The
LifeSync® System is the first wireless
electrocardiogram (ECG) data communications
system appropriate for use in high acuity
settings. It is comprised of our disposable
LeadWear® Disposable, which replaces traditional
lead wires, and electronic equipment, which
enables the wireless transmission of ECG and
respiration data from the patient to virtually
any monitor. The system provides the patient
with increased comfort and freedom to move
by eliminating the lead wires that traditionally
tether patients to monitors. In 2003 the LifeSync
System was cleared by the FDA and complied
with the FCC Part 15 regulations for RF devices.
The LifeSync System began selling to US Hospitals
in March 2004.
Benefits
of the LifeSync® System:
Makes
existing patient monitors
wireless
The
LifeSync®
System works
in conjunction
with virtually
all patient
monitors to
create a wireless
Personal Area
Network between
the patient
and the monitor.
Increases
accuracy of clinical
alarms
Alarms
in patient monitors
alert care givers
of potential
cardiac issues
or abnormalities
that may be
present in a
patient’s
ECG. Lead
wires are traditionally
connected to
the patient
and to the monitor,
and carry the
signal directly
from the patient
to the monitor.
The wires have
a tendency to
rub together
whenever patient’s
move.
This creates
“noise”,
which will likely
be interpreted
by the monitor
as a true cardiac
event and an
alarm will sound
alerting the
care giver to
respond to the
patient’s
room.
The healthcare
environment
is a symphony
of alarms that
continually
vie for the
attention of
care givers.
Clearly, the
more accurate
the alarms are
over time, the
more urgent
the response
will be by the
caregiver to
each alarm.
This is just
human nature.
A recent study
found that the
accuracy of
alarms when
using traditional
lead wires was
only 46%.
This means that
54 times out
of 100 when
the nurse was
called into
the patient’s
room, there
was no reason
for them to
be there.
When LeadWear®
Disposable was
applied to the
same patients,
alarm accuracy
improved to
92%.
A
study conducted
by the Lewin
Group to assess
the burden of
lead wire management
on health care
providers concluded
that nurses
spend 40 minutes
per day, per
patient, dealing
with lead wires.
This included
responding to
false alarms,
untangling lead
wires, and attaching
and detaching
lead wires to
patients.
When asked what
other duties
they would perform
with potential
time savings
offered by a
wireless system,
nurses indicated
they would provide
more patient
care, complete
chart work,
spend more time
tracking administered
medications,
perform more
patient education,
and spend more
time talking
to families.
This improvement
in nurse productivity
results in increased
attention to
the patient.
Decreases
infection risk from
reusable ECG wires
Hospital
acquired infections
are receiving
increased attention
in today’s
healthcare climate.
Preventing hospital
acquired infections
is a complex
problem, and
as such, calls
for a comprehensive
solution.
LeadWear®
Disposable,
due to its disposable
nature, is an
essential piece
of that comprehensive
solution.
Consider the
following information:
In a clinical
study conducted
at the University
of Wisconsin,
77% of ECG lead
wires that were
cleaned
by standard
hospital methods
were found to
be contaminated
with one or
more antibiotic-resistant
pathogens.
67% were contaminated
with MRSA (methicillin-
resistant staph
aureus).
These pathogens
enter the blood
stream through
open wounds
or portals created
by other invasive
lines.
In fact, an
outbreak of
VRE (vancomycin-resistant
enterococci)
in a burn unit
in Texas was
traced back
to one contaminated
ECG lead wire.
In addition,
epidemiologists
in a Wisconsin
hospital attributed
an outbreak
of Serratia
marcescens infection
to insufficiently
decontaminated
ECG leads.
Patients being
monitored with
reusable lead
wires are at
risk of being
exposed to highly
resistant pathogens.
LeadWear®
Disposable,
given that it
is single patient
use, reduces
the risk of
transmission
of dangerous
pathogens from
one patient
to another.
Make sure to
ask your hospital
about using
LeadWear®
Disposable to
monitor you.
With
a wireless system,
nurses can get
patients up
and moving without
worrying about
patients tripping
over lead wires.
It is generally
accepted that
earlier ambulation
results in more
rapid healing
and shorter
hospital stays,
thereby reducing
hospital costs.
Faster
Patient Transport
The
LifeSync®
System allows
for patients
to be transported
without disconnecting
them from the
bedside monitor
and reconnecting
them to a transport
monitor.
This improves
the overall
efficiency of
patient transport
and aids in
patient flow
from one unit
to another.
Assures
consistency of 12
lead placement (Diagnostic/Continuous)
The
LeadWear®
Disposable guarantees
constant placement
of the ECG electrodes.
This guarantees
consistent quality
12 lead ECG
for accurate
comparison and
diagnosis.
Radiolucent
LeadWear®
Disposable is
radiolucent.
This ensures
unobstructed
chest x-ray
images allowing
clinicians a
clear picture
for diagnosis.
In addition,
since the need
for repeat x-rays
are minimized,
the patient
exposure to
radiation is
also minimized.
