Product Development

19 Jan 2006 07:00

LiDCO Group Plc19 January 2006 Immediate Release 19 January 2006 LiDCO GROUP PLC (LiDCO or "The Company") LIDCOplus MONITOR DEVELOPMENT REDUCES NEED FOR INVASIVE CATHETERS LiDCO Group plc (AIM: LID), the cardiovascular monitoring company, is pleased toannounce that it will be increasing the scope of its product by the introductionof a new measurement, namely the intrathoracic blood volume (ITBV). Accuratelymeasuring the volume of blood in the thorax could be of significant benefit topatients and should widen the attraction of its system to doctors working inintensive care. Importantly, this development will take away the need to insertan invasive catheter into the central venous system, and heart or major artery,which is the currently established technique for taking the measurements. The ITBV measurement will be introduced in the second quarter of 2006. Thelithium ion injection is currently used by LiDCO as a marker substance tomeasure cardiac output. Combining this existing measurement with the time takenfor the lithium marker to transit from the injection point to the LiDCO sensorprovides a new measurement - the ITBV. Physicians endeavour to increase the thoracic blood volume in order to rehydratepatients in surgery, trauma and intensive care locations. Correct fluidmanagement improves cardiac performance and critically the oxygen delivery tovital organs that has been shown to reduce hospital bed stay. The ITBV is a muchmore sensitive guide to the fluid management of patients than the traditionalinvasive catheter based measurement of pulmonary artery wedge pressure. LiDCOexpects that this new measurement will have widespread application in theimproved fluid management of patients. Dr Terry O'Brien, Chief Executive of LiDCO, stated: "The lithium ion basedmeasurement of ITBV significantly augments the utility of the LiDCOplus Monitor.I believe this parameter will prove to be highly useful in the management ofcardiac performance to optimize oxygen delivery in patients requiring fluidreplacement. This should substantially increase the market potential for use ofour patent protected lithium based technology." For further information please contact: LiDCO Group Plc Terry O'Brien - Chief ExecutiveHugh McGarel-Groves - Finance DirectorTel: +44 (0)20 7749 1500 Buchanan Communications Tim Anderson, James StrongTel: +44 (0)20 7466 5000 Panmure Gordon Grant Harrison, Aubrey Powell, Katherine RoeTel: +44 (0)20 7459 3600 Notes to Editors About LiDCO Plc LiDCO is a UK-based AIM-traded developer, manufacturer and leading supplier ofminimally invasive, computer-based hemodynamic monitoring equipment anddisposables used primarily for the management of critical care andcardiovascular risk hospital patients. Use of LiDCO's technology has been shownto significantly reduce the complications (particularly infections) and costsassociated with major surgery. The technology was invented in the Department ofApplied Physiology based at St Thomas' Hospital, London where the Companymaintains a research base. The Company's manufacturing facility is in Hoxton, London and its currentproducts are: • LiDCOplus and PulseCO monitors: computer-based platforms for displaying a range of real-time, continuous hemodynamic parameters including cardiac output, oxygen delivery and fluid volume; • LiDCO disposables: used in conjunction with the LiDCOplus Monitor to accurately determine cardiac output in a minimally-invasive manner. Distribution Network: The Company has now achieved registration of its products in 13 markets inEurope, the USA, Brazil and Japan. It sells direct to the NHS in the UK, andthrough a worldwide network of specialty critical care distributors. Background to the recently published clinical trial: Better than standard care -(EGDT) improves outcome in high risk surgery patients: The results of a major trial at St George's Hospital, London using LiDCO'sminimally invasive monitoring technology were presented during the 25thInternational Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine in Brussels(21st to 25th March 2005). The results have revealed the following: a) Savings in the cost of treating patients amounting to an average of £4,000 per patient. Extrapolated nationally, this would equate to a saving of £500 million per annum for the NHS b) The monetary saving (£248,000) - resulted from 640 hospital days saved for 62 patients, an average of more than 10 bed days per patient c) The savings in cost and hospital days were associated with a significant reduction in medical complications (particularly infections - which were halved) through the use of LiDCO's minimally invasive technology to improve tissue oxygen levels following surgery. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange