The device’s new design supports hospitals in their initiatives to mobilize patients as early as possible to accelerate the healing process and provide a consistent level of monitoring care while mobile.

The first U.S. installation of the Infinity M300 was at Avera Heart Hospital of South Dakota, the region’s only hospital dedicated solely to the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease. The M300 is also installed at facilities in Germany.

In addition to monitoring ECG and SpO2, the Infinity M300 has built-in algorithms to enhance ECG processing and reduce false alarms – such as pacer detection software and ACE (Arrhythmia Classification Expert), an arrhythmia analysis tool.

Infinity M300 is designed to address the three major challenges of telemetry monitoring:

1. Viewing patient information at the patient’s side.

Unlike traditional telemetry products, which have no screen, Infinity M300 has a color display that shows the patient’s ECG for all monitored leads, heart rate, SpO2, and electrode status. This enables clinical staff to access monitored data and react promptly without having to go to the central monitoring station. It also shows patient demographics to help confirm the patient’s identification before giving medication, taking blood samples, or performing treatments.

2. Hearing and responding to alarms.

Infinity M300 has built-in alarming and alarm controls, which provide alarm alerts both at the patient’s side and the Infinity CentralStation workstation. The color display helps the clinician assess alarms and respond accordingly.

3. Eliminating the cost and effort associated with disposable batteries.

Infinity M300 has a built-in battery, which can be recharged via a bedside charger while the patient is wearing the device, or at a multi-device charger at the central monitoring station.

Based on industry-standard 802.11b technology, Infinity M300 provides continuous standalone monitoring – even if the patient inadvertently moves out of the hospital’s wireless network coverage area. Bidirectional communication between Infinity M300 and Draeger’s Infinity CentralStation facilitates wireless data exchange and signal integrity.

August 2008

Company web site: www.draeger.com.

The ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) computer weighs just under 2 pounds, has a 5.6-inch glare-resistant LCD touch-screen, and measures 7 by 5.75 by 2 inches. Unlike a PDA, which uses a limited operating system, the U1 can use full operating system so it can easily integrate into a hospital’s existing computer systems.

“The idea of this new category of devices is an ultra-mobile PC that is much smaller than a laptop, but can still run full software, unlike a PDA,” said Greg Davidson, senior business healthcare development manager for Panasonic. “Consider it like a very large Blackberry.”

Panasonic envisions the device being used for mobile computing applications such as bar-code medication administration, vitals signs capture, review of electronic medical records and home healthcare visiting nurses.

A unique feature of the U1 is its use of a dual battery system, where one battery can be removed and a fresh one installed without having to turn the computer off. The battery life of the two batteries prior to needing a recharge is about six to eight hours, which is a limitation of most mobile computers. However, the dual battery system allows the U1 to be used constantly through an entire shift and be swapped off to incoming shifts without needing to leave the device in a recharger, Davidson said.

“It can more easily be shared with spare batteries in a multi-charger rack,” Davidson said.

It has an integrated handstrap on the back for better ergonomics when using it as a hand-held device.

This Toughbook is made to the same standards of ruggedness as its larger siblings, with a magnesium alloy case, shock mounted hard drive, and being completely sealed so it can get wet and be sprayed and wiped down for cleaning. Davidson said the device can be dropped from 3 feet and will continue to operate fine.

The U1 has a new Intel LPIA chipset with a 1GB memory maximum. It comes with either a 16GB or 32GB solid-state hard drive. The device also comes with a USB, SD slot, and a mono speaker.

Options for the U1 include 1D or 2D bar-code readers, RFID tracking, camera, biometric fingerprint reader, WAN, Bluetooth, and/or GPS.

The computer has a keyboard that can be used manually or with the help of a stylus. The keyboard is larger than what is offered on PDA or Blackberry devices, but it is still smaller than standard computer keyboards.

Accessories include an external multi-bay battery charger and a desktop cradle that allows automatic connection to a larger monitor and keyboard. The cradle will also have an extra battery charger port for two spare batteries.

Panasonic said it expects to begin shipping the new computers in the third quarter of 2008.

June 2008

Company web site: www.panasonic.com

The company said the availability of its SpHb technology should make hemoglobin measurement more convenient and broadly available to clinicians in both hospital and outpatient settings, helping them make earlier and better clinical decisions, improve patient safety and decrease costs. Noninvasive total hemoglobin will be offered as part of the upgradable Masimo Rainbow SET technology platform.

“Management of appropriate blood levels is vitally important to sustain life,” said Ronald Miller, M.D., professor and chair of the department of anesthesia and perioperative care at the University of California at San Francisco. “Without up-to-date hemoglobin levels, patient bleeding in the operating room, recovery room, intensive care or trauma departments, where blood loss is common, can often go undetected until it poses critical short and long-term dangers to health and recovery. The ability to immediately and continuously measure hemoglobin levels will facilitate the timely administration of appropriate blood products. Conversely, during surgery, because blood is a precious and costly resource, continuously measuring hemoglobin levels noninvasively can help clinicians avoid unnecessary blood transfusions and decrease costs by more effectively titrating blood and blood replacement products.”

The need for better hemoglobin monitoring to manage blood levels is reinforced by recently published controlled studies that show the safety of blood transfusions can be improved by the use of transfusion thresholds. In a 2008 study by the Cochrane Collaboration titled “Transfusion Thresholds and Other Strategies for Guiding Allogeneic Red Blood Cell Transfusion,” reviewers examined evidence from 10 trials, reporting outcomes on a total of 1,780 patients, and found that restrictive transfusion strategies reduced red blood cell transfusions by 42 percent.

Additionally, while noting that not all of these results were statistically significant and that additional studies are required to confirm the findings, the Cochrane reviewers also reported, “on average, mortality was 20 percent lower with the restrictive compared with the liberal transfusion triggers.” Similarly, five of the 10 studies examined showed a reduction in hospital length of stay, while three showed a reduction in ICU length of stay.

Continuous, noninvasive hemoglobin monitoring may enable more restrictive transfusion triggers and help maintain optimal hemoglobin levels for critically ill patients. In addition to facilitating better blood level management, Masimo said hemoglobin monitoring capability can also help clinicians better manage chronic anemia, a blood disorder affecting 2 billion people worldwide.

May 2008

Company web site: www.masimo.com