INDIANAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Officials of SonarMed™ Inc. announce a new program that will foster research related to tracheal tubes in hospital respiratory care.
"Partners in Progress," will both increase the availability of the SonarMed™ Airway Monitoring System (AMS) for research, as well as defer some of the costs associated with acquiring and using the system for research. SonarMed is the Indianapolis-based medical device developer behind the SonarMed™ AMS, which was recently 510(k) cleared for marketing by the FDA.
The intent of the program is to enable independent research on a wide variety of tracheal tube-related topics that might not otherwise move forward due to cost or technology limitations. "We are providing researchers with the opportunity to conduct studies that previously were not possible, as well as studies that investigate the clinical utility and value of the SonarMed AMS," says Andrew Cothrel, president and CEO of SonarMed. "The SonarMed AMS provides data that opens whole new areas of respiratory study to researchers. We look forward to supporting investigators on a wide range of independent study topics."
The program is open to any clinician interested in conducting research in the respiratory field. Clinicians are encouraged to submit study ideas to SonarMed for consideration. If the proposal is accepted into the program, SonarMed will assist with study costs by providing SonarMed AMS monitors on a loan or discount basis. The investigator of the device remains responsible for all other study costs.
SonarMed AMS uses acoustic technology to continuously monitor tracheal tube status. The system provides three critical areas of information to the clinician in real-time:
* Size of the passageway around the tracheal tube tip. This can be used to assist the clinician in determining tracheal vs. esophageal or endobronchial intubation.
* Movement of the tracheal tube tip up or down in the trachea from a baseline location. This allows clinicians to know how the tube is moving at the tip versus today's practice of measuring tube movement at the mouth.
* Size and location of obstructions within the tracheal tube. This enables the quantitative study of obstruction formation as well as the effectiveness of methods used to clear obstructions.
"Compared with the current standards of care and available patient information, having this type of adjunctive information about the tracheal tube provides clinicians with a more immediate and complete picture of the patient's artificial airway status," Cothrel said.
The Partners in Progress program not only provides clinicians with the opportunity to explore how the availability of this new information can impact the quality and cost of patient care, it facilitates the study of respiratory parameters that were previously impossible to determine due to a lack of reliable measurement methods.
"This is an exciting development in respiratory care," says Cathy Tieck, president of Innovative Respiratory Concepts, a consulting firm in the respiratory field. "We have reviewed the product and this is a truly innovative technology that can make a real difference for therapists and physicians. I am looking forward to some very interesting research publications resulting from this program."
SonarMed has provided a website application for clinicians to express interest in and submit ideas for inclusion in the Partners in Progress program. The site includes some study topic "idea starters" for clinicians interested in conducting studies. Visit http://www.sonarmed.com for further details and information.
The technology used by SonarMed was developed at Purdue University in the laboratory of George R. Wodicka, professor and head of the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering. It was licensed through the Purdue Research Foundation's Office of Technology Commercialization.
About SonarMed
SonarMed, Inc. is a medical device company providing advanced solutions for precise, real-time tracheal tube monitoring for patients requiring ventilator support. Founded in 2005, the company is launching its first product in 2010 - the SonarMed Airway Monitoring System, used to assist clinicians in monitoring tracheal tubes to enable prevention of adverse events. SonarMed is headquartered at 5513 W. 74th St. in Indianapolis, Ind. For more information, go to http://www.sonarmed.com .
CONTACT:
Purdue Research Foundation
Cynthia Sequin, 765-588-3340
[email protected]
KEYWORDS: United States North America Indiana
INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Health Hospitals Medical Devices Other Health Research Other Science Science General Health
MEDIA:
| Logo |