October 2, 2007 - Datascope Corp. said that it has developed a new patient monitoring system called NetGuard that monitors the electrical activity of the heart (EKG) in order to protect the unmonitored hospital patient population in the event of a life-threatening heart rhythm.
NetGuard is designed to continuously monitor patients to allow immediate detection and early treatment of a dangerous heart rhythm, and reportedly has been shown to significantly increase survival. The system is a very small wireless EKG monitor, weighing less than an ounce. The monitor communicates with a standard personal computer (PC) at a nurse’s station, which gives an alert and an EKG display when a dangerous rhythm is detected. One PC can reportedly cover 50 patients.
The FDA approved Datascope's 510(k) submission on September 26, 2007, giving the Company clearance to market the NetGuard system in the U.S. The Company plans a market launch in November 2007. The NetGuard system also has a CE mark, and planning for market launch in Europe is currently underway.
For more information: www.datascope.com