Flosonics Medical, a graduate of Fogarty Innovation’s Company Accelerator Program (CAP), has partnered with El Camino Health as the first health system in the world to adopt FloPatch, its innovative technology that monitors blood flow in real time. FloPatch is the first wireless, wearable Doppler ultrasound system that helps clinicians better manage intravenous (IV) fluid therapy early in the critical care pathway.
Successful trial leads to the device’s widespread adoption at El Camino
“Timing is crucial when caring for critically ill patients. Our nurses have seen firsthand how effective FloPatch is in monitoring the effectiveness of fluid resuscitation in deteriorating patients, especially those with sepsis and low blood pressure,” said Cheryl Reinking, chief nursing officer at El Camino Health. “We are proud to be the first hospital in the world to adopt this advanced technology and have been working with Fogarty Innovation and Flosonics for the past year trialing FloPatch in a variety of departments. Our nurses immediately loved it, and helped decide where in the hospital the technology would be the best initial fit.”
The FDA-approved device provides a simple, fast and consistent method for measuring changes in heart function. Once placed on a patient’s neck, the FloPatch continuously assesses blood flow in the carotid arteries and wirelessly transmits that data to a secure iOS mobile application, providing clinicians with actionable data in real time, at the point-of-care.
“FloPatch is more than an innovative ultrasound system, it is a new paradigm linking physiology and resuscitation medicine,” said Dr. Jon-Emile Kenny, chief medical officer at Flosonics Medical. “We’ve had a successful history working with El Camino Health during our time at Fogarty, so it’s very gratifying that they are the first facility to launch this pioneering ultrasound technology.”
Solving a challenging patient scenario
When a patient arrives at a hospital with sepsis, the first line of treatment is IV fluids, as they help restore blood volume and supply vital organs with oxygen.
However, many patients do not benefit from and may be harmed by excess IV fluids, even early in the care process. Excess IV fluids can cause complications that result in an extended length of stay and more complex care. While there are tools currently available that can measure fluid response, they are cumbersome and time-consuming to use. The FloPatch is easy-to-use, hands-free, and can be deployed in under one minute.
FloPatch’s advanced analytics engine quantifies and displays changing metrics over the course of an assessment and helps clinicians deliver more precise fluid treatment and ultimately, better care to patients that improves outcomes. Click here to see a demonstration of the technology in action. A recent study demonstrated that, for every 10 FloPatch assessments performed, four to five patients will avoid potentially dangerous fluid overload in the emergency department, resulting in improved patient outcomes and significant cost savings.
Working with Fogarty-guided strategic vision
For the startup, it was a real turning point to participate in CAP, a six-month cross-functional mentoring program that helps early-stage companies hone their business model and make progress toward key milestones.
With guidance from lead FI mentors Mike Regan, chief innovation officer; and Dr. Zach Edmonds, associate director of hospital medicine for the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) and an FI strategic advisor; the Flosonics team worked directly with clinicians at El Camino Health to gain a better understanding of the patient journey and determine the best clinical use for their innovative technology. Through this process, the Flosonics team focused on the unmet clinical need of more efficiently managing fluids in critically ill patients, bringing forward a product that streamlines a clinician’s workflow and will ultimately help patients around the world.
“Through our time at Fogarty we were able to zero in on how the device would help patients, rather than just thinking about what the technology does,” Jon explains. “Reframing our view to prioritize the unmet clinical need and putting the patient at the center made all the difference.”