Dehaier Medical Systems Ltd. annouced in June that it has become the exclusive distributor in North China of a sophisticated anaesthesia product manufactured by Penlon.
Dehaier Medical Systems has been designated by Guangdong Biolight Meditech Co., Ltd., (Penlon Ltd.’s exclusive distributor in China) as the exclusive distributor of Penlon’s Prima SP Anaesthesia System in North China. North China includes six provinces and the cities of Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi and Inner Mongolia. The authorisation period runs through 2012.
Mr. Ping Chen, Dehaier’s Chief Executive Officer, said, “We are continuing to build our line of products and expand our offerings to our customers including hospitals, clinics and government health bureaus. Becoming the exclusive distributor of Penlon in North China is an important opportunity for our company that provides us with access to the $70 million per year market segment for foreign-made anaesthesia systems, thus doubling Dehaier’s addressable market for anaesthesia systems.”
Dehaier is currently a provider of Chinese-made anaesthesia systems, a market the company estimates is also around $70 million per year.
ConvaTec Continence and Critical Care division specialise in the development, manufacturing and distribution of single-use devices to hospitals and healthcare sectors around the world.
In line with the company’s strengthening of the Commercial Sales Division, an experienced manager, Ian Coulson has been selected to the new position of South East Regional Business Manger, responsible for a team of seven.
Ian Coulson is well qualified for his appointment to ConvaTec, having been in the healthcare arena for 20 years. Immediately prior to joining ConvaTec in February 2010, Ian was the National Sales Manager for KCI Medical. Before that he had a similar senior position in the private medical market in Australia.
His product experience includes therapy pumps, sutures, open surgical products and laparoscopic devices. In addition he has valuable business qualifications, including an MBA and Diploma in Management.
Commenting on his appointment, Ian Coulson said: “I am looking forward to growing with the company and helping to drive it forward. My first responsibility will be to ensure the team is well supported and performing according to plan. The opportunities here seem endless and there is a wide range of products to promote.”
He added: “ConvaTec certainly convinced me of the positive prospects at the company. So far, I can see the possibilities to perform on several fronts, and to date my training and induction has gone very well indeed.”
Medical device startup NeuroWave Systems Inc. has received the CE marking for its NeuroSense anaesthesia monitor, enabling the company to sell its first product in Europe.
The Cleveland Heights, Ohio company has been developing its brain-monitoring device since 2003 when it licensed the technology from co-inventor and now NeuroWave president, Tatjana Zikov.
“This is a big day for the NeuroWave Systems’ team as we have been working toward this goal for eight years,” Zikov said, “We are committed to developing innovative brain monitoring technologies for improved cerebral protection and patient outcomes.”
The NeuroWave system acquires and displays electroencephalogram signals from both sides of the front part of the brain. Monitoring both sides of the brain is important for detecting anaesthesia-related pathologies, such as stroke, that can affect only one part of the brain.
The system quantifies brain activity in patients undergoing general anaesthesia or sedation. It also qualifies this information by providing real-time feedback on both cerebral hemispheres. In this way, NeuroSense could improve patient safety and outcomes during anaesthesia.
“Our system represents a next generation of monitors for depth of anaesthesia and sedation.”
Brain function monitors are not yet the standard of care, Zikov said. “The benefits of these monitors have been widely publicised. We would be on a good path if these, indeed, become standard of care in years to come.”
The market for brain wave-monitoring devices used during anaesthesia is estimated at more than $1 billion a year and growing, according to Cleveland Medical Devices.
“The NeuroSense Monitoring System has been in use for clinical research in Europe for the past three years,” Bibian said. “We welcome this opportunity to market and sell our system in markets where CE Mark is recognised.”
Brain function monitoring has become a widely utilised modality for assessing depth of anaesthesia and sedation. Based primarily on analysis of the electroencephalogram (EEG), brain function monitors continuously measure the electrical activity of the brain and translate those changes to the level of consciousness. Brain function monitoring has been deployed in a variety of clinical environments including the operating room to manage depth of sedation, the intensive care units where patients can be sedated for prolonged periods, and for ambulatory units where large numbers of patients undergo short duration procedures.
Privately-held and backed with a financial investment from Masimo last year, SEDLine was formed with the mission to advance brain function monitoring to improve the care of patients under anaesthesia or sedation. SEDLine’s technology is based on ten years of innovation that delivers proven 4-channel EEG integrated algorithm performance, demonstrated reliability under challenging clinical conditions, and superior resistance to electrocautery1 – offering a cost-effective alternative to other brain function monitoring technologies.
Terri Monk, MD, Professor of Anesthesiology at Duke University Hospital, commented: “In my experience, SEDLine monitors provide valuable and reliable clinical information that helps me to deliver optimal anaesthesia care. I am pleased but not surprised that SEDLine would become part of Masimo, as they both are technology-driven organisations committed to improving patient care.”
Leslie Jameson, MD, Associate Professor and Vice Chair, University of Colorado, Department of Anesthesiology added: “When I need processed EEG monitoring to optimise anaesthesia care in our operating rooms, I opt for SEDLine. The 4-channel EEG screen provides a diagnostic quality display that can be optimised for each patient. When combined with the DSA screen, the SEDLine is a very valuable tool to optimise anaesthetic management, particularly in certain patient groups. I look forward to seeing how Masimo will expand SEDLine’s technology platform to further enhance its already considerable clinical value.”
Masimo and SEDLine are in the process of developing a full integration plan and will provide details when they are finalised.
