Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Silver Coating Fights Ventilator Related Pneumonia
Clinicians at the Washington University in St. Louis conducted a study on the benefits of coating endotracheal tubes with silver to prevent the spread of infection, which often leads to pneumonia in already seriously ill patients. We are guessing that it was C.R. Bard's Agento® I.C. silver-coated endotracheal tubes that were used in the study.
Studying 1,509 patients in 54 centers who were intubated for 24 hours or more, the research group found that 7.5 percent of those with uncoated tubes developed VAP. In comparison, 4.8 percent of those with silver-coated tubes developed VAP, a 36 percent reduction.Kollef indicates that about 80 percent of patients are intubated for less than 10 days. Looking at just the first 10 days of intubation, the silver-coated tubes were associated with a 48 percent reduction in VAP, and when VAP occurred in patients with silver-coated tubes, it occurred later on average than in those with uncoated tubes.
Silver kills bacteria and yeast by sticking to the organisms' enzymes, genetic material and other molecular components, preventing basic functions and interfering with reproduction. These organisms very rarely develop resistance to silver, and the metal has no known side effects in humans.
The new endotracheal tubes are coated with a silver-containing polymer, created by C.R. Bard Inc., that releases silver ions to the surface of the tubes. There, silver exerts a broad-spectrum antimicrobial effect, reduces adhesion of bacteria to the tube and blocks the formation of biofilms, communities of microorganisms that build up special protective structures on surfaces.
Press release: Silver is the key to reducing pneumonia associated with breathing tubes...
Abstract in JAMA: Silver-Coated Endotracheal Tubes and Incidence of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia
Product page: Agento® I.C. Endotracheal Tube...
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Tuesday, August 19, 2008
FDA OK's Draeger Fabius MRI Anesthesia Machine
Dräger Medical, Inc., an American subsidiary of Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA, has just announced that its MRI-compatible Fabius anesthesia machine has received FDA clearance. From now on sedating and anesthetizing all those wiggly toddlers and demented gomers, who only move at the wrong time, will be easier and safer: no flying oxygen tanks, no five meter ventilating circuits.
The Fabius MRI is designed for use with 1.5T and 3.0T MRI systems. An integrated Teslameter provides an acoustic alarm if the Fabius MRI is positioned within a field strength greater than 40mTesla (400 Gauss).The Fabius MRI employs the same user interface as Draeger’s Fabius GS, Fabius Tiro and Apollo machines, creating a uniform and consistent interface for the anesthesia provider wherever anesthesia is required. The size of the MRI system often requires the anesthesia provider to be outside the room or some distance away from the device during an examination. To accommodate this, additional optical alarm displays (LEDs) at the top of the system provide visual indication for all alarm conditions for the safety of the patient in this specialized environment.
The Fabius MRI also continues the same quality of care to which clinical personnel are accustomed - from the OR application to the MRI environment. The standard configuration includes the advanced ventilation modes (volume and pressure controlled, pressure support and SIMV) that are especially needed for the care of premature infants, newborns, and ICU patients and makes them available for use in this environment.
The high-speed piston ventilator provides controlled compliance compensation, even with the longer ventilation tubes often used in the MRI environment, providing for even the smallest infant.
Press release: Draeger Fabius MRI Receives FDA Clearance to Provide Advanced Anesthesia Technology in the MR Environment...
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Monday, August 11, 2008
Nasal Cannula Goes High Tech: Precision Flow Gas Delivery Device Gets FDA OK
Vapotherm, out of Stevensville, MD, just received approval from the FDA to market its Precision Flow™ gas delivery device, "the first high flow humidification system to integrate gas blending, flow control and humidification technology into one device for the optimal conditioning of nasal cannula inspired gases."
Features from the product brochure:
PRECISION FLOW™ is a high flow heat and humidification device for the non-invasive delivery of inspired gas flows from 1 to 40 liters per minute. The technology delivers a perfect synchronization of flow, temperature, humidity and oxygen percentage without discomfort via nasal cannula.PRECISION FLOW™ moves beyond conventional humidification, giving the clinician the ability to manage the key factors in gas conditioning to achieve desired outcomes.
PRECISION FLOW™ helps clinicians reach their goal to deliver the maximum respiratory assistance safely and comfortably. More invasive techniques can result in iatrogenic effects and increased costs.
