A new scanning device designed to aid cardiac ‘rule out’ is to be exhibited at the EUSEM European Society of Emergency Medicine conference (EUSEM; 23–27 September, Athens, Greece). The Creavo Medical Technologies’s Vitalscan uses magnetocardiography to help physicians rule out significant cardiac conditions such as heart attacks in patients presenting to emergency departments with chest pain.
Creavo’s Vitalscan is deployable to the patient’s bedside and conducts a non-invasive scan which is designed to take just three to five minutes.
Offering significant time and cost-savings in comparison to existing ‘rule in’ techniques used in busy emergency departments, such as electrocardiography and troponin blood tests, Vitalscan is breaking new ground, making proven technology available in point of care format for the first time.
Steve Parker, chief executive officer of Creavo Medical Technologies says: “The existing triage process for someone entering an emergency department with chest pain can take anywhere from six to 24 hours. This can place a huge amount of strain on resources.
Creavo’s Vitalscan may help physicians rule out significant ischaemic heart disease
“Early results from smaller sets of clinical trials indicate that Vitalscan can help physicians quickly identify and rule out significant ischaemic heart disease. It prevents patients who are not suffering from a cardiac-related condition from having to go through the lengthy, expensive chest pain triage process. This eases the burden on emergency departments at a time when they are facing unprecedented pressures.”
In addition to time-saving in cardiac diagnosis and consequently faster decision-making concerning treatments, Creavo believes the device may save hospitals money. A company release states that new technology has the potential to save the UK National Health Service around £200m a year.
The device is currently on trial in four major hospitals in the UK, with results expected early on next year.
