Kai Kuck

Kai Kuck, PhD, ME

Languages spoken: English, German, Chinese

Academic Information

Departments Primary - Anesthesiology

Throughout my work, I have been involved in the research and development of innovative medical technologies with a focus on anesthesia and critical care. My areas of focus include cardiorespiratory monitoring, intelligent decision support, and ventilation.

My experience covers the whole range from hands-on engineering for hardware, software, algorithm, and graphical user interface development all the way to managing projects, programs, and large teams of researchers. In my last position I oversaw the research of Dräger, the global market leader in anesthesia equipment and critical care ventilation, Since 2014, in my role as Director of Bioengineering at the University of Utah's Department of Anesthesiology, I have the privilege of working closely with clinicians and learning about real-world needs and opportunities for technologies.

Because transforming healthcare increasingly involves innovations at the system and workflow level, this collaborative approach is essential to creating technologies that address real needs in the clinic.

Research Statement

Throughout my work, I have been involved in the research and development of innovative medical technologies with a focus on anesthesia and critical care. My areas of focus include cardiorespiratory monitoring, intelligent decision support, and ventilation.

My experience covers the whole range from hands-on engineering for hardware, software, algorithm, and graphical user interface development all the way to managing projects, programs, and large teams of researchers. In my last position I oversaw the research of Dräger, the global market leader in anesthesia equipment and critical care ventilation, Since 2014, in my role as Director of Bioengineering at the University of Utah's Department of Anesthesiology, I have the privilege of working closely with clinicians and learning about real-world needs and opportunities for technologies.

Because transforming healthcare increasingly involves innovations at the system and workflow level, this collaborative approach is essential to creating technologies that address real needs in the clinic

Education History

Graduate Training Hamburg University of Applied Sciences
 ME
Doctoral Training University of Utah
 PhD
Other Training Babson College Executive Education

