Hillrom Launches New Innovations to Help Diagnose and Treat COVID-19 Patients

Hillrom (Chicago, IL, USA) has introduced new medical device and connectivity advancements, as well as updated clinical protocols, to help caregivers more easily diagnose and treat COVID-19 patients.

Hillrom has received emergency use authorization from the FDA to adapt the company's MetaNeb System to help COVID-19 patients. The MetaNeb System combines lung expansion, secretion clearance and aerosol delivery into a single integrated therapy session and can be used with any ventilator. With its new closed-circuit design using a bacterial-viral filter, caregivers of patients treated with MetaNeb are better protected from aerosolized particles that may escape during treatment.

Hillrom has also integrated digital respiratory rate capture capabilities into its Welch Allyn Connex Spot Monitor. This new technology utilizes the integrated pulse oximetry of the Connex Spot Monitor to simply and accurately capture this key measure. This technological advance can empower care teams to accurately monitor the respiratory rate of COVID-19 patients and could lead to earlier detection and intervention. Hillrom will add a remote monitoring platform and simplified connectivity to its recently launched Spot 4400 Vital Signs Monitor. The clinical-grade integrated device will allow clinicians to remotely receive a complete set of vitals, including SPO2, temperature and blood pressure, from patients requiring monitoring outside the hospital through a smart phone app and web portal.

Additionally, Hillrom has created and deployed a simple, cloud-hosted version of its Voalte mobile solution, a method for allowing caregivers and patients in field hospitals to communicate. Voalte Extend software empowers patients by giving them the ability to send a message from a mobile device directly to their nurse. This secure, Azure Cloud-based, ready-to-go solution can be deployed quickly using remote tools. Hillrom is also partnering with AgileMD to offer constantly updated COVID-19 clinical pathways from leading centers managing these critical patients. With clinical recommendations changing daily and staff turning over quickly due to exposure and illness, instant access to advanced COVID-19 clinical pathways and predictive analytics through existing physician and nursing workflows empowers providers to quickly implement best practices for evidence-based, consistent care.

Meanwhile, Hillrom’s existing patient positioning equipment can be adapted for use in the ICU and med-surg environments to offer clinically proven prone movement and positioning capabilities for both ventilated and non-ventilated patients.

"Our team has been working tirelessly to rapidly develop and deliver critical care devices and solutions for COVID -19 patients, from triage to treatment for those in the ICU," said John Groetelaars, Hillrom's president and CEO. "In addition to receiving emergency use authorization to enhance our MetaNeb® System, we are also pleased to offer new mobile care communications and innovative vital signs remote monitoring solutions to help save lives."

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