• Precise measurement of temperature and flow
• Built-in oxygen blender and oxygen sensor
• Disposable patient circuit
• Battery backup
• Rapid set up and circuit priming
• Single button control for flow, oxygen percentage and temperature values
• Color–coded, uncluttered display for alarms and indicators
• Engineered for reliability and streamlined maintenance
Press release: VAPOTHERM® PRECISION FLOW™ RECEIVES FDA 510(k) CLEARANCE
Product page: Precision Flow
Precision Flow brochure (PDF)...
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Thursday, August 7, 2008
Hamilton Introduces a Happier Looking C2 Ventilator
Hamilton Medical has teamed up with RKS, an industrial design consultancy, to create the company's new portable ventilator, the C2. Developed with loved ones in mind, the device, which will be made available later this year, wants to look like something other than a death postponement machine, a factor in today's ventilators that sours an already terrible mood.
From the announcement:
The design language of the C2 is a reaction against competitive ventilators which appear to have been designed strictly to provide data, with no consideration of the patient, the operator, or the environment. In contrast, the design language of the C2 is inviting and reassuring. It leans forward, engagingly, offering a confident and smart display. The C2 evokes a friendly personality, while still giving everyone in the room confidence that it’s a ventilator upon which you can trust your life. The C2 features HAMILTON’s unique “Ventilation Cockpit” with an intelligent touch-screen interface that gives operators a quick, at-a-glance, dashboard display of key information. The Ventilation Cockpit provides exactly the information operators need and helps them focus on what’s important. The approachable and intuitive screen of the C2 tilts to accommodate different operator positions. The clear organization of information on the display reduces pressure on operators and helps to minimize errors.
With inbuilt batteries and weighing under 21 pounds the C2 can accompany a patient anywhere within the hospital, independently of central gas and power supplies. Patients don’t have to be disconnected for transport, increasing patient safety and comfort, while at the same time reducing operator workload. The C2 can be used on a countertop, rolling stand, or carried with the built-in handle that nestles into the top of the unit when not in use. The rolling stand was designed so that, when holding the C2, it looks like one integrated design rather than a piece of equipment perched on a stand. Set for launch in the 3rd Quarter of 2008, the resulting HAMILTON C2 is a confident and friendly ventilator that empowers operators to take patient care to new levels of safety, reliability, and comfort.When you’re on a ventilator, you need more just than oxygen… you need to look up and see the face of hope looking back at you. The C2 is designed to spread calm and reassurance through the ICU as it breathes life into patients.
Press release: HAMILTON C2: WHAT COLOR IS HOPE? (.pdf)
Product page: Hamilton C2
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Tuesday, August 5, 2008
CX50 Portable Ultrasound from Philips Goes On Sale
Philips has announced the company's new portable ultrasound system, the CX50, which is the first mobile system that can be used with the company's proprietary PureWave transducers. These transducers are powered by a technology based on a new class of piezoelectric crystals, that exhibit "a quantum improvement in electromechanical coupling and strain levels. Compared to PZT ceramics, PureWave crystals are purer, more uniform, have lower losses, and are able to transfer energy with greater precision and efficiency." You can read more about PureWave here.
From the CX50 product page:
Previously available only on our premium iE33 system, PureWave on the CX50 system allows you to get the clear images you need for confident diagnoses on a wide variety of patients, including the difficult-to-image.The CX50 system was designed for your critical study requirements. In addition to PureWave, its premium imaging and Doppler performance are possible because of its digital broadband beamformer and XRES technology. Easily perform advanced echo analysis with integrated QLAB and stress echo capability.
The CX50 is designed to make portable exams easy and efficient. One-button iSCAN automatically optimizes 2D and Doppler data for new levels of clarity for your portable studies. On-board QLAB provides advanced analysis capabilities during and after exams.Portable exams are a challenge, and getting clear diagnostic data is complicated by many factors. Now you can have the image quality you need for the diagnostic confidence wherever you need it – take the CX50 to your patients.
The CX50 system can be used on a specially designed cart, hand carried to your patients, or packed in its special travel case for easy transport to remote destinations.
