CareTaker Medical, a pioneer in wireless remote patient monitoring devices, announced that the US Food and Drug Administration has issued 510(k) clearance for the company's wireless continuous non-invasive "Beat-by-Beat" Blood Pressure ("cNIBP") and heart rate monitor based on patented Finger Cuff technology.

The wearable CareTaker® monitor enables uninterrupted wire-free and electrode-free vital signs monitoring throughout the full mobile continuum of care; within the clinic and hospital, during patient transport, and remotely after patient discharge.

Using a comfortable, low-pressure finger cuff, CareTaker’s patented Pulse Decomposition Analysis technology non-invasively measures continuous Beat-by-Beat blood pressure with accuracy exceeding AAMI requirements, and measures Heart Rate as accurately as a 3-lead ECG for remote display on the CareTaker® secure web portal or other wireless devices.

Historically, most continuous "beat-by-beat" Blood Pressure measurements require an invasive arterial catheter or complex equipment, and have therefore been used mainly in critical care settings.

The CareTaker cNIBP technology delivers "ICU Quality" continuous measurements without intrusive catheters or cumbersome wires, giving clinicians the ability to identify hemodynamic deterioration trends early, allowing more time for intervention while providing a comprehensive view of a patient’s hemodynamic status.

CareTaker’s comfortable finger cuff is gentle enough to be worn continuously, even during sleep, and usage is intuitive enough to ease the clinician’s workflow.

Equally important, CareTaker’s onboard Cellular and Bluetooth communication capabilities allow for simple setup and deployment as well as seamless integration with other devices, Remote Patient Monitoring platforms and hospital Electronic Medical Record systems.

"CareTaker is a real game changer, allowing physicians to remotely monitor medical-grade Continuous Blood Pressure and Heart Rate from anywhere, using only a patient friendly-finger cuff," said Dr. Jay Sanders, MD, Professor of Medicine (adjunct) at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and President Emeritus of the American Telemedicine Association.

"Until now, most clinicians have had to settle for intermittent ‘point-in-time’ Blood Pressure measurements using bulky arm cuffs, which can produce misleading results due to the influence of many factors such as movement, posture, anxiety, or caffeine.

"In remote monitoring settings, the ability to gather continuous Blood Pressure and vital sign data from such an integrated easy-to-use device will provide better information and improve patient compliance while reducing cost and workload."

"The CareTaker sets a new standard in cNIBP and continuous vital sign monitoring in terms of patient comfort, mobility, and clinical ease-of-use, in a low-cost wearable form factor" added Jeff Pompeo, CareTaker Medical’s CEO.

"We’re pleased to have our first FDA clearance completed, as we continue to expand our patented technology and wireless platform to add more integrated features in the future, such as Respiration, Sp02, blood volume, arterial stiffness, and other cardiopulmonary measurements."