Automated Technology Monitors Key Blood Analytes

The system also measures lactate levels in order to optimize patient care in the ICU, as elevated lactate levels are common in patients with critical illnesses such as sepsis, burns, and trauma. Automated measurements are taken every 15 minutes using 0.13mL of plasma, providing trending capabilities and freeing nurses to perform direct patient care.

The automated process also eliminates handling errors associated with samples drawn by intermittent, manually operated technologies. The range of features include a touch screen; a graphic user interface (GUI) that virtually eliminates the need for in-service to assist in set up or operation; and reagent-free measurements, which removes the need for daily calibration. The OptiScanner 6000 is based on the OptiScanner 5000, both products of OptiScan Biomedical, and has received the European Union CE mark of approval.

“While near continuous monitoring of glucose in the ICU is critical, there are a number of additional metabolic analytes, including lactate, whose serial measurement is also important for optimizing patient care,” said Peter Rule, chairman and CEO of OptiScan Biomedical. “By providing ICU physicians the means to serially monitor both lactate and glucose in the same, single micro-sample of the patient's blood, we believe that the OptiScanner 6000 will play an important role in continuing to elevate the level of care delivered to ICU patients.”

It is estimated that approximately 20% of ICU patients have pre-existing diabetes and an additional 40-70% of ICU patients suffer from stress hyperglycemia, a temporary elevation of glucose levels, with all of these patients requiring accurate glucose monitoring to maintain tight glycemic control.