YUCAIPA, Calif., May 31, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Of the 1 in 59 Americans who will be diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) at some time in their lives, those who live with it suffer further complications and sometimes death when operator or equipment error cuts off their home oxygen therapy flow. Medical device manufacturer, Ingen Technologies, Inc. (www.Ingen-tech.com), has solved the problem with the development of Oxyview®, a simple, inexpensive reusable pneumatic flow meter which simply shows the patient that oxygen is still flowing. Oxyview® is available as part of a disposable nasal cannula apparatus, sold as The SMART Nasal Cannula® or as individual reusable units that can be attached to medical tubing, then reattached over and over again. The product is available at www.Ingen-tech.com and through major medical supply distribution channels.
The most cost effective and disposable measuring device which can be used by a patient, Oxyview® eliminates flow issues that are often simple, but in a matter of minutes can also be devastating. Until now, most O2 measuring devices available are the dial on a heavy O2 tank which often misreads when in an unbalanced position, or when mounted on a wheelchair. The medical industry often uses very expensive regulators engineered for professional use only. One of the only other options for a patient is to call their oxygen therapy supplier, whose arrival could be too late. Servicing these calls with travelling personnel, many of which occur at odd hours of the night, is one of the biggest costs for the respiratory supply industry.
"COPD patients, often in the last 5 years of their life, are dependent upon supplemental oxygen," said Ingen Chairman & COO, Gary Tilden, "Often because of their advanced age, COPD patients can have limited awareness of the fact their O2 is even flowing. The reasons these malfunctions occur are not worth a life. COPD is projected to be the fourth leading cause of death worldwide by 2030 due to an increase in smoking rates, it's the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. and the economic burden of COPD in the U.S. in 2007 was $42.6 billion in health care costs and lost productivity."
"This small, simple to operate and very accurate device provides a high measure of security to patients," said Dr. Vlady Rozenbaum, PhD, COPD Coalition; Board of Directors, Pulmonary Education and Research Foundation; Board of Directors, National Emphysema/COPD Foundation, Editorial Board, COPD Digest and Everything Respiratory. "Patients can quickly be alerted to malfunctioning equipment and take the necessary steps to correct the situation immediately. I have been using Oxyview® during my pulmonary rehabilitation sessions and I know of many patients who consider Oxyview® a very important part of their respiratory supply."
Established in 1999, Ingen Technologies (www.Ingen-tech.com) is a licensed and ISO 13485:2003 Certified medical device manufacturer with facilities located in Southern California. Ingen currently manufactures products for the growing respiratory markets. These products include the Oxyview® flow meter and the Smart Nasal Cannula®. The Ingen products are manufactured in California and are commercially sold to hospitals, long term care, and home healthcare markets, with a focus on providing these products to patients who require oxygen therapy.
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