Press release: Philips new handheld ultrasound system offers premium image quality in a portable system
Product page: CX50 CompactXtreme Ultrasound System
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Thursday, July 31, 2008
ImaCor's Disposable Transesophageal Echocardiography Probe and System Get FDA OK
Have you ever heard of a disposable TEE? The piezoelectric elements in ultrasounds are known not to be cheap. Hence we were quite surprised to learn about this newly approved product from ImaCor of Uniondale, New York, a single use (up to 72 hours) miniaturized transesophageal echocardiography probe and imaging system.
From the press release:
ImaCor announces that it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market the ClariTEE™ probe and the ZuraTM imaging system. The ClariTEE probe is a miniaturized transesophageal echocardiography probe which facilitates episodic monitoring of cardiac function. The ClariTEE is a single use device that can remain indwelling for up to 72 hours, allowing intensivists and anesthesiologists to periodically assess cardiac preload and left ventricular systolic function over a prolonged period of time.“ImaCor believes that the ClariTEE probe will be a major contribution to the care of the critically ill, especially in ICU and perioperative situations” said Scott L. Roth, MD, Chief Executive Officer and a founder of ImaCor. “Current methods of monitoring hemodynamics in this patient population are either invasive, inconclusive, or both. The ClariTEE probe is minimally invasive and allows physicians to directly visualize cardiac size and function, and to assess changes as pharmacologic interventions are made,” adds Roth.
"This is a technology that intensive care physicians have been waiting for,” says Dr. Alexander Levitov, Critical Care section chief at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital in Virginia. Levitov adds, “The ClariTEE probe has the potential to become the standard of care in managing hemodynamically unstable patients in the ICU.”
We contacted ImaCor to inquire about the pricing of the device, but no one at the firm was available to comment.
Press release: ImaCor receives 510(k) clearance of its ClariTEE probe and Zura Imaging System (.pdf)...
Product page: ClariTEE Probe and Zura Imaging System...
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Tuesday, July 22, 2008
HAMILTON-G5 Ventilator Is a Finalist in 2008 IDEA Awards
Hamilton Medical's G5 Ventilator has just been recognized by the Industrial Designers Society of America with the 2008 IDEA award. The society has in particular stressed the device as "the first ICU patient ventilator to provide a new ventilation cockpit that is designed to improve safety through intuitive operation and monitoring. Closed-loop ventilation automatically applies lung-protective strategies, reduces the risk of operator error and promotes early weaning off the machine."
More about this product from company's page:
The new HAMILTON-G5 ICU ventilator was designed to be simpler for the user and safer for the patient. Rather than bringing you even more curves and loops, its Ventilation Cockpit™ integrates complex data into intuitive graphics that answer two essential questions:* What is my patient's lung condition, and what kind of ventilation do they need?
* When should I take my patient off the ventilator?* Ventilates virtually all intubated patients - whether active or passive and regardless of their lung disease – based on a ventilation strategy tailored to their individual condition (Arnal JM et al. Int Care Med 2004;30:84)
* Is more responsive than conventional modes in adapting to the patient's breathing activity (Petter AH et al. Anesth Analg 2003;97:1743-50)
* Requires fewer user interactions and gives fewer alarms (Petter AH et al. Anesth Analg 2003;97:1743-50)
* Facilitates shorter ventilation times (Sulzer CF et al. Anesthesiology 2001;95:1339-45, Cassina T et al. J Cartiothorac Vasc Anesth 2003;17:571-75)
* Provides ventilation at least as safely and effectively as international ventilation experts using conventional modes (Iotti GA et al. Int Care Med 2005;31:192)
Online simulator of the ventilator you can play with...
Product page: HAMILTON MEDICAL: g5...
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Monday, July 21, 2008
Appleprobe, An Ultrasound Probe With Sonographer in Mind
Italy's design firm called Rezzonico Design has created an ultrasound probe with a more ergonomic shape, which may take a lot of the pain out of being a sonographer. The Appleprobe, as the product is called, is manufactured by The Esaote Group from Genoa. The device won a Silver from the 2008 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) in the Medical & Scientific category.
From IDEA:
The appleprobe is an ultrasound transducer probe that can be held with a traditional pincer grip as well as in a new way that follows the natural alignment of the hand and wrist. Sonographers often experience repetitive strain injuries in their hands and wrists that are believed to be caused by the pinching and pushing of the pincer grip. This dual grip allows sonographers to switch the way they hold the ultrasound transducer throughout the exam and throughout the day, reducing discomfort and injuries.
