Hutchinson Technology Launches InSpectra™ StO₂ Tissue Oxygenation Monitor

Hutchinson, MI - Hutchinson Technology Incorporated recently announced the product launch and European CE Mark of its new InSpectra™ StO₂ Tissue Oxygenation Monitor. According to Hutchinson Technology, this device gives hospital trauma teams the ability to noninvasively and continuously measure compromised tissue oxygen saturation (StO₂) associated with hemorrhagic shock and monitor it during resuscitation.

"Other means of assessing tissue oxygenation in patients with hemorrhagic shock are snapshots of the past and are indirect or invasive, or both," said Christina Temperante, president of Hutchinson Technology's BioMeasurement Division. "In contrast, our device is noninvasive and provides an immediate, direct and continuous measurement, filling a critical and widely recognized information gap in the monitoring of trauma patients."

The InSpectra StO₂ Tissue Oxygenation Monitor, which received FDA clearance in July 2006, uses near infrared spectroscopy and a patented algorithm to directly measure StO₂ in muscle tissue below the skin. It is indicated for use in monitoring patients during circulatory or perfusion examinations of skeletal muscle, or when there is a suspicion of compromised circulation. The InSpectra StO₂ System consists of a monitor, an optical cable and a single-use sensor that is easily applied to the thenar eminence (the muscle at the base of the thumb).

The InSpectra StO₂ System is the only tissue oxygenation monitor designed for the trauma environment, claims Hutchinson Technology. The System is portable, provides readings 20 seconds after start-up, requires no calibration and stores the last 24 hours of captured data. The monitor will run for over two hours on an internal power source, allowing for easy transport with the patient throughout the hospital.

Hutchinson Technology sponsored a 15-month, multi-site prospective clinical study to identify the role that StO₂ monitoring with the InSpectra StO₂ System could play in hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation. Seven Level I U.S. trauma centers participated, enrolling a total of 383 severely injured patients. The study was designed to determine if StO₂ measurements on the thenar eminence are an indicator of hypoperfusion (inadequate blood flow). Conclusions from the study include: StO₂ below 75 percent may indicate serious hypoperfusion in trauma patients; StO₂ above 75 percent indicates adequate perfusion; and StO₂ functions as well as base deficit in indicating hypoperfusion in trauma patients, with the added benefits of being continuous, direct and noninvasive. For information on the study results or the InSpectra StO₂ System you can visit www.htibiomeasurement.com.

SOURCE: Hutchinson Technology