| SOUTHAMPTON, Pa., March 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Environmental Tectonics Corporation (ETC) is proud to introduce another major advance in the safety of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the SMOOTH愛IDE™ compression protocol. ETC's BARA-MED® monoplace hyperbaric chamber is already widely recognized as the most advanced chamber in the world, setting standards of capability and safety for others to follow. Now, with the introduction of SMOOTH愛IDE™ technology, curvilinear profiles with progressively increasingly rates of pressure change made practical by the BARA-MED®'s computer control system, ETC's BioMedical Systems Group has widened the gap. The most common problem for patients undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy is difficulty in equalizing the pressure in their middle ears during the compression phase of a treatment. In its initial stages, this complication is known as ear squeeze. If not dealt with properly, such pressure imbalance can cause physical injury (i.e. barotrauma). Not surprisingly, some patients reject further treatments even if they only suffer the pain and discomfort that precedes barotrauma. And, even when an ear squeeze is properly managed, the time required to do this can have significant impact on treatment schedules. Patient rejection and difficulties in maintaining treatment schedules cost hyperbaric therapy providers time and money. Further, inappropriate management of ear squeeze could expose them to litigation. Michael W. Allen, Vice President of ETC's BioMedical Systems Group said: "It is difficult to overstate the importance of this latest advance. Trials conducted by the U.S. Air Force on this type of profile suggest that an ETC BARA-MED® incorporating SMOOTH愛IDE™ technology should reduce the incidence of barotrauma by 67%. We have had SMOOTH愛IDE™ on clinical trial for some time now on 14 chambers in five facilities in the U.S. and overseas. The response has been resoundingly positive. Even those patients who have had a number of treatments and ceased to experience ear equalization problems have reported that the SMOOTH愛IDE™ is just more comfortable than the standard linear compression profile. This means that an ETC BARA-MED® provides improved patient comfort and safety, and the potential to increase operational efficiency. SMOOTH愛IDE™ is now a standard feature of the BARA-MED®, thus ensuring a win-win situation for both patients and operators." |
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