Here's a PDF brochure about the appleprobe:
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Friday, July 18, 2008
CombiCarrier II Wins Silver for Good Design
The CombiCarrier II is a new version of Hartwell Medical's innovative emergency stretcher, and a Silver winner of the 2008 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) in the Medical & Scientific category. (IDEA 2008 awards were announced today.) The device is designed to minimize spinal movement of patients after a potential back or neck injury by sliding the two sections of the stretcher under the person without rolling or shifting. Additionally, being made of plastic, the stretcher allows for X-rays to pass right through, allowing hospital staff to take the patient directly to radiology.
Some of the features from the CombiCarrier product page:
Approved as a full backboard and orthopedic stretcher
Patient can be rotated and slid out onto the CombiCarrier during auto extrication situations. Works like a traditional backboard.Separates in Half for Application
Can be separated at either end. Eliminates unnecessary movement making it ideal for patients with suspected hip and pelvic injuries.Continuous Head Support Surface
Improves neutral alignment and minimizes head movement during application and removal. Accommodates most durable and disposable head immobilizers, i.e., #445, HeadHugger™ and HeadBed II™.Auto-Lock Latch System
Recessed side latch is positioned away from patient. Locks instantly during application, manual release required during removal from patient.Seamless Plastic Construction
No rivets, drive screws or roll pins. High density polyethylene is easily cleaned and disinfected. Helps comply with OSHA regulations. Foam filling makes it ideal for water rescue situations.X-ray Compatible
Clear center section provides unobstructed A/P view of patient's spine. Split-design allows for simple, easy removal and reapplication for detailed X-ray examination if necessary.
Product page: CombiCarrier...
More from Morphix Design...
2008 IDEA award details for CombiCarrier II...
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Monday, July 14, 2008
Epocrates Rx Now on iPhone
Epocrates has announced that its free drug and formulary application, Epocrates Rx, is finally available for the iPhone through the iTunes store.
Some of the features from the product page:
Adult and pediatric dosing for FDA-approved and off-label indications Black box warnings, contraindications, and cautions Serious and common adverse reactions, and drug interactions organized by clinical category Pill pictures within the drug monograph showing you and your patients exactly what each drug looks like Safety and monitoring information, such as pregnancy risk categories, lactation safety ratings, monitoring parameters and therapeutic drug levels Manufacturer information, approximate retail pricing, and FDA/DEA status Pharmacology information, including metabolism, excretion (i.e., half-life), drug class, and mechanism of action Notes section for your personal notes
Press release: Epocrates Drug and Formulary Application on Apple App Store
Product page: Epocrates Rx for iPhone
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Friday, June 20, 2008
CPR pad Assures Correct Compressions
Ryan Helps, a designer out of Leicester, UK, has created a model of a CPR assist device that addresses the common problems that people have when performing chest compressions. The CPR pad would help with locating where to position the hands on the chest, timing of when to press, and would measure and provide feedback on the proper compression pressure applied.
More in Ryan Helps's portfolio...
(hat tip: Yanko Design)
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Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Draeger Carina Ventilator Gets FDA Approval
Pictured here is a newly approved compact "sub-acute" ventilator from Dräger Medical.
The following is from the press release and the product brochure:
The Carina ventilator offers both invasive and non-invasive capabilities in one device. Its latest technology, known as "Synch Plus," will compensate for leakage and provide effective breath delivery. The Carina is well-suited for the emergency room, general ward, ICU, or sub-acute facilities as it features an internal battery and can operate independent of a high-pressure gas system...The SyncPlus function features automatic leakage compensation and automatic termination criteria. As a result, it precisely synchronizes ventilation to the patient's breathing requirements... even in the presence of changing ventilation patterns or mask leakages. Its sophisticated trigger function helps to minimize the work of breathing. And, its automatic ramp adjustment optimizes the inflation pattern to the patient's changing needs for increased comfort during ventilation...
Carina's internal battery lasts about one hour, and the external battery option offers eight additional hours of battery life...
While Carina delivers all the performance and sophistication most ventilation situations require, it features the marvelous quiet blower. As a result, this uncompromising value offers the tranquil environment for patients and staff.
Press release: Draeger Announces FDA Clearance for New Ventilator ...
