Datascope Corp. has developed a new patient monitoring system, NetGuard, that monitors the electrical activity of the heart in order to protect the unmonitored hospital patient population in the event of a life-threatening heart rhythm.
NetGuard is designed to continuously monitor patients to allow immediate detection and early treatment of a dangerous heart rhythm, and reportedly has been shown to significantly increase survival. The system is a small wireless EKG monitor, weighing less than an ounce. The monitor communicates with a standard PC at a nurse’s station, which gives an alert and an EKG display when a dangerous rhythm is detected. One PC can reportedly cover 50 patients.