Noninvasive Medical Technologies, Philips Collaborate to Expand Home Monitoring for Congestive Heart Failure Patients

Noninvasive Medical Technologies, Inc. (NMT) announces a reseller agreement with Royal Philips Electronics to complement Philips' current patient telemonitoring service offering with NMT's ZOE fluid monitoring technology. According to the American Heart Association, 5.7 million people in the United States live with heart failure, a chronic condition that requires monitoring and management of fluid status. This agreement will help support congestive heart failure patients.

ZOE fluid status monitors measure thoracic base impedance ("Zo"), gauging the resistance of small frequency electric current as it travels from the top to the bottom of the thorax. The less resistance the current meets, the more fluid that exists in the chest. Increases in fluid in the chest are indicators of heart failure worsening or noncompliance to the treatment plan. Research indicates Zo is an early predictor of fluid congestion in heart failure. When fluid levels in the body increase, Zo levels decrease as early as two weeks prior to weight gain on scales.(i) Remote fluid monitoring provides clinicians with a quick and easy method of determining whether patients are experiencing fluid congestion or dehydration and can help clinicians optimize medical management of patients living with heart failure, and other medical conditions that cause fluid management problems like hypertension and end-stage renal disease. ZOE provides a clinician with noninvasive assessment of a patient's fluid status.

Fluid status monitors supplement Philips' existing telemonitoring solution, which measures vital signs including weight, blood pressure and blood oxygen saturation, as well as measurements from other third-party equipment such as blood glucose monitors.

"We are continuously looking for new ways to increase our customers' ability to remotely manage patients with chronic conditions while the patients remain at home," says Paul Bromberg, general manager, Philips Remote Patient Monitoring. "Collaborating with NMT and expanding our product line helps us achieve that goal."

"As the incidence of heart disease rises, care is shifting from the costly institutional setting to the home," says Ann McCaughan, chief operating officer and chief technology officer at NMT. "The use of ZOE in conjunction with Philips Telehealth Solutions can help patients better manage their own health while aiding healthcare providers in facing the challenges of this increasing burden on the healthcare system."