Computer-Controlled Anesthetic Delivery

A new computer-controlled anesthetic delivery system identifies when a hypodermic needle has entered the epidural space, a critically important factor in the safety and efficacy of anesthetic injections administered during childbirth or in the course of pain management therapy.

An independent pilot clinical study has confirmed the efficacy of the system in identifying the epidural space. The study was conducted at the University of Texas Health Science Center (Houston, USA), and the results were reported at the annual meeting of the Society for Technology in Anesthesia in Las Vegas (NV, USA) in October 2004.

Currently, doctors attempt to identify epidural space through a subjective technique known as "loss of resistance.” This technique requires that medical practitioners use a thumb to "sense” a change in pressure in determining if they have reached the epidural space. This space is mis-identified in a significant percentage of procedures, which can result in complications and may include infection, paralysis, and, in extreme cases, death.

The new CompuFlo delivery system detects pressure changes as the needle penetrates human tissue with differing characteristics. In each case in the study, the epidural space was successfully and clearly identified by the CompuFlo System. "This represents an exciting development, as the scientific data appear to validate the underlying core technology that we have worked so hard to develop,” commented Dr. Mark Hochman, director of clinical affairs at Milestone Scientific, Inc. (Livingston, NJ, USA) and inventor of the CompuFlo technology.




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Milestone Scientific