Anaxsys launches respiR8 continuous respiratory rate counter

15 Oct 2010

Surrey-based Anaxsys Ltd has launched its first product based on its novel sensor technology, respiR8 — the world’s first continuous electrochemical respiratory rate counter. The device received CE mark approval at the end of last month, paving the way for its launch in Europe.

Targeted at perioperative environments, respiR8 is an accurate, simple to use and cost effective means for enabling early detection of patient deterioration and providing improved patient outcomes.

“Respiratory rate has been identified as a key predictor of potentially serious clinical events, yet it is the vital sign least often recorded and most frequently omitted from hospital documentation,” stated Deryk Williams, CEO of Anaxsys.

“respiR8 has been developed to address this clinical need for more accurate monitoring of respiration rate in clinical environments such as perioperative, and is intended for use on patients requiring supplemental oxygen via a face mask.”

respiR8 consists of a consumable oxygen mask, fitted with Anaxsys’ patented sensor which measures each breath, and a small electronic monitor that captures, displays and records the patients’ continuous respiratory rate. The patients’ respiratory rate can be viewed in either real-time numeric breaths per minute display or trending display on the monitor’s easy to read AMOLED screen. respiR8 also allows healthcare professionals to monitor safely multiple patients at once, thereby improving hospital productivity while ensuring quality patient care.

Deryk Williams added, “The use of respiR8 provides more accurate information of a patient’s respiratory rate than existing clinical practice of manually counting chest excursions. respiR8’s novel sensor measures continuous respiratory rate unlike any other respiratory device currently available on the market. And clinical trials and studies have concluded that the use of respiR8 is intuitive and fits into the normal routine for patients receiving oxygen.

"respiR8’s patented sensor responds rapidly and reversibly to moisture in exhaled breath. As the patient exhales, moisture from the breath condenses on the sensor and a signal is obtained. And as the patient inhales, the air flow over the sensors dries off the moisture and the sensor returns to a baseline state. In this way a series of curves are obtained and the firmware in the electronic monitor calculates the breathing rate in breaths per minute.”