Early neonatal studies indicate cerebral/somatic oximetry data may help identify difficult to diagnose disease states and guide patient management

TROY, Mich., May 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Somanetics Corporation (Nasdaq: SMTS) announced today that its INVOS(R) System was featured in 25 posters and presentations at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual conference held in Baltimore, Maryland May 2 - 5. The studies focused on early applications of the technology in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), including investigations of how cerebral/somatic blood oxygen data may correlate to severe conditions that are traditionally difficult to diagnose such as necrotizing enterocolitis and patent ductus arteriosis as well as to the need for blood transfusions.

'The prevalence of INVOS System studies within our first year of entering the neonatal intensive care market reflects the high level of interest and wide range of at-risk neonates who may benefit from cerebral/somatic oximetry,' explains Bruce Barrett, Somanetics' president and chief executive officer. 'Many ongoing studies are exploring patterns in regional oxygen values to evaluate whether they may be indicative of disease states that often cannot be identified until the condition escalates and causes damage.'

One disease elusive to detect is necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a dying off of the intestinal and bowel tissue that often leads to death. It often arises unexpectedly due to unknown causes, and typically does not exhibit definitive signs until damage has already been done. Treatment in the NICU can span months, adding financial burden to an already emotionally devastated family. When NEC is suspected, one standard response is to stop feedings so that the affected gut is not taxed.

'While useful to combat NEC, cessation of feedings has its own drawbacks such as stunting organ development in an already fragile neonate,' explains Michael Wider, PhD., co-author of two of the PAS studies and Somanetics' vice president of technology and market development. 'To better confirm which patients should not be fed, investigators are studying whether cerebral/somatic oximetry values have a correlation to feeding intolerance and the eventual development of NEC.'

Six PAS studies explored the technology's role in caring for neonates with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). This is a congenital heart defect where a blood vessel called the ductus arteriosus remains open - or patent - after birth instead of closing naturally as expected. In these cases, the PDA causes abnormal blood circulation, often straining the heart and impairing blood flow throughout the body.