Deltex Medical Group PLC (AIM: DEMG) announced positive results from a further study on the use of its CardioQ-ODM device to monitor blood circulation in comparison to devices utilising Pulse Pressure Waveform Analysis (PPWA).
The CardioQ oesophageal Doppler monitor (ODM) is used in patients during major surgery or in intensive care. ODM is the only technology to measure blood flows in the central circulation, the company said, adding it is highly sensitive to changes in flow and measures them immediately and accurately.
ODM enables doctors to intervene quickly and safely based on small changes in circulating blood volume and so avoid the dangers of reduced oxygen delivery.
The CardioQ-ODM is inserted in the oesophagus and is positioned near the aorta. Because the device is so close to the blood flow the signal is clear. Patient movement, which could disturb the signal, is minimised in patients under anaesthetic and in intensive care.
The results of the trial on critically ill patients in intensive care at University College London Hospital were presented at the annual meeting of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine in Vienna.
It compared readings from Deltex's CardioQ-ODM to those from a more recently introduced device utilising PPWA and noted unacceptably large percentage errors in the PPWA device relative to ODM and poor correlation after changes in the bloodflow, Deltex said.
It cited the study as concluding that: the PPWA device "showed poor agreement" with ODM as the reference technique. Althought there may be weaknesses in ODM, it "has been successfully used in nine peri-operative (the time just before, during and immediately after surgery) outcome studies".
Deltex Medical chief executive Ewan Phillips commented: "ODM measures haemodynamics (bloodflow) in a fundamentally different way to PPWA. This latest study confirms ODM's growing status as the gold standard technique for accurately detecting changes in circulating blood volume and allowing effective, safe, timely interventions that benefit the patient."
Having established a substantial high quality evidence base supporting wide-scale use of its products on both clinical and economic grounds, Deltex Medical is working with leading hospitals around the world to introduce ODM-guided fluid management into routine use, the group said.
Earlier this week, Deltex said it is currently trading in line with expectations and it has raised £2.0 million before expenses via the placing of 22.22 million new shares at 9 pence each.
The money will be used to strengthen the balance sheet to fund its larger operations and to show to its trading counterparties that it is a sound commercial partner for the larger hospital and healthcare systems which are looking at making a significant operational commitment to the company's technology.