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. Kuck K, Baker PD (2017). Perioperative Noninvasive Blood Pressure Monitoring. Anesth Analg, 127(2), 408-411. (Read full article)
  2. Kuck K, Baker P (2017). Perioperative Noninvasive Blood Pressure Monitoring. Anesthesia and analgesia,
  3. Stuart AR, Kuck K, Naik BI, Saager L, Pace NL, Domino KB, Posner KL, Alpert SB, Kheterpal S, Sinha AK, Brummett CM, Durieux ME, the MPOG EOS Investigator Group (2020). Multicenter Perioperative Outcomes Group Enhanced Observation Study Postoperative Pain Profiles, Analgesic Use, and Transition to Chronic Pain and Excessive and Prolonged Opioid Use Patterns Methodology. Anesthesia and analgesia, 130(6), 1702-1708. (Read full article)
  4. Burk KM, Sakata DJ, Kuck K, Orr J (2020). Comparing Nasal End-Tidal Carbon Dioxide Measurement Variation and Agreement While Delivering Pulsed and Continuous Flow Oxygen in Volunteers and Patients. Anesthesia and analgesia, 130(3), 715-724. (Read full article)
  5. Feldman JM, Kuck K, Hemmerling (2021). Black Box, Gray Box, Clear Box? How Well Must We Understand Monitoring Devices?. Anesthesia and analgesia, 132(6), 1777-1780. (Read full article)
  6. Rubulotta F, Soliman-Aboumarie H, Filbey K, Geldner G, Kuck K, Ganau M, Hemmerling TM (2020). Technologies to Optimize the Care of Severe COVID-19 Patients for Health Care Providers Challenged by Limited Resources. Anesthesia and analgesia, 131(2), 351-364.
  7. Naik BI, Kuck K, Saager L, Kheterpal S, Domino KB, Posner KL, Sinha A, Stuart A, Brummett CM, Durieux ME, Vaughn MT, Pace NL, MPOG EOS Investigator Grou (2021). Practice Patterns and Variability in Intraoperative Opioid Utilization: A Report from the Multicenter Perioperative Outcomes Group. Anesthesia and analgesia, Online ahead of print,
  8. Silverton NA, Lofgren LR, Hall IE, Stoddard GJ, Melendez NP, Tienderen MV, Shumway S, Stringer BJ, Kang WS, Lybbert C, Kuck (2021). Noninvasive urine oxygen monitoring and the risk of acute kidney injury in cardiac surgery. Anesthesiology, 135(3), 406-418.
  9. Farrell RM, Orr JA, Kück K, Westenskow D (1992). Differential features for a neural network based anesthesia alarm system. Biomedical sciences instrumentation, 28, 99-104. (Read full article)
  10. Silverton NA, Hall IE, Melendez NP, Harris B, Harley JS, Parry SR, Lofgren LR, Stoddard GJ, Hoareau GL, Kuck (2021). Intraoperative Urinary Biomarkers and Acute Kidney Injury After Cardiac Surgery. Journal of cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesia, 35(6), 1691-1700. (Read full article)
  11. Narus SP, Kück K, Westenskow D (1995). Intelligent monitor for an anesthesia breathing circuit. Proceedings. Symposium on Computer Applications in Medical Care, 96-100. (Read full article)
  12. Gorges M, Kuck K, Koch SH, Agutter J, Westenskow D (2011). A far-view intensive care unit monitoring display enables faster triage. Dimensions of critical care nursing, 30(4), 206-17.
  13. Baker PD, Westenskow DR, Kück (1997). Theoretical analysis of non-invasive oscillometric maximum amplitude algorithm for estimating mean blood pressure. Medical & biological engineering & computing, 35(3), 271-8. (Read full article)
  14. Haryadi DG, Orr JA, Kuck K, McJames S, Westenskow D (2000). Partial CO2 rebreathing indirect Fick technique for non-invasive measurement of cardiac output. Journal of clinical monitoring and computing, 16(5-6), 361-74. (Read full article)
  15. Gorges M, Westenskow DR, Kuck K, Orr J (2010). A tool predicting future mean arterial blood pressure values improves the titration of vasoactive drugs. Journal of clinical monitoring and computing, 24(3), 223-35.
  16. Fogarty M, Orr JA, Sakata D, Brewer L, Johnson K, Fang JC, Kuck (2020). A comparison of ventilation with a non-invasive ventilator versus standard O2 with a nasal cannula for colonoscopy with moderate sedation using propofol. Journal of clinical monitoring and computing, 34(6), 1215-1221. (Read full article)
  17. Fogarty M, Kuck K, Orr J, Sakata (2020). A comparison of controlled ventilation with a noninvasive ventilator versus traditional mask ventilation. Journal of clinical monitoring and computing, 34(4), 771-777. (Read full article)
  18. Burk KM, Kuck K, Orr J (2019). Evaluation and application of a method for estimating nasal end-tidal O2 fraction while administering supplemental O2. Journal of clinical monitoring and computing, 33(6), 1071-1080. (Read full article)
  19. Kolbay PR, Orr JA, Kück (2021). Volatile anesthetic gas concentration sensing using flow sensor fusion for use in Austere settings. Journal of clinical monitoring and computing, 36(3), 725-733. (Read full article)
  20. Nourian MM, Kolbay P, Hoehne S, Poursaid AE, Rowley AE, Harris MJ, Kuck (2019). Investigating Capnography Innovation for Better Patient Monitoring in the Resource Limited Surgical Setting. Surgical innovation, 26(1), 124-128. (Read full article)
  21. Stringer BJ, Shumway SB, Holbrook MD, Copeland CG, Gosch AA, Kück (2017). Dual-wavelength reflectance spectroscopy of the superior vena cava: A method for placing central venous catheters at the cavoatrial junction. Journal of biophotonics,
  22. Stringer BJ, Shumway SB, Willden JP, Kuck (2021). Joint time-frequency analysis of visible laser reflections in a sheep heart. Journal of biophotonics, e202000464. (Read full article)
  23. Lamers OA, Kuck K, Okifuji A, Stuart AR, Johnson KB, Rijsdijk (2019). Opioid-related beliefs and prescription modalities for postoperative pain of Dutch and American physicians. Pain management, 9(3), 239-250. (Read full article)
  24. Li H, Li E, Krishnamurthy D, Kolbay P, Chacin B, Hoehne S, Cybulski J, Brewer L, Petelenz T, Orr J, Sakata D, Clardy T, Kuck K, Prakash (2020). Utah-Stanford Ventilator (Vent4US): Developing a rapidly scalable ventilator for COVID-19 patients with ARDS.
  25. Morrissey CK, Bledsoe AK, Zimmerman J, Bott SI, Stuart AR, Johnson KB, DeCou JA, Thackeray EM, Kuck K, Chacin AB, Dorsey DP, Chortkoff B, Drennan EL, Smith DW, Jackman CM, Paulsen LF, Egan T (2021). Reinvention of an academic anaesthesiology department during pandemic times: lessons learnt and adapting to a “new normal”. 27(3), 116-124.

