Non-invasive BP Monitor Provides Beat-to-Beat Readings

December 18, 2006 - Research Triangle Park, NC, USA

A breakthrough in physiological monitoring is about to take center stage as Empirical Technologies prepares "BPGuardian" for commercial deployment. Empirical's BPGuardian makes it possible to monitor blood pressure beat-by-beat and non-invasively without discomfort, using a portable device worn on the wrist. Information from the sensor is then sent via a Bluetooth connection to a nearby computer or handheld device, such as a PDA.

Initial prototype development, testing and evaluation for the device was made possible by Center for Commercialization of Advanced Technology (CCAT) grants provided in 2005 and 2006 through the Office of Technology Transfer and Commercialization (OTTC) at California State University, San Bernardino. Encouraged by positive early test results, SunTech Medical acquired an equity position in Empirical Technologies Corporation this past March. The two firms are now collaborating to introduce a clinical blood pressure monitor that measures, with every heart beat, aortic pressure at the wrist.

Interest continues to grow in the initial product, BPGuardian, which was recently used in a dialysis clinic to monitor blood pressure beat-to-beat. The Naval Health Research Center in San Diego is interested in using BPGuardian as a research tool for stress physiology and its relation to combat stress disorders. Several Department of Defense (DoD) laboratories are evaluating the device, as are several research hospitals. Ongoing studies include work in blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, hypertension in adults and children, inexpensive aneurysm detection and other clinical areas.

About the Office of Technology Transfer and Commercialization (OTTC):

OTTC is the management office for a grant program known as CCAT, Center for Commercialization of Advanced Technology, funded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) through Congressman Jerry Lewis's office. The Foundation for California State University, San Bernardino hosts and oversees OTTC. CCAT provides grants intended to be used in two ways: (1) to help companies develop commercial applications for technologies that have been developed in government laboratories; and (2) to help the government find technologies it needs for defense and homeland security needs and help them along so they can enter government procurement channels. OTTC is a two-way conduit that acts as a virtual incubator for advanced technology.

About the Center for Commercialization of Advanced Technology (CCAT):

The Center for Commercialization of Advanced Technology (CCAT) is supported by Congress and funded by the Department of Defense as a public-private collaborative partnership among academia, industry, and government. With Centers located at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) and San Diego State University (SDSU), the CCAT program provides funding and business development support services to small entrepreneurs, small businesses, and government/university research scientists that have developed technology for use in the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, as well as the commercial marketplace. Additional program partners include the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Jacobs School of Engineering, von Liebig Center and The Security Network with support from the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, San Diego.

About Empirical Technologies Corporation, Inc.:

Empirical Technologies Corporation, Inc., located in Charlottesville, Virginia is an advanced research technology firm dedicated to the principles of bringing superior technology to patient care while being a solution based, hardware oriented business that excels at emerging medical monitoring technologies. The staff, comprised of Ph. D. and post doctorial research professionals, has extensive experience in physical sciences, engineering, and sophisticated analysis tools. They hold eleven US patents and one provisional application, and have received support research funding from DARPA, NHLBI, US Army, Office of Naval Research and CCAT at CSU San Bernardino.

About SunTech Medical:

SunTech Medical's OEM blood pressure technology is used by many of the world's leading patient monitoring and defibrillator equipment manufacturers. Offerings include algorithms for particular patient environments and conditions including patient transport (ambulance, helicopter, or gurney), patient motion (tremors and spasms) and specific patient populations (dialysis, neo-natal, pediatric, bariatric, or veterinarian). SunTech's finished goods solutions include automated blood pressure monitors for stress and exercise testing, our 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitor and general and specialized blood pressure cuffs.

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