BRANFORD, Conn., Oct. 27, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CAS Medical Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:CASM) announced today that it has established its first European Center of Excellence for the FORE-SIGHT(R) Absolute Cerebral Oximeter at Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg in Genk, Belgium. The hospital has already established itself as a key learning center for FORE-SIGHT applications, having produced over 15 scientific abstracts within the past year that demonstrate the value of FORE-SIGHT technology in a variety of applications.
Professor Cathy S. DeDeyne, MD, of the Department of Critical Care Medicine at Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, stated, "I have a long history of researching methods for monitoring cerebral function in disease and health, including my PhD thesis which focused upon jugular bulb oxygen saturation. Eighteen months ago, I began using the FORE-SIGHT Cerebral Oximeter and have since amassed experience in over 500 surgical cases. FORE-SIGHT's tight correlation to jugular bulb data and consistently reliable performance adds greatly to my strategy of directing neuroprotective care."
Professor DeDeyne & colleagues recently presented three FORE-SIGHT related abstracts at the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) meeting, including a 90 patient study comparing the beach chair, or benchchair, position to conventional (side) positioning in adult endoscopic shoulder surgery under general anesthesia. Results from this study showed a significant decrease in cerebral oxygenation when patients were placed in the beach chair position, which subsequently returned to normal pre-operative levels when patients were returned to the supine position. The abstract concludes that "Non-invasive monitoring of absolute cerebral oxygen saturation at the microvascular level might offer new opportunities for cerebral monitoring in patients positioned in benchchair position for shoulder surgery. Especially, the combined use of induced hypotension and this positioning could result in sometimes dangerous reductions in the adequacy of cerebral perfusion."
In addition to the monitors installed at Genk, the Company has made significant inroads into the marketplace in Belgium, with a total of 18 FORE-SIGHT Absolute Cerebral Oximeters installed to date at a number of leading hospitals including: University Hospitals Leuven, Ghent University Hospital, OLV Hospital Aalst, University Hospital Antwerp, AZ Middelheim (Antwerp), UCL University Clinics of Mont-Godinne, and ZOL Campus St-Jan Genk.
CASMED's President and CEO, Andrew E. Kersey, stated, "We are very pleased with the progress we have made in the Belgian marketplace and the establishment of this critical European Center of Excellence. We had targeted Belgium as an important market to gain an early foothold in Europe because of its leading influence in the medical community in Europe, and these hospitals have national and international reputations in cardiology and cardiovascular surgery. These hospitals are using FORE-SIGHT in surgery, intensive care, and for scientific research regarding the value of FORE-SIGHT cerebral oximetry in managing the treatment of patients at risk for reduced cerebral oxygen saturation."
About CASMED(R) - Monitoring What's Vital
CAS Medical Systems, Inc. is a leading developer and manufacturer of medical devices for non-invasive patient monitoring. The Company's FORE-SIGHT Absolute Cerebral Oximeter was the first cerebral oximeter available with FDA clearance for non-invasive, continuous measurement of absolute cerebral tissue oxygen saturation for neonates, infants, children and adults. This information helps avert brain damage or death during surgery and in critical care situations by allowing clinicians to identify patients with dangerously low levels of cerebral oxygen and intervene to reverse the condition.
The Company's product lines include the high-acuity monitoring capabilities of the FORE-SIGHT Cerebral Oximeter; the bedside patient monitoring line of vital signs and cardio-respiratory monitoring products, proprietary non-invasive blood pressure measurement technology, and supplies and service including blood pressure cuffs and products for neonatal intensive care. CASMED products are designed to meet the needs of a full spectrum of patient populations worldwide, ranging from adults to pediatrics and neonates.
For further information regarding CAS Medical Systems, Inc., visit the Company's website at www.casmed.com.
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