Hothead Technologies has executed an agreement with Shafer Medical Devices, a Division of Shafer Enterprises, LLC to develop and distribute a medical application of the H.O.T.™ System that supports the Shafer Medical Devices Hypo/Hyperthermic Pad in managing normothermia in patients, during pre-op, surgery, and post op. The H.O.T.™ System, created by Hothead Technologies, wirelessly monitors body temperature, sending warning signals if the individual's temperature goes above or below a pre-determined threshold. The H.O.T.™ System is the detection component for this medical solution. Shafer Enterprises, LLC manufactures personal cooling systems for a variety of applications including the Hypo/Hyperthermic Pad that keeps a person's body temperature at a safe level to prevent them from overheating or becoming too cold. Together the system is called SafeTemp (a normothermia monitoring and management system).
By integrating the H.O.T.™ System with the Hypo/Hyperthermic Pad solution, medical staff will have the ability to monitor multiple subjects to maintain optimum body temperatures (which may reduce the risk of post-surgical infections). Staff can view any patient's temperature from a wireless handheld PDA (personal digital assistant), and if temperature increases or decreases, the H.O.T.™ system can send a wireless command to the Hypo/Hyperthermic Pad to adjust the temperature to maintain normothermia.
"We are excited about the opportunity to use our H.O.T.™ System as a device that can serve the medical community in its task to keep normothermia manageable," says Jay Buckalew, CEO of Hothead Technologies. "The partnership with Shafer Enterprises is one that we've worked on for some time and are glad to see the two companies join forces in this ground breaking solution," adds Buckalew.
Hothead Technologies and Shafer Medical Devices are on the cover of this month's Surgical Products magazine. They showcase the H.O.T.™ System, which includes a headband embedded with a heat sensor, on a patient who is using the Pad.
"Shafer Enterprises through our Cool Vest has been an advocate for protecting surgeons from overheating in the operating room. We believe the medical industry is one that can truly advance from our new technology solution," comments Tony Blackburn, vice president of sales and marketing at Shafer. "We know that medical staff must monitor each patient from room to room and physically record temperatures in an effort to monitor and manage normothermia. Now with the integration of the H.O.T.™ System with our Pad, the hospital staff can monitor every patient on the floor at one time, collect temperature data, print necessary reports and adjust patient temperatures to maintain optimum normothermia automatically. It saves time and provides accountability, but most importantly, it provides staff with constant monitoring of all patients and when coupled with our Pad, the ability to continually adjust temperatures to maintain normothermia," says Blackburn.
The Hothead and Hypo/Hyperthermic Pad solution has proven to be successful in early trials. The sensor is not affected by other electronic devices, does not add to the clutter of wire cords, and does not interfere with medical equipment. The SafeTemp (normothermia monitoring and management system) is currently in prototype stage and will go through further research and testing over the next several months.
The SafeTemp unit can be used for all your temperature monitoring applications throughout a medical facility from ambulatory to ICU.
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