The device was developed in response to the lack of broad anesthetist oversight in outpatient centres, and greater use of opioids and narcotics for sedation
Image: Makani Science receives $550,000 in financing for real-time wireless respiratory sensor patch. Photo: Courtesy of engin akyurt from Pixabay.
Makani Science, developer of the only wireless sensor designed to non-invasively monitor a sedated patient’s breathing rate and volume during medical or dental procedures, announced it has received its first investment of $550,000 from Koa Accel, an innovative medical device accelerator.
The Makani Respiration Monitor is designed to comprehensively monitor the presence, rate and depth of breathing in real time for virtually any patient via small sensor patches on the chest so the care team can immediately detect and respond to respiratory events.
With 90 percent of serious oxygen deprivation episodes missed by current respiratory monitoring methods1, such as nurse monitoring of pulse oximetry and capnography, the Makani monitor is designed to improve respiratory monitoring during procedures using conscious sedation. The device was developed in response to the lack of broad anesthetist oversight in outpatient centers, greater use of opioids and narcotics for sedation, high rates of patient comorbidities, and limitations of current respiratory monitoring technologies. A recently published early clinical study showed that the Makani system demonstrated excellent correlation with gold standard medical spirometry for respiratory rate and volume2.
“Breathing is such an essential measure of patient well-being, yet healthcare professionals today do not have a simple, elegant monitor to accurately measure respiration across different medical situations,” said Steve Yun, MD, clinical professor at Western University of Health Sciences and safety inspector for the American Association for the Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgical Facilities. “The majority of patients are not protected by a breathing tube, ventilator or anesthetist when being treated in outpatient or dental settings. The Makani device offers the promise of measuring the one vital sign we are most interested in – respiration – without the problems associated with traditional monitors.”
Source: Company Press Release.