Canada's Lawson Health Research Institute Investigates Groundbreaking New Technology to Monitor Cerebral Blood Flow in Cardiac Surgery Patients

LONDON, ON and FOXBOROUGH, MA--(Marketwired - Sep 2, 2014) - A team of researchers at Western University and the Lawson Health Research Institute is studying a new technology that may change the way patients undergoing cardiac surgery and other serious medical conditions are monitored and managed in the hospital setting. The device, known as CerOx™, is designed to non-invasively monitor cerebral blood flow and help physicians and nurses assess brain perfusion in real time. This information can be used to support critical treatment decisions made to protect the patient from potential complications.

In cardiac surgery, the use of cerebral monitoring has been shown to significantly reduce the overall complications rate including permanent stroke¹.

Leading the CerOx research program is Dr. John Murkin, a professor in the Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University. Dr. Murkin has studied cognitive and neurological outcomes in cardiac surgery for more than three decades.

"For years, there has been an unmet clinical need for a noninvasive tool that provides accurate, real time measurements of cerebral blood flow in these highly vulnerable patients," said Dr. Murkin. "Many technological innovations in brain monitoring have emerged in recent years, but the CerOx device is unique in that it uses a combination of near-infrared light and ultrasound to provide a direct and localized measurement of blood flow to the brain."

CerOx was developed by Ornim Medical, and employs the company's UTLight™ technology, which utilizes weak acoustic beams to identify light emerging from deep tissue layers. Currently, 11 different studies evaluating CerOx and UTLight technology are underway. The CerOx will be joined by the new c-FLOW™ cerebral flow monitor in September 2014. The c-FLOW is the only standalone cerebral blood flow monitor that provides results in real time that is non-invasive, continuous, and bedside applicable.

About Lawson Health Research Institute
As the research institute of London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph's Health Care London, and working in partnership with Western University, Lawson Health Research Institute is committed to furthering scientific knowledge to advance health care around the world.
www.lawsonresearch.com

About Western University and Schulich Medicine & Dentistry
Western delivers an academic experience second to none. Since 1878, The Western Experience has combined academic excellence with life-long opportunities for intellectual, social and cultural growth in order to better serve our communities.

The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University is one of Canada's preeminent medical and dental schools. Established in 1881, it was one of the founding schools of Western University and is known for being the birthplace of family medicine in Canada. For more than 130 years, the School has demonstrated a commitment to academic excellence and a passion for scientific discovery.
www.westernu.ca

About Ornim Medical
Ornim Medical is a biomedical technology company specializing in research, development, and marketing of the highest quality monitoring devices for cerebral perfusion. Its two products, the CerOx™ and the c-FLOW™ are based on the patented UTLight™ technology and can be used in most areas where cerebral blood flow needs to be monitored.

Ornim Medical provides physicians with the most advanced monitoring tools to help direct safe and decisive patient care when the perfusion of vital tissue is at stake. Ornim's CerOx™ monitor is the only device enabling simultaneous, non-invasive measurement of blood flow and oxygen saturation, while the c-FLOW™ focuses cerebral blood flow only. The use of either of these products (depending on the clinical setting) provide physicians with critical information needed to understand perfusion, helping direct treatment and lower the cost of patient care.

Ornim Medical's patented UTLight™ technology employs the combination of light and ultrasound to provide a non-invasive measure of regional blood oxygen saturation and blood flow. UTLight™ technology is unique among all other commercially available NIRS technologies, since it also analyzes the light speckle signal and does not rely solely on the intensity of light reaching the detector.

Ornim Medical's unique technology is protected by 15 granted worldwide patents.

¹ Murkin JM, Perioperative Detection of Brain Oxygenation and Clinical Outcomes in Cardiac Surgery., Semin Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2004 Mar;8(1):13-4.