Edited Book

  1. Baas J, Brauer U, Dannhorn DR, Hoffmann W, Kuhn M, Kück K, Pföhler W, Porzsolt F, Schmitz-Rode T, Schweins T, Scriba PC, Stähler CF, Wildau HJ, Wrobel W (2012). Schlussbericht Nationaler Strategieprozess Innovationen in der Medizintechnik.

Book Chapter

  1. Kuck K, Haryadi DG, Westenskow D (1997). Application of artificial neural networks in anesthesiology. 15,
  2. Meyer JU, Kullik G, Wruck N, Kuck K, Manigel (2008). Advanced technologies and devices for inhalational anesthetic drug dosing. 182, 451-470.
  3. Kuck (2018). Physics: Liquids, Vapors, Gases, and the Gas Laws. 994.
  4. Kuck (2018). Physics: Basic Electronics and Electrical Hazards.
  5. Stringer B, Kuck (2018). Physics: Medical Ultrasound.
  6. Burk K, Kuck (2018). Physics: Monitoring Gas Concentrations.
  7. Kolbay P, Kuck (2018). Physics: Fluid Dynamics.
  8. Decou JA, Kuck (2018). Physics: Invasive and Noninvasive Blood Pressure Measurement.
  9. Pulsipher D, Kuck (2018). Physics: Regulators, Medical Gas Cylinders, and Pressure Measurement of Gases.
  10. Hoehne SD, Kuck (2018). Physics: Pulse Oximetry.