Product brochure: Carina™ (PDF)
Product page: Carina...
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Friday, May 9, 2008
No Spillage VantageCath Gets FDA Approval
VantageCath is a new peripheral IV catheter designed to not only prevent unexpected needlestick injuries, but also to eliminate the spillage of blood during the IV placement. The device is a product of a firm called Advantage Medical Devices from Solana Beach, CA.
From the product page:
The VantageCath is an innovative peripheral Intravenous (IV) Catheter Safety System designed to significantly reduce blood borne pathogen exposure without compromising the "pop and glide" that users want and need. Utilizing a patented "closed hub" design, blood is contained during the entire cannulation and needle retraction process. This eliminates the need to tamponade above the site of the IV catheter and allows the provider to have both hands free to secure the IV and attach tubing using sterile technique.In addition to the protection from blood borne pathogen exposure delivered by the VantageCath, there are many features that providers and patients will appreciate:
Built-in saline lock
Improved flash for confident cannulation
Safe and easy blood draws
Rapid delivery of life saving drugs -- 20% reduction in tubing distance
Eliminates need to loop tubing
Built-in needle-free access
Flawless needle retraction mechanism
Rotating L-Tube allows for easy access to luer-lock port Frontline providers have had to make do with the safety engineered IV catheters made available to them in the clinical setting; compromising their relationships with patients who must endure multiple sticks, a bloody mess and the risk of an infection. The VantageCath offers a significant improvement in protection and utility. More importantly, the opportunity to gain back the confidence that the patient's IV start will be safe and effective.
The video:
Product page: VantageCath...
Press release: Advantage Medical Devices Receives FDA Clearance for VantageCath...
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Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Study: Kids Love Zingo No Needles Local Anesthesia
William T. Zempsky, MD, from the Connecticut Children's Medical Center, and colleagues from five other hospitals just published a randomized, double-blind study in the latest issue of Pediatrics, that has shown that a "needle-free powder lidocaine delivery system was well tolerated and produced significant analgesia within 1 to 3 minutes," in pediatric patients scheduled to undergo venipuncture or cannulation. 
The system used in the study was Zingo™ lidocaine powder intradermal injector from Anesiva, Inc., a South San Francisco, CA company. The system, that uses compressed gas to accelerate the lidocaine particles under the skin, was approved by the FDA in August 2007, " to reduce the pain associated with peripheral IV insertions or blood draws in children three to 18 years of age."
To learn more about Zingo™, head on to this product page @ Anesiva...
Abstract: Needle-Free Powder Lidocaine Delivery System Provides Rapid Effective Analgesia for Venipuncture or Cannulation Pain in Children: Randomized, Double-Blind Comparison of Venipuncture and Venous Cannulation Pain After Fast-Onset Needle-Free Powder Lidocaine or Placebo Treatment Trial PEDIATRICS Vol. 121 No. 5 May 2008, pp. 979-987
Zingo™ prescribing info (.pdf)...
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McSleepy: Automated Anesthesia System
Canadian Researchers at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec and the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) have developed an automated anesthetic system and believe they were the first in the world to perform a surgery with such a machine. The new system, named 'McSleepy' - in honor of the nicknames given to the doctors on the TV show 'Grey's Anatomy' - will administer drugs and monitor vital signs for patients undergoing surgery. So far, the system has been used during seven operations, and according to Dr. Thomas Hemmerling, principal developer for the system at McGill University, the preliminary results show that "...it is actually better in terms of stability of anesthesia than us at this point".
Think of "McSleepy" as a sort of humanoid anesthesiologist that thinks like an anesthesiologist, analyses biological information and constantly adapts its own behavior, even recognizing monitoring malfunction.The anesthetic technique was used on a patient who underwent a partial nephrectomy, a procedure that removes a kidney tumor while leaving the non-cancerous part of the kidney intact, over a period of three hours and 30 minutes. To manipulate the various components of general anesthesia, the automated system measures three separate parameters displayed on a new Integrated monitor of anesthesia (IMATM): depth of hypnosis via EEG analysis, pain via a new pain score, called AnalgoscoreTM, and muscle relaxation via phonomyographyTM, all developed by ITAG. The system then administers the appropriate drugs using conventional infusion pumps, controlled by a laptop computer on which "McSleepy" is installed.
