I n t e l l i g e n t D e s i g n a n d D e v e l o p m e n t | |
| | PRESS RELEASE "Lucent Medical Systems Granted Tracheal Tube Patent" Kirkland, WA - Lucent Medical Systems today announced the U.S. Patent Office has extended the company’s intellectual property protection to include a unique endotracheal tube design that works with Lucent Medical’s proprietary magnetic detection systems. The new patent adds to the company’s fundamental patent coverage issued in October 1997 for systems to detect magnetically tagged medical tubes in the body of a patient. According to Lucent Medical Systems’ Chief Technology Officer, Robert Golden, the new patent, Tracheal Tube and Methods Related Thereto, takes the company one step closer to commercializing its cost-saving medical devices. "The design of this endotracheal tube will help address some of the problems that care-givers experience during treatment," he said. "Our hope is that it may also help save lives." Tracheal tubes, also called endotracheal tubes, are used to create unobstructed airways for patients under general anesthesia, or for patients who are having trouble breathing because of trauma or cardio-respiratory arrest. The tube is inserted by a physician, nurse, or paramedic through the patient’s mouth or nose into the trachea, giving direct access to the lungs. Improper tube placement can, however, lead to complications and even death. A tube mistakenly placed in the esophagus fails to ventilate the patient and can cause gastric discharge into the airway. A tube placed too high in the trachea can damage the patient’s vocal cords; low placement results in insufficient ventilation. Placement is currently checked by several methods - including x-ray, the measurement of exhaled carbon dioxide, auscultation (listening through a stethoscope), and observation of chest movement during ventilation. The Lucent endotracheal tube is "tagged" with a magnetic strip that can quickly be detected by a small, hand-held unit, confirming proper placement. In comparison to other methods, Dr. Golden pointed out, Lucent’s system is simple, portable, accurate, and in most cases, less expensive. Verification can also be performed by a variety of caregivers at any time. Lucent Medical Systems is currently developing a wide range of medical products based on proprietary magnetic detection technology. In addition to tracheal tubes, the company is applying its technology to peripherally inserted central venous catheters, enteral feeding tubes, intra-aortic balloon pump catheters, and surgical markers. Each system pairs a magnetically tagged disposable with a hand-held detector. Additional products are under investigation for use in cardiology, urology, orthopedics, and anesthesiology. Lucent Medical Systems was founded in 1994 to commercialize cost-saving medical inventions whose initial research and proof of concept was conducted by researchers at the University of Washington. The company received start-up funding from private investments, including JAFCO (formerly the Japan Associated Finance Corporation), and the Rathmann Family Foundation. The company has also received Small Business Innovation Research grants from the National Center for Research Resources of the National Institutes of Health.
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