Conference Proceedings

  1. Mike Fogarty, Joseph Orr, Kai Kuck, Lara Brewer, Derek Sakat (2015). Simple Ventilation Device for Procedural Sedation, Difficult Intubation in the OR, and Transport. Journal of clinical monitoring and computing,
  2. Strahle M, Ehlbeck M, Prapavat V, Kuck K, Franz F, Meyer J (2007). Towards a Service-Oriented Architecture for Interconnecting Medical Devices and Applications.
  3. Görges M, Westenskow DR, Kück K, Orr J (2010). Comparison of Nurse and Engineering Student Performance Titrating Sodium-Nitroprusside Using an Advisory System.
  4. Kuck K (2012). Anesthesia and critical care ventilation - The tools of 2020.
  5. Patrick Kolbay, Joseph A. Orr, Kück (2016). A New Era of Anesthetic Equipment.
  6. Patrick Kolbay, Joseph Orr, Kück (2016). Using Hot Wire Anemometry to Determine Isoflurane Gas Concentration.
  7. Kolbay P, Orr J, Kück (2016). Design and Testing of a Novel Anesthetic Gas Analyzer for use in Low-Resource Areas. October 5-8, 2016.
  8. Kairy PD, Farhoudi N, Binder S, Magda JJ, Kuck K, Solzbacher F, Reicher C (2021). Catheter-mounted smart hydrogel ultrasound resonators for intravenous analyte monitoring.
  9. Hoyer G, Runnels S, Merchant S, Kuck K (2021). Automatic Data Collection System and Video Laryngoscope Database.
  10. Huang JC, Tadler SC, Mickey BJ, Jones K, Kuck (2021). Predicting Propofol-Induced Burst Suppression Using an Individualized Model-Based Approach Over Repeated Treatments.
  11. Lofgren L, Kück K, Silverton (2021). Monitoring Acute Kidney Injury Risk with Urine Oxygen Partial Pressure.
  12. Lofgren L, Kuck K, Silverton (2021). Towards an AKI Monitor: Modeling Urinary Oxygen Changes Through the Urinary Tract.
  13. Huang JC, Tadler S, Mickey B, Jones K, Kuck (2021). Approximating the Inter- and Intra-Patient PK/PD of Propofol-Induced Burst Suppression.
  14. Lofgren L, Kuck K, Silverton (2020). Urinary Oxygen Tension – A New Biomarker for Acute Kidney Injury Risk?.
  15. Kolbay P, Orr J, Kück (2020). Adsorption Characteristics of Isoflurane in Porous Materials.
  16. Kolbay P, Orr J, Kück (2020). Combined Ultrasonic Sensing for Low-Cost Anesthetic Agent Detection, Concentration Measurement, and Respiratory Monitoring.
  17. Huang JC, Tadler SC, Mickey BJ, Jones K, Kuck (2020). A Reinforcement Learning Based Control Approach for Propofol-Induced Burst Suppression.
  18. Lofgren L, Kück K, Silverton (2020). Investigating novel biomarkers associated with AKI diagnosis and risk.
  19. Hoyer G, Runnels S, Merchant S, Kuck (2020). Advanced Video Laryngoscope and Automatic Data Collection System.
  20. Huang JS, Tadler S, Mickey B, Garrison K, Kuck (2020). PK/PD-Inspired Dosing Approach for Propofol-Induced Burst Suppression.
  21. Kolbay P, Orr J, Kück (2019). Fusion of Basic Spirometers for Anesthetic Gas Concentration Sensing.
  22. Caston RM, Silverton N, Kuck (2018). Developing an In Vitro Model Measuring Urinary Dissolved Oxygen as a Biomarker for Intraoperative Risk of Kidney Injury. American College of Surgeons 2018 Annual Meeting, Boston MA. 227(4 (Suppl 2)), E88.
  23. Kolbay P, Orr JO, Kück (2017). Reducing Volatile Anesthetic Waste Using Activated Charcoal.
  24. Kolbay P, Orr JA, Kück (2017). Using Differential Pressure to Determine Isoflurane Gas Concentration.

Editorial

  1. Kuck K, Johnson KB (2017). The Three Laws of Autonomous and Closed-Loop Systems in Anesthesia. Anesth Analg, 124(2), 377-380. (Read full article)
  2. Kuck K, Egan T (2017). Getting the dose right: anaesthetic drug delivery and the posological sweet spot. British journal of anaesthesia, 119(5), 862-864. (Read full article)

Letter

  1. Kück K, Orr JA, Brewer L (2003). Noninvasive cardiac output performance improved after sufficient stabilization time following decrease of ventilation. Anesthesiology, 99(6), 1460; author reply 1460-1. (Read full article)
  2. Orr JA, Kück K, Brewer L (2003). Noninvasive cardiac output monitor algorithms are more sophisticated and perform better than indicated in modeling paper. Anesthesiology, 99(6), 1461-2; author reply 1462. (Read full article)