Using these three separate parameters and complex algorithms, the automated system calculates faster and more precisely than a human can the appropriate drug doses for any given moment of anesthesia. "McSleepy" assists the anesthesiologist in the same way an automatic transmission assists people when driving. As such, anesthesiologists can focus more on other aspects of direct patient care. An additional feature is that the system can communicate with personal digital assistants (PDAs), making distant monitoring and anesthetic control possible. In addition, this technology can be easily incorporated into modern medical teaching programs such as simulation centers and web-based learning platforms.
More from AOL Health: Canadian researchers develop automated anesthesia system dubbed McSleepy
Press Release: McSleepy hopes to revolutionize anesthesia practice
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Friday, April 25, 2008
VitalJacket: Heart Monitoring Shirt
In an attempt to make heart monitoring less visible and bulky for individuals requiring continuous monitoring of their heart, BioDevices, SA, has a unique solution. The company has developed a T-shirt which continuously monitors heart rate and ECG waves. This is an ideal solution for elderly patients and has a lot of potential for fitness applications as well.
The Vital Jacket® is a wearable vital signs monitoring system that joins textiles with microelectronics. It was designed and developed to be a usable pragmatic approach for different clinical and normal life scenarios, in hospitals, home or on the move, that need continuous or frequent high quality vital signs monitoring from the patient or healthy subject. The concept was designed and specified based on the long tradition on biomedical instrumentation and telemedicine of the IEETA institute of the University of Aveiro, Portugal (www.ieeta.pt/sias).The Vital Jacket® HWM mobile device is an intelligent wearable garnment that is able to continuous monitor electrocardiogram (ECG) wave and Heart Rate for different fitness, high performance sports, security and medical applications.
There are currently two versions, HWM100 that stores data on a SD memory card for posterior analysis in a PC and, HWM200 that allows on-line visualization using a smartphone/PDA.
More from talk2myShirt
More from product page: VitalJacket
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Monday, April 21, 2008
VENTIlogic Promises Intelligent Home Ventilation
Weinmann Geräte für Medizin GmbH + Co. KG (as Weinmann company is officially known) is planning to profile its line of ventilators at the upcoming annual convention of the German Society of Anesthesiologists and Intensive Care Medicine. The highlight of the event will be a presentation of the company's new VENTIlogic ventilator, a device designed for at home respiratory support.
This new blower can be integrated into a larger system called "Ventilation Workstation":
It features one of the most innovative home ventilation devices (VENTIlogic) developed by the company interacting with a monitoring unit, transcutaneous blood gas monitoring, an optional blood gas analysis and a suction pump for secretion removal. The most important ventilation and blood gas parameters are shown in curves and trend diagrams on a monitor. All the components will be presented on a special trolley for the system's mobile temporary use, for example, during post-operative ventilation, in the intermediate care unit or in nursing homes or rehabilitation centers. "We would like to show users what a complete mobile system solution looks like and the benefits it offers," said Jörg Mielenz, product and ventilation specialist at Weinmann.The innovative VENTIlogic is the first "intelligent" home mechanical ventilator whose patented TAV (Timed-Adaptive Ventilation) mode anticipates the patient's respiratory pattern and thus significantly increases therapy compliance. Under controlled ventilation of patients with a weakened respiratory pump, "respirator fighting" can often be observed. The patient unconsciously begins to breathe against the rhythm of the ventilator, which puts a greater strain on the respiratory pump. This "fighting" is so unpleasant that the patient's therapy compliance declines. "A potentially high unloading of the respiratory pump was often connected in the past with lower therapy compliance and consequently with low therapeutic effectiveness." Mielenz said. "Ventilators that are triggered by the patient's spontaneous breathing and are therefore found to be more pleasant, however, relieve the respiratory muscles to a lesser extent and lead to hyperventilation of the patient." The innovative TA mode in VENTIlogic makes it possible for the first time to combine the high compliance of spontaneous ventilation modes with the high unloading (about 90%) of controlled ventilation modes.
