IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alsius Corporation , the worldwide leader in intravascular temperature management therapies, today launched the Thermogard XP(TM) Intravascular Temperature Management system designed to provide an enhanced level of therapeutic cooling power to clinicians serving critically ill and surgical patients that require central venous access.
Alsius’ Intravascular Temperature Management (IVTM(TM)) systems provide cooling and warming therapy via a computer-controlled temperature regulation system that connects to Alsius’ proprietary heat exchange catheters. The catheters are inserted into a major vein through a patient’s neck or groin, and circulate cool or warm saline in a closed-loop through balloons that surround the catheters. This approach decreases or increases core temperature from the inside of the body out toward the exterior, allowing for significantly more rapid control of a patient’s core body temperature, with greater efficiency and precision, compared to conventional external temperature management products such as cooling and warming blankets and ice packs.
The Thermogard XP represents the latest product introduction from Alsius and complements the CoolGard 3000(R) and Thermogard(TM) platforms by providing extra cooling power in situations where it is needed, including difficult-to-cool patients.
“We listened to the clinicians we work with and are pleased to offer the Thermogard XP as a solution for the most challenging temperature management scenarios,” said Bill Worthen, President and Chief Executive Officer of Alsius. “Alsius continues to serve the evolving needs of its neurosurgery, cardiac surgery, critical care, and emergency medicine customers and their patients with ongoing innovations and investment in research and development to improve heat exchange performance.”
The medical community continues to embrace the idea of body temperature as one of the four main vital signs and several major medical societies, including the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association, support temperature management as the standard-of-care treatment for certain critically ill or surgical patients.
Quattro(TM) Catheter Introduced
Alsius also announced the introduction of the new Quattro(TM) catheter, a four-balloon heat exchange catheter that provides increased surface area and power with triple lumen central venous access. The Quattro allows clinicians to realize greater warming power on all Alsius IVTM systems and provides additional cooling power with the Thermogard XP.
“Every patient presents a unique set of characteristics and challenges calling for catheters of different lengths and insertion sites, as well as varying degrees of heat exchange power,” commented Suzanne Winter, Vice President, Worldwide Sales and Marketing. “The addition of Quattro to Alsius’ broad family of heat exchange catheters gives clinicians even greater flexibility to tailor cooling and warming therapies to those patients who might require enhanced cooling or warming power.”
Alsius IVTM(TM)
Alsius’ IVTM consists of the CoolGard 3000, Thermogard and Thermogard XP systems and a family of single-use catheters, including the Icy, Fortius or Quattro catheters, which are indicated in the United States for use: in cardiac surgery patients to achieve and/or maintain normothermia during surgery and recovery/intensive care; and to induce, maintain and reverse mild hypothermia in neurosurgery patients in surgery and recovery/intensive care. When used in conjunction with the Cool Line catheter, the Alsius systems are indicated in the U.S. for use in fever reduction, as an adjunct to other antipyretic therapy, in patients with cerebral infarction and intracerebral hemorrhage who require access to the central venous circulation and who are intubated and sedated.
About Alsius
Alsius, headquartered in Irvine, CA, is a commercial-stage medical device company that develops, manufactures and sells proprietary products to precisely control patient temperature in hospital critical care settings. Controlling body temperature, through cooling and warming, is becoming the standard of care for patients in select critical conditions and those undergoing a variety of surgical procedures. Alsius markets a comprehensive suite of catheter-based intravascular temperature management products that address the need for effective, accurate, easy-to-use and cost-effective control of body temperature in critical care patients. For more information, visit http://www.alsius.com.
Safe Harbor
This press release may contain statements regarding plans and expectations for the future that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking. Such forward looking statements, based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Alsius’ management, are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. The information set forth herein should be read in light of such risks. Additional information concerning such risks and uncertainties are contained in Alsius’ filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which can be accessed electronically on the Securities and Exchange Commission website at http://www.sec.gov.
swinter@alsius.comkkampanis@wcpglobal.com
CONTACT: Suzanne Winter of Alsius Corporation, +1-949-453-0150, ext. 105,
swinter@alsius.com; or Kelli Kampanis of WeissComm Partners,
+1-212-301-7172, cell, +1-310-625-3248, kkampanis@wcpglobal.com, for Alsius
Corporation
Web site: http://www.alsius.com/