Abstract

  1. Kuck K, Fine PG, Orr JA, Westenskow D (1994). Anesthesiologists can detect changes in cardiac output from esophageal heart sounds. Anesthesiology, 81(3A), A1296.
  2. Kuck K, Orr JA, Fine PG, Westenskow D (1993). Neural networks to estimate cardiac output from phonocardiograms. Anesthesiology, 79(3 Suppl. A), A472.
  3. Baker PD, Kuck K, Orr JA, Westenskow D (1992). Improved thermodilution cardiac output using neural networks. Anesthesiology, 77(3A), A476.
  4. Fine PG, Orr JA, Westenskow DR, Kuck (1991). A neural network for quantification of air embolism. Anesthesiology 1991;75:A465. Anesthesiology, 75, A465.
  5. Johnson KB, Haryadi DG, Orr JA, McJames S, Kuck K, Westenskow D (1998). Influence of pulmonary edema on noninvasive measurements of cardiac output using partial CO2 rebreathing in a canine model. Anesthesiology, 89(3A), A535.
  6. Kuck K, Orr JA, Haryadi DG, McJames S, Westenskow D (1999). CO2 Production is Not a Good Surrogate Cardiac Output Indicator. Anesthesiology, 91(3A), A550.
  7. Kuck K, Haryadi DG, Orr J, Bailey P (1998). Evaluation of partial re-breathing cardiac output measurement during surgery. Anesthesiology, 89(3A), A542.
  8. Orr JA, Kuck K, Haryadi DG, Jaffe M (1998). Clinical validation of a new non-invasive breath to breath Fick method for cardiac output estimation. Anesthesiology,
  9. Haryadi DG, Baker PD, Kuck K, Westenskow D (1995). Effect of arterial compliance on mean arterial blood pressure estimated from the oscillometric maximum amplitude algorithm. Anesthesiology, 83(3 Suppl. A), A486.
  10. Mersmann S, Kuck (2006). Optimizing Workflow Processes in Critical Care Through Automation. Journal of clinical monitoring and computing, 20(2), 119-120.
  11. Lemler J, Kuck K, Haryadi D, Baker PD, Westenskow D (1996). Variability of the blood-pressure k 'constant' in humans. Journal of clinical monitoring and computing, 12(6), 460-1.
  12. Kuck K, Douglas SC, Westenskow D (1995). Adaptive cancellation of respiratory noise in esophageal heart sounds. Journal of clinical monitoring and computing, 11(4), 272.
  13. Kuck K, Pace NL, Parmer A (2015). Noninvasive Blood Pressure Does Not Estimate Invasive Blood Pressure Well in a Retrospective Study of Noncardiac Surgical Cases.
  14. Ermer S, Orr J, Kuck K, Brewer, L (2015). Discord in the Definition of Apnea: An Analysis of Apnea Duration in Sedated Volunteers.
  15. Orr J, Kück K, Farrell RM, Westenskow DR (1991). Neural Network Breathing Circuit Alarms in An Anesthesia Workstation.
  16. Wise JM, Huang JV, Kuck K, Mickey BJ, Tadler S (2018). Clinical Effects of Repeated Exposure to High-Dose Propofol.
  17. Lamers OA, Kuck K, Okifuji A, Johnson K, Stuart A, Rijsdijk (2018). Opioid-related Beliefs and Prescription Modalities for Postoperative Pain: A Comparison Between Dutch and American Practitioners.
  18. Kolbay P, Orr J, Kück (2016). Using Hot Wire Anemometry to Determine Isoflurane Gas Concentration.
  19. Kolbay P, Orr J, Kück (2016). Design and Testing of a Novel Anesthetic Gas Analyzer for use in Low-Resource Areas.

Newspaper

  1. Kai Küc (2016). Das Potenzial der IT ist kaum ausgeschöpft. 60-61.

Other

  1. Chandra S, Kuck (2015). Evaluation of Elastomeric Pumps for Continuous Peripheral Nerve Blocks.

Video/Film/CD/Web/Podcast

  1. Kuck (2020). A Rapidly Manufacturable, Open-Source Ventilator for Austere Conditions.
  2. Prakash M, Harris D, Kuck (2020). Pufferfish Open Source Ventilator.