BRUSSELS, Belgium, March 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE: EW), a global leader in hemodynamic monitoring technologies, announced the European launch of its Edwards FloTrac(TM) sensor, a new minimally invasive hemodynamic monitoring device, at the International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (ISICEM) being held in Brussels, Belgium.
The Edwards FloTrac sensor system provides certain key continuous cardiac measurements by accessing data directly from an arterial line, a small catheter inserted into the patient's radial artery. Approximately 1.2 million critically ill patients are treated in Europe each year who already have an arterial line in place to draw blood and collect basic cardiovascular data. In addition to the approximately 10 percent of patients who are already undergoing advanced hemodynamic monitoring, Edwards estimates that half of that overall critically ill patient population could benefit from the additional hemodynamic monitoring offered by the FloTrac sensor system, which may optimize therapy by allowing for earlier identification of changing patient conditions.
In critical and intensive care settings, clinicians need to monitor patients' cardiovascular performance, including cardiac output, oxygen saturation levels, blood pressure and blood volume. Traditionally, these critical parameters have been gathered through pulmonary artery catheters that are threaded into a patient's heart. Edwards, which pioneered pulmonary artery catheter technologies with the Swan-Ganz catheter and is today the world's leading hemodynamic monitoring company, developed the FloTrac sensor system so clinicians could gauge some of these patient parameters less invasively.
'This technology has accuracy comparable to that of the pulmonary artery catheter for obtaining cardiac output measurements,' said William McGee, M.D., Director of ICU Quality Assurance at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass., who led a team of researchers from four centers in Europe and the United States to evaluate the Edwards FloTrac sensor's clinical performance. 'The development of an accurate, less-invasive method of measuring cardiac output may contribute to the expansion of cardiac output monitoring to patients currently not monitored with a pulmonary artery catheter,' he continued.
Data from the international study of more than 80 patients, presented to ISICEM attendees, demonstrated that the Edwards FloTrac system is an easy-to-use and reliable method for measuring cardiac output. Institutions participating in the study included the University Hospital Gasthuisberg in Belgium, the CHU Bordeaux Hospital Group in France, the Medical City of Dallas, Texas, and Baystate Medical Center in Massachusetts.
'We are pleased to bring this important new technology to Europe, to serve a new population of critically ill patients who currently are not receiving this level of hemodynamic monitoring,' said Patrick Verguet, president of Edwards Lifesciences' European operations. 'As the world leader in acute hemodynamic monitoring, we are proud to take the lead in introducing new, innovative technologies that serve the unmet needs of critically ill patients.'
About Edwards Lifesciences
Edwards Lifesciences, a leader in advanced cardiovascular disease treatments, is the number-one heart valve company in the world and the global leader in acute hemodynamic monitoring. Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., Edwards focuses on specific cardiovascular opportunities including heart valve disease, peripheral vascular disease and critical care technologies. The company's global brands, which are sold in approximately 100 countries, include Carpentier-Edwards, Cosgrove-Edwards, Fogarty, LifeStent, PERIMOUNT and Swan-Ganz. Additional company information can be found at http://www.Edwards.com.
Edwards Lifesciences, Edwards, FloTrac, are trademarks of Edwards Lifesciences Corporation. Carpentier-Edwards, Cosgrove-Edwards, Fogarty, PERIMOUNT, and Swan-Ganz are trademarks of Edwards Lifesciences Corporation and are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. LifeStent is a trademark of Edwards Lifesciences AG and is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
This news release includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties; the successful launch of the FloTrac sensor; the market's adoption of the FloTrac sensor; the ability of the FloTrac sensor to address a broader population of patients; and other risks detailed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by management of the company and are believed to be reasonable, though are inherently uncertain and difficult to predict. Actual results or experience could differ materially from the forward-looking statements.
Web site: http://www.edwards.com
© 2005 PR Newswire
