You got questions?
We've got answers.
Here are some frequently asked questions by patients on the INVOS® System:
What is the INVOS® System?
Why is the INVOS® System important?
How can the INVOS® System help me?
Is the INVOS® System safe?
How does the INVOS® System work?
Is the INVOS® System a brand new technology?
Can the INVOS® System prevent brain damage or a stroke?
How can I find out if my doctor uses this device?
Q. What is the INVOS® System?
A.The INVOS® System is a noninvasive medical device that measures and monitors whether you have a healthy balance of oxygen supply and consumption to the brain and vital organ areas during surgery and other critical care treatment. Two to four sensors may be placed on the forehead and other parts of the body to monitor site-specific oxygenation levels.
Q. Why is the INVOS® System important?
A. The INVOS® System is an important medical device because it alerts the care team if oxygen levels decrease to an unsafe level. Since brain cells and organ tissues die within minutes without proper oxygenation, continuous measurement of cerebral and somatic (body) oxygen levels provide potentially life-saving information.
Q. How can the INVOS® System help me?
A. The INVOS® System provides a warning for your medical care team to intervene if oxygen levels decrease in your body. By "intervene" we mean that you may need drug therapy, blood transfusion or other therapies to improve oxygen levels. Before the INVOS® System, site-specific oxygenation could only be inferred by indirect methods such as blood pressure, pulse, temperature and urine output. Now your medical care team is empowered with data on distinct brain and body areas for your added protection and to help avoid adverse outcomes.
Q. Is the INVOS® System safe?
A. Yes. The INVOS® System has been available in the U.S. since 1996, and is routinely used and trusted in over 1,200 installs internationally, 700+ U.S. hospitals, and 80% of hospitals performing pediatric cardiac surgery. In addition, it is a noninvasive device-there is no pain, no needlesticks or incisions to the body. Instead, two to four sensors simply adhere to the skin like a Band-Aid to perform the monitoring.
Q. How does the INVOS® System work?
A. The INVOS® System works by using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS); a long-trusted medical technology. The key benefit of NIRS technology is that it can measure internal blood oxygenation just by being placed on the surface of the skin. It does this by passing harmless, low-intensity, near-infrared light through the surface tissue, beneath the sensor. This light is absorbed or scattered back from the red blood cells, producing an rSO2 (regional oxygenation) value for deeper tissues under the sensor. These values give the medical care team objective, real-time feedback on your oxygen levels.
Q. Is the INVOS® System a brand new technology?
A. No. The INVOS® System uses near-infrared spectroscopy; a technology that has been safely and reliably used in the medical field for decades. Commonly-known NIRS medical devices are pulse oximetry monitors (typically a fingertip sensor that monitors a body's global blood oxygenation status). Additionally, the INVOS® System itself has been on the market since 1996.
Q. Can the INVOS® System prevent brain damage or a stroke?
A. No, however clinical studies suggest that by monitoring oxygen levels and reacting when they are low, the INVOS® System can help reduce adverse neurological outcomes, such as brain damage and stroke. What's more, use of the INVOS® System has been associated with decreased intensive care stay, coma, memory loss and other adverse complications, including renal failure and death.
Q. How can I find out if my doctor uses this device?
A. Just ask them. Since the INVOS® System is used by surgeons, nurses, perfusionists, anesthesiologists, and cardiac catheterization technicians, you can talk to virtually any member of your care team about cerebral/somatic oximetry with the INVOS® System.
|
