‘Lungpacer’ on New Ventures top 10
A new therapeutic device that will accelerate and improve the recovery time of critically ill patients on mechanical ventilators is a top 10 finalist in New Ventures B.C.’s annual competition.
The Lungpacer system was conceived and developed by SFU biomedical physiologist Andy Hoffer and is being commercialized via a new spin-off company, Lungpacer Medical Inc.
The device is comprised of intravenously placed electrodes that work to rhythmically activate the diaphragm – a process called pacing – in patients who require a ventilator to survive.
Pacing prevents or reverses the rapid diaphragm muscle-disuse atrophy that is a typical consequence of mechanical ventilation.
“Atrophy and weakness of the diaphragm are main reasons why many patients fail to wean from ventilators and must remain hospitalized, thus increasing their risk for catching hospital-borne infections and causing their hospitalization costs to escalate,” says Hoffer.
Other diaphragm pacing systems are unsuitable for fragile intensive care unit (ICU) patients, since they require full anesthesia for permanent surgical attachment of electrodes to nerves or muscle, Hoffer notes.
“Lungpacer’s disposable electrodes are temporarily introduced intravenously with only local anesthesia, and can be easily removed once the patient recovers the ability to breathe independently,” he explains.
The minimally invasive Lungpacer system leads to faster patient recovery, shorter stays in intensive care, lower hospitalization costs and greater patient access to scarce mechanical ventilators.
“This new method to facilitate and accelerate patient weaning from mechanical ventilators will help cycle patients off ventilators much faster, allowing the existing complement of ventilators to serve many more patients, for example, if H1N1 or another pandemic surges,” says Hoffer.
In 2008, mechanically ventilated patients cost the Canadian health care system $6.1 billion, says Hoffer. ICU patients who require ventilation for more than three weeks account for fully one-sixth of total hospital inpatient costs, he adds.
The 10 finalists were chosen from more than 175 new companies. Competition results will be made known on Thursday, Sept. 24, at the annual awards ceremony to be held at SFU Vancouver’s Segal Graduate School of Business.
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