Novel Anesthesia Monitor Evaluates Neuromuscular Transmission

A new portable neuromuscular transmission (NMT) monitor for use during anesthesia features both acceleromyography (AMG) and electromyography (EMG) modalities.

The Xavant Technology (Pretoria, South Africa) Stimpod NMS450X monitor enables objective NMT monitoring via AMG (with a reusable sensor) or EMG (with a disposable sensor) in order to manage patients undergoing neuromuscular block during surgery, or in the intensive care unit (ICU). OneTouch NMT technology enables the user to monitor an entire case, from electrode placement to extubation; Stimpod will automatically identify optimal electrode placement, assign the appropriate supramaximal current, begin Train of For (TOF) monitoring, and move to Post Tetanic Count (PTC) when a deep/profound block is achieved.

When the patient begins the reversal process, the Stimpod monitor will automatically reinitiate TOF monitoring until the patient is over 90% recovered. No manual intervention is required to manage the process. Along the way, the Stimpod will detect and notify the user of the depth of the neuromuscular blockade. Additional features include Double Burst (DB), Tetanus, and Twitch stimulation modes for accurate NMT monitoring during more restrictive surgical cases, such as robotic surgery, where restricting the hands is common.

“We believe quantitative or objective monitoring of patients who are undergoing neuromuscular block for surgery should be the standard of care. Our goal is to provide physicians with the most optimal and efficient tools to achieve that standard,” said Corlius Birkill, CEO of Xavant Technology. “By offering, for the first time, anesthesiologists and clinicians a choice in using either AMG or EMG, we can give them unparalleled clinical and budgetary benefits.”

Intraoperative NMT involves the use of electrophysiological methods such as electroencephalography (EEG), AMG, EMG, and evoked potentials to monitor the functional integrity of neural structures during surgery. The purpose is to reduce the risk to the patient of iatrogenic damage to the nervous system, and to provide functional guidance to the surgeon and anesthesiologist.

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