When combined with the new oxygen valve VENTI-O2 plus, the VENTIlogic ventilation device can safely and reliably provide up to 15 liters of oxygen to the patient, for example, during the weaning phase. A change in the safety concept for VENTIlogic has made this possible. From now on the device fulfills the requirements of the current ISO EN 60601-1 norm for fire protection even as it applies to the delivery of large volumes of oxygen. For compliance purposes, the air-tightness of the air and oxygen conducting components in the device was improved, an optimized power unit was installed and new fire-resistant materials were used. The optimized "new" VENTIlogic will be available as of the middle of May.
The last statement is for the German audience. We are not aware that the device has been OK'ed by the FDA or by the Canadian authorities.
Product page: VENTIlogic...
Press release: Ventilation Systems newly defined -- Weinmann at DAC (.pdf) ...
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Thursday, April 10, 2008
World's First Bluetooth Pulse Oximeter
Via Turner Medical, we learned that Plymouth, Minnesota based manufacturer Nonin Medical just released the world's first wireless pulse oximeter that should easily interact with other devices through the emerging Bluetooth Medical Device Profile (MDP) protocol.
Store & Forward MemoryEnsures ultimate versatility by allowing patients to take readings outside of the home and transmit the time-stamped data once they return. The Onyx II 9560's memory storage provides up to a minimum of 20 single point measurements.
SmartPoint™ Technology
SmartPoint Technology eliminates the guesswork of determining which oximetry values to use for analysis. Using a sophisticated algorithm, it provides a fast and accurate snapshot of the patient's SpO2 and pulse rate. The Onyx II 9560 sends the SmartPoint spot-check measurement typically 30 seconds from turn-on.
Extended Range
The Onyx II 9560 provides an extended range of up to 100 meters (Class I).
Patient Proof
Unmatched durability for the home care environment, we've made the Onyx II 9560 rugged to take a beating day after day. The most widely used fingertip oximeter comes with no wires or cables to hassle with, an automatic turn on/turn off, and as convenient and easy-to-use as possible.
Power Saver
Unlike traditional Bluetooth devices, the Onyx II 9560 has a new power saving feature that automatically adjusts transmitted power based on distance from the main unit. This unique feature allows for approximately 600 spot checks on 2 AAA batteries.
Press release: Nonin® Medical unveils world's first Bluetooth®-enabled, wireless fingertip pulse oximeter ...
Product page: Onyx II 9560
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Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Philips HD7
Philips is introducing in the United States its new general purpose, modestly priced ultrasound system, the Philips HD7:
The system provides grayscale and color Doppler imaging with simple one button optimization, as well as Tissue Harmonic Imaging. In addition, the HD7 features a wide array of transducers, an adjustable flat panel LCD monitor, proven system architecture, and advanced imaging, measurement and quantification technologies.The Philips HD7 system addresses basic scanning needs while adding new technology and design advances that help improve image quality. Developed with clinicians in mind, the ergonomic, easy-to-use system can meet the demands for high-volume use in cardiovascular, OB/GYN, anesthesiology, oncology, electrophysiology, stress echo, pediatric, orthopedic, urologic, emergency and other applications.
Like all Philips ultrasound systems, the HD7 has a broadband digital beamformer to capture and preserve more tissue information than conventional narrowband systems and its wide dynamic range and digital focal tuning provide exceptional sensitivity and detail resolution. Features such as iSCAN one button image optimization, multiple transducer ports, DICOM connectivity, and easy data recording to CD or USB, position the HD7 well against other modestly priced ultrasound systems. In addition, optional off-line QLAB quantification software capability allows clinicians to perform post-examination image review and analysis on a PC. Further enhancing the system’s usability is a Study Guide on disk that quickly equips clinicians to use the advanced features of the HD7.
The system can accommodate a range of Philips' transducers for all kinds of clinical applications.
Product page: HD7 Ultrasound System...
Press release: Philips HD7 ultrasound system now commercially available in the United States...
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» Portable Vents from Versamed, Now Part of GE Healthcare (March 28, 2008)
» Ornim Oxygen Saturation System FDA Approved (March 20, 2008)
» Pulse!! BreakAway's Educational Game (March 11, 2008)
» FloWave 1000 Monitor Promises Noninvasive Cardiac Output (March 7, 2008)
» Fabric-based Electrodes for a More Comfortable ECG Experience (February 27, 2008)
» ShakerScope for Jungle Laryngoscopy (February 19, 2008)
» DRE Envoy PDM (Patient Data Management) Wireless Monitor System (Fe