Device developed in Rhode Island a breakthrough in pediatrics – the SMöLTAP® Positioner

By significantly improving the safety, speed, and success of infant lumbar punctures (LPs), the SMöLTAP® Positioner marks a critical advancement in pediatric care, according to a new study conducted by researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids).

The results, which were presented at #PAS2025 (Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting) in Honolulu, Hawaii, found:

• First-pass success rates jumped from 41% to 63% using the SMöLTAP® Positioner, a 22% improvement over traditional positioning techniques.
• Traumatic lumbar punctures, which can compromise diagnostic accuracy and patient safety, dropped from 59% to 36%, a 3.5x improvement in non-traumatic outcomes.
• These results held even after adjusting for variables such as provider experience, acuity level, and procedural timing, reinforcing SMöLTAP® Positioner’s consistent clinical superiority.

Traumatic lumbar punctures can lead to diagnostic uncertainty and increased stress for both families and care teams, said Dr. Natasha Collia, an attending pediatric emergency medicine physician. This device demonstrates meaningful reductions in trauma and improvements in first-pass success, which can translate to faster diagnoses and better outcomes.

Designed with ease and efficiency in mind, the SMöLTAP® Positioner showed impressive results among first-time users:

• 65% first-pass success rate among new physicians.
• 76% of LPs were non-traumatic.
• 88% reported time savings, and 71% perceived it as safer than conventional methods.
• Over 80% of clinicians found it easy to use, adjust, and clean demonstrating a minimal learning curve and strong user confidence.

In addition, removes the need for a dedicated infant holder, significantly reducing staff burden and allowing more streamlined procedures in fast-paced clinical environments.

From time savings to safer outcomes, SMöLTAP® is more than a positioning tool, it’s a procedure enhancer, said Robert Cooper, CEO, SMöLTAP® Inc.

This research underscores SMöLTAP®’s role in transforming pediatric lumbar puncture procedures by prioritizing patient safety, procedural efficiency, and provider usability.

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Brian Alverson, MD

Brian Alverson, MD is the Pediatric Program Director and Vice-Chair of Education at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Wilmington, DE. Previously, he was Professor of Pediatrics at Brown University and the Director of the Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine at Hasbro Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Alverson trained at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and then attended his pediatric residency at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where he stayed on for a year as Chief Resident. Dr. Alverson’s research and writing focus is inpatient management of pediatric respiratory conditions and medical education. Dr. Alverson is chair of the new UTI guideline committee for the American Academy of Pediatrics. He was on the guidelines committee for the IDSA’s 2011 guidelines on Pediatric Pneumonia and also served on the guidelines committee for the AAP’s 2014 guidelines on bronchiolitis.

He is a co-editor of the textboo, Step Up to Pediatrics, and is the author of over one hundred peer and non-peer reviewed publications. Dr. Alverson is past Chair of the Executive Committee for the Section on Hospital Medicine for the American Academy of Pediatrics and prior to that served on the Editorial Board for the journal Hospital Pediatrics. 

Dr. Alverson was responsible for reform of Rhode Island HIV testing laws, has served on a state congressional commission, and is an active advocate for the health of children. He is the inventor of the SMöLTAP® device for obtaining spinal taps in febrile infants. In his free time Dr. Alverson is an avid outdoors enthusiast, an active classical violinist and an occasional bluegrass fiddler.

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Dr. D’Cruz is currently practicing  in Washington state at Pediatrix Neonatology of Northern Puget Sound. He attended Brown Medical School and completed his residency at Hasbro Children’s Hospital and his fellowship at Women & Infants. It was during his time in RI, he and Dr. Alverson collaborated on the device.

SMöLTAP® Positioner hit the market in 2023 and is now in over 60 hospitals across the United States and Canada, including:

About SMöLTAP® 

The brainchild of two physicians, SMöLTAP® Positioner is an innovative positioning stabilizer that secures an infant in a consistent position for a spinal tap. The solution is a compelling response to a frustrating need that can improve procedural stress to infant and team. Our mission is to increase first-stick success rates and improve the infant spinal tap procedure experience for all involved. 

To learn more, visit www.smoltap.com – Follow @smoltap #PediatricInnovation #PAS2025 #LumbarPuncture