Assurance Alar One-Sense Pulse Oximetry Sensor Presented at STA Conference

GLASTONBURY, Conn. - Jan. 17, 2014 - PRLog -- Xhale Assurance, Inc., developer of the unique Assurance^® Alar One-Sense™ Pulse Oximetry Sensor, today announced that its new Alar One-Sense™ Sensor is being highlighted in two clinical research presentations and an educational session on “Cutting Edge Clinical Technology” at the Society for Technology in Anesthesia (STA) Meeting in Orlando, FL, January 15- 17, 2014.  The STA is dedicated to improving the quality of patient care by innovation in the use of technology and its application.   The meeting is attended by physicians and other practitioners in the field of anesthesia from around the world.

Xhale Assurance, Inc. is showcasing its Alar One-Sense™ Sensor at its exhibit at the STA meeting.  The Alar One-Sense™ Sensor detects blood oxygen saturation and heart rate at the nasal ala, the fleshy lateral part of the nostril.  The rich vasculature at this site makes it attractive for pulse oximetry measurement, providing earlier detection of saturation changes than does a sensor placed at the extremities¹.  Measurement at the nasal ala is also less prone to drop out that can be experienced by traditional finger sensors when there is diminished perfusion to the extremities, which may occur in nearly 80% of at-risk patient populations².

Andrew E. Kersey, President of Xhale Assurance, Inc., stated, “The research presented at STA demonstrates the faster response time of the Alar One-Sense™ sensor, compared to  traditional finger sensor placement, to identify desaturations.  It also provides evidence that measurement at the nasal ala can provide additional information to the clinician including the presence of both obstructive and central apnea as well as other abnormal breathing patterns that may provide early indication of patient respiratory compromise.  This type of information, and its timely delivery to the clinician, is important when monitoring critical or anesthetized patients.

“The single-point-of-contact Alar One-Sense™ Sensor provides capabilities that are unmatched by traditional pulse oximetry.  Our continued innovation in monitoring at the nasal ala, supported by clinical research, will build upon the foundation we are developing in measurement of blood oxygen saturation and additional physiological parameters.”

The abstracts being presented include:

Disordered Spontaneous Breathing Patterns Detected Using an Alar Sensor.  Melker R, et al.  Monitoring at the nasal ala provides information on not only oxygen saturation and heart rate, but also provides insight into the presence of apnea and other abnormal breathing patterns in spontaneous breathing patients undergoing monitored anesthesia care.

Earlier Detection of Desaturation from the Nasal Ala.  Tan H, Cannon R, et al.  Faster detection of the onset and the nadir of desaturation during monitored anesthesia care was demonstrated by monitoring at the nasal ala rather than at a finger (physiologic delay), with the possibility of additional delays added by pulse oximeters (device delay).

The educational session is in the Cutting Edge Clinical Technology segment of the program:

Analysis of the Alar PPG

Presented by Richard Melker, MD

Melker RJ, et al. Earlier detection of desaturation from the nasal ala during MAC. Post Graduate Assembly in Anesthesia. Dec 2013.

Davis DP, et al. Latency and loss of pulse oximetry signal with the use of digital probes during prehospital rapid-sequence intubation. Prehosp Emerg Care. 15(1):18-22. Epub 2010-Sep21.

About Xhale Assurance, Inc.

Xhale Assurance is committed to providing clinicians with easy-to-use, cost-effective diagnostic solutions that improve patient safety and reduce false alarms.  Its Assurance^® line of PPG/oximetry sensors are designed to monitor central blood flow by placement on the nasal ala, a region rich in vasculature, fed by the external and internal carotid arteries which also supply the brain.  The unique physiology of the site provides strong, robust pulse oximetry signals.  Measurement from this site will enable monitoring a range of critical physiologic parameters which cannot be monitored via conventional pulse oximetry.

Xhale Assurance is a wholly owned subsidiary of Xhale, Inc., a medical technology innovator, developing products that transform healthcare and save lives. The company is a world leader in the use of sensors that analyze vapor and exhaled breath and is focused on novel patient- centric monitoring solutions. Xhale, Inc. and its subsidiaries own exclusive licenses for various intellectual property and patents licensed from the University of Florida.

(Note: Certain applications described above have not been reviewed by the FDA, and are therefore labeled for investigational use only.)

For more information, please visit www.assurance.xhale.com or www.xhale.com, or contact Investor Relations at ir@xhale.com or 352-371-8488.