped Needle provides tactile change of resistance
• Remove needle cover/stylet; connect IV extension set (Go IO kit recommended)
• Confirm placement: aspirate blood/marrow, feel resistance-free injection of saline flush
• Apply fixation dressing to prevent dislodgment

See also: NIO Pediatric Intraosseous Device

See also: Go IO Intraosseous Start Kit

See also: IV/IO & Blood Transfusion Supplies

All products sourced from the actual brand manufacturer or authorized master distributors. CoTCCC recommendation status verified where applicable. Ships from MED-TAC International, Pembroke Pines, FL — clinician-founded, veteran-led, SDVOSB-certified.