ADELAIDE, Australia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Medical device company, Signostics, is launching its affordable SignosRT Bladder scanner in Europe and the United Kingdom, including a new tablet-based version.
The announcement comes as the company prepares to unveil the products at the European Association of Urology (EAU) conference in Madrid this week.
The SignosRT Bladder products are affordable, portable devices designed to use ultrasound technology to automatically and non-invasively calculate bladder volume and have the potential to assist in reducing health care costs in hospitals and home-care support services.
The devices are already sold in Australia and New Zealand, with applications across a number of medical sectors including urology, aged care, home nursing, midwifery, and palliative care.
Steven Haken, Vice President of Business Development (EMEA), said the SignosRT Bladder products could help save money and get patients home sooner.
“Catheterization of patients with suspected urinary retention is a significant cause of urinary tract infections, affecting about 1.7 per cent of hospital patients1 and increasing the length of hospital stays,” he said.
“Research shows using ultrasound to accurately measure bladder volume before catheterization can reduce urinary tract infections by up to 50 per cent2, which is significant for both health providers and patients.”
Mr Haken said the SignosRT Bladder products addressed the growing need for mobile medical devices that enabled better diagnosis and care at the bedside.
“This is a revolution in health care and has the potential to transform community nursing, geriatrics, in-hospital maternity care, and long-term care.
“With a rapidly aging population in most Western countries, home health care is expanding, and portability and affordability are key elements for adoption in this segment.
“The SignosRT Bladder weighs less than 400 grams and fits in the palm of your hand so it’s an easy tool for doctors and nurses to carry anywhere.
“Where users want a mounted solution on a pole, such as hospital wards, the SignosRT Bladder tablet version is suitable.”
1 Graves N, Tong E, Morton AP, Halton K, Curtis M, Lairson D, Whitby M, “Factors associated with health care-acquired urinary tract infection”, American Journal of Infection Control, Volume 35, Issue 6, Pages 387-392 (August 2007)
2 Moore DA, Edwards K. Using a portable bladder scan to reduce the incidence of nosocomial urinary tract infections. MEDSURG Nursing 1997; 6:39–43.