2020 Arab Health Conference Recap: A Breakthrough Device Makes Its Debut
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In January, more than 50,000 individuals from more than 160 countries congregated in Dubai for the Arab Health conference. The event connects manufacturers and service providers with clinicians for four days of knowledge-sharing and workshops.
Members of CHOP’s Biomedical Optical Devices to Monitor Cerebral Health program were in attendance displaying a “proof of concept” of the neurometabolic optical monitor (NOM), a noninvasive brain monitoring device that could revolutionize cardiac resuscitation. The first-of-its-kind optical device uses a small rubber pad that sticks to a patient’s forehead and beams near-infrared light into the brain to measure blood flow, oxygenation and metabolism. The device would then relay that information in real-time to the care provider to guide rate and depth of chest compressions.
More than 50% of children die from cardiac arrest. Of those who live, many suffer brain damage or brain death.
“When we deliver CPR, we have no way of knowing if the patient’s brain is getting enough blood and oxygen, yet quality of life after survival depends on brain health,” says Daniel Licht, MD, pediatric neurologist, director of CHOP’s Neurovascular Imaging Lab and co-director of the Biomedical Optical Devices to Monitor Cerebral Health program. It is the first CHOP Frontier Program oriented toward device development.
NOM has the potential to be a gamer-changer in CPR and critical care. Incorporating the device into lifesaving medical equipment such as defibrillators and circulatory pumps would ensure that patients receive treatment directed to optimize their brain oxygen levels, thus maximizing their survival and quality of life upon recovery.
Watch this short video to learn more about the concept of the device.
