Dräger Medical Launches New Infinity Patient Monitoring Solutions for Perioperative Care
Lübeck (Germany) / Lisbon (Portugal) June 5, 2004 - Dräger Medical AG & CO. KGaA, Lübeck, presents its latest solutions for anesthesiology at the Euroanaesthesia 2004, the Annual Meeting of the European Society of Anaesthesiologists (ESA) to be held 5-8 June in Lisbon. Infinity Patient Monitoring System™ innovations include the Infinity® Kappa XLT split-screen patient monitor, the InfinityTrident™ SmartPod™ for neuromuscular monitoring, the Infinity BISx® SmartPod for measuring the effects of sedation, and the MonoLead™ ECG cable. These fully integrated products form part of a comprehensive CareArea™ solution from Dräger Medical for the anesthesia workplace.
Infinity Kappa XLT monitor provides "Clinical Vision"
In the OR and other high-acuity environments, accurate assessments and fast decisions depend on having immediate access to all relevant patient information. The Infinity® Kappa XLT is the first split-screen, single-user patient monitor that is designed for space-constrained areas such as the OR, Kappa XLT lets clinicians see expanded monitoring arranged according to clinical context on one section of the screen, while displaying real-time vital signs and continuous trending on the other section. There are no compromising pop-ups or obstructions of any kind on either section.
"Kappa XLT expands patient monitoring by providing both real-time data and a comprehensive view of the patient's changing condition," says Dave Camlin, group product manager for the Infinity System. "We call this Clinical Vision™ - an uncompromised picture of all relevant patient information for informed assessment, analysis, and intervention planning."
Kappa XLT more than doubles the traditional number of monitoring parameters and waveforms that can be viewed simultaneously. The intuitive user interface - which has the familiar look and feel of other Dräger Medical products such as the Fabius GS and Primus anesthesia machines - is optimized for the one-to-one, caregiver-to-patient situations typical of specialized care settings.
A 17-inch touch screen displays everything the clinician needs to see - trends and real-time data, up to 32 waveforms, specialized parameters such as neuromuscular transmission for perioperative assessment - all at once. The clinician can preset options, or instantly configure the screen for the specific needs of each patient.
As the acuity of the patient changes, the monitor automatically re-configures as the clinician connects or disconnects additional parameters. An optional browser provides access to Web-based applications and access to other information via the hospital's intranet.
Kappa XLT also provides seamless connectivity to multiple bedside devices - simultaneously displaying parameter and waveform information from ventilators, anesthesia systems, and other point-of-care devices.
Trident and BISx pods introduce Infinity anesthesia effect monitoring
Dräger Medical will also launch the Infinity Trident and the BISx SmartPods, which provide an integrated approach to measuring the effects of anesthesia on a patient. The Infinity Trident pod with neuromuscular transmission monitoring (NMT) is based on Train-of-Four (TOF) principles. NMT parameters provide an objective indication of the level of muscle relaxation in patients under the influence of neuromuscular blocking agents, enabling the care provider to make an evidence-based judgment about the state of the patient's neuromuscular blockade. The Infinity BISx pod incorporates BIS® extended platform (XP) technology from Aspect Medical Systems. The Bispectral Index® (BIS) indicates the effects of sedation on the brain, allowing clinicians to deliver anesthesia with more precision and assess and respond to a patient's changing condition while under anesthesia.
MonoLead™ ECG Cable simplifies ECG monitoring
Dräger Medical will also demonstrate the new MonoLead ECG cable, a patented one-wire ECG lead-set solution for Infinity 3-, 5- and 6- lead monitoring in the OR, telemetry and emergency departments. MonoLead is designed to be tangle-resistant, easy to clean, easy to apply and more comfortable for the patient. MonoLead is now available.
BISx, BIS and Bispectral Index are registered trademarks of Aspect Medical Systems.
The Infinity Kappa XLT monitor, the Infinity Trident pod and the Infinity BISx pod require 510(k) review and are not yet available commercially in the U.S.
The Infinity Kappa XLT monitor, the Infinity Trident pod and the Infinity BISx pod are not yet licensed in accordance with Canadian Medical Device Regulations
IVenus and Primea are not available for sale in the U.S.
Dräger Medical is one of the world's leading manufacturers of medical "technolgoy for life". As the largest division of Drägerwerk AG (founded in 1889), Dräger Medical AG & Co. KGaA is a 65:35 joint venture company between Drägerwerk AG and Siemens AG. The Company offers products, integrated systems and services throughout the entire patient care process in all CareAreas™ - Emergency Care, OR/Anesthesia, Critical Care, Perinatal Care and Home Care. With headquarters in Lübeck, Germany, Dräger Medical AG & Co. KGaA employed approximately 5,400 people worldwide throughout 2003, more than 50 percent of which work in Customer Sales & Services. R&D and production are located in Lübeck, Germany; Best, Netherlands; Telford, PA, and Danvers, MA, USA; and Shanghai, China. The Company has sales and service subsidiaries in over 40 countries and is represented in more than 190. In fiscal year 2003 (= calendar year) the Company increased its net sales by around 8 percent to reach € 917,7 million (up from € 848,3 million) and posted an EBIT (before the one-time joint venture expenses) of € 91,4 million in 2003 (up from € 76,6 million). Dräger Medical AG & Co. KGaA continues to outpace the market with a growth rate of around 7 percent per year. The Company increased its EBIT from € 9,1 million in 2000 to € 91,4 million in 2003, marking the first three years of its business turnaround. Dräger Medical AG & Co. KGaA provides innovative solutions which are the result of a close dialog with customers, over a century of experience in the market, and continuous investment in R&D. The Company's goal is to not only improve the quality of patient care, but also the clinical processes in order to assist in health care cost savings. Additional information is available on the Company's Website at
www.draeger-medical.com.
