Pneumonitor™, Continuous Respiratory Monitoring for Premature Infants
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A
newly developed device for the monitoring of respiratory problems in premature
babies has recently been developed by Pneumedicare.
The device continuously monitors the baby’s respiratory function, and can
immediately detect any deterioration. In addition to detection, the device may
assist in characterizing any underlying problems. Thus, it facilitates the
diagnosis and correct treatment before the baby suffers distress.
Use of the “Pneumonitor™” in Neonatal Intensive
Care Unit (NICU)
The Pneumonitor™ is non-invasive, with very small sensors. Its operation is
simple, and user-friendly, with information that is intuitive and easy to
understand. The main purpose of the device is the early detection of respiratory
problems and progressing complications ahead of any further distress or injury.
The Pneumonitor™ consists of three very small motion sensors attached to either
side of the chest and to the upper abdomen. Symmetry of lung ventilation,
together with breathing effort, are measured by the monitor. Recorded
information is filtered, processed, and presented on the device display. Once
the Pneumonitor™ identifies a significant change in respiratory function or in
the symmetry of ventilation, an alarm is activated, and the displayed
information specifies the nature and location of the underlying problem.
In spite of the currently used sophisticated monitoring systems, up to 45% of
life-threatening events in the NICU go undetected, and are recognized only by
attending staff inspection. Moreover, when the monitors do detect a problem, as
decreased oxygen saturation, the baby is already in distress, and the situation
can become life threatening. Nevertheless, the physician still has to establish
the possible reason for the alarm, and document the correct diagnosis, before
initiating the appropriate treatment.
The Journal of Intensive Care Medicine, a leading professional journal in the
field, published an editorial discussing the Pneumonitor™, entitled: “Early
detection of complication, prevention is better than cure.” The editorial of
this esteemed journal also awarded a study submitted by the developers of the
monitoring system as paper of the month. The founders of Pneumedicare are Dr.
Dan Waisman from the Faculty of Medicine at the Technion and Carmel Medical
Center, Prof. Amir Landesberg from the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering at the
Technion, and Dr. Carmit Levy, Pneumedicare CEO. “The Pneumonitor™was
successfully tested in preclinical studies with different disease models. It was
also tested in 63 cases at the Carmel, Bnai-Zion and Meyer Children’s Hospitals
in Haifa, Israel. The Pneumonitor™ is now ready for FDA review”.
Recent research shows that up to 10% of worldwide births are preterm. In
addition, about 10% of full term babies develop respiratory complications that
require strict NICU supervision. In the USA alone, there are roughly 400,000
premature births per year. Almost 15% of very low weight babies, weighing less
than 1500 grams, will die. Of those who survive, 15% will develop severe
complications and suffer from severe morbidity, such as cerebral palsy, mental
retardation, blindness, hearing loss, and severe chronic lung disease. The vast
majority of the above problems are directly related to the early management and
care of the infant’s respiratory problems. Therefore, tight monitoring with
early detection of any respiratory deterioration and immediate administration of
the appropriate treatment are imperatives that can prevent severe sequelae.
Source: http://www.medwow.com/articles/
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