By: Christina Hwang, Contributing Reporter
Royal Philips has announced FDA approval of a touchscreen patient monitor that can be used in the MR environment, the Expression MR400. Having tested the monitor at the highest energy levels MR magnets deliver, the system can safely monitor a patient's vital signs without compromising the image quality.
“The monitor offers the highest Gauss (5,000), SAR (4W/ Kg), and µT B1 rms (7.2) ratings in the market," Stacie Ruth, business leader for medical consumables and connected sensing, Patient Care and Monitoring Solutions at Philips, told HCB News.
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Pediatric patients, who are frequently anesthetized prior to an MR procedure, may benefit greatly from this technology. “It’s incredibly important to keep a close eye on their condition so that clinicians can intervene early to prevent any complications,” said Carla Kriwet, CEO of Philips Patient Care and Monitoring Solutions, in a statement.
For unresponsive patients, such as those under anesthesia, patient monitoring allows physicians to remain informed of changes that may otherwise go undetected. The MR400 keeps track of diagnostic information and patient vital signs such as heart rate, carbon dioxide and oxygen levels, body temperature and blood pressure.
The monitor works in the MR suite because it was designed with special shielding and special MR-compatible materials. "These special tools increase the price for such a product, but the most advanced bedside patient monitors would offer a compatible price,” said Ruth.
The system tests the electrical and muscular activity of an individual’s heart and also has alarms to warn clinicians if a patient has any severe changes, such as apnea or tachycardia/bradycardia. The data collected by the MR400 can then be shared through Philips IntelliBridge Enterprise across the facility to relevant persons, and submitted wirelessly to the patient's EHR.
Allowing for patient monitoring in the MR suite may also yield benefits for other patient populations besides pediatrics. The critically ill, individuals who are claustrophobic, and individuals who need to undergo cardiovascular MRs and interventional/intraoperative MRs may all be imaged with a greater degree of confidence, according to Philips.
