Researchers From Around the World Present Studies of Bispectral Index Monitoring at the American Society of Anesthesiologists Annual Meeting This Week in Dallas

DALLAS (PROTEXT) - Technology Utilized in at Least 49Abstracts on Diverse Clinical Topics Researchers from 12 countries are presenting studies aboutBispectral Index(R) (BIS(R)) monitoring at the annual meeting ofthe American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), October 9-13 inDallas. BIS monitoring, developed by Aspect Medical Systems, Inc.(Natick, Mass.), is the only measure of the effects ofanesthetics on the brain commercially available in the UnitedStates. Forty-nine abstracts involving BIS monitoring in avariety of clinical settings, including the operating room,intensive care unit, dental office, and cardiac surgery suite,will be presented. To date, more than 150 BIS-related abstractshave been presented at ASA. "These studies further demonstrate the utility of BISmonitoring for a range of procedures and in a variety of surgicalsettings," said Paul Manberg, Ph.D., Vice President of Clinical,Regulatory, and Quality Assurance at Aspect Medical Systems. "Thewidespread use of BIS monitoring as a standard measure inanesthesia research reflects the growing clinical use of thetechnology whenever anesthetic or sedative agents are given." Clinical studies to date have demonstrated that the use of theBIS monitor during surgical procedures facilitates reduced druguse, faster and more consistent patient wake-up times aftersurgery, and improved patient recovery from anesthesia. Keyfindings from studies being presented at this year's ASA revealthe usefulness of BIS monitoring for diverse patient populations: - Elderly: Decreases isoflurane utilization during orthopedicsurgery in elderly patients, contributing to improved recoveryprofiles in this population. (Toronto Western Hospital, Canada) - Pediatric: Provides a useful measure of anesthetic effectsin children. (University of Tokyo Hospital, Japan; West VirginiaChildren's Hospital/West Virginia University, United States;Children's Hospital Philadelphia/University of Pennsylvania,United States) - Intensive Care Unit (ICU): Is suitable to measure the levelof sedation in neurosurgical patients in the ICU, providing aquantifiable measure to accompany the subjective Ramsay Scale - acommonly used measure of sedation in the ICU. (Benjamin FranklinMedical Center, Freie Universitat, Germany) - Dental Sedation: Provides an objective analysis of sedationin oral and maxillofacial surgery where it may be difficult toassess the level of sedation. (University of Minnesota, UnitedStates) - Outpatient Setting: Facilitates the implementation of afast-tracking program, resulting in a decrease in Phase I post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) admissions and a reduced length ofstay overall, as well as a reduction of nursing hours utilized.(Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, UnitedStates) - Cardiopulmonary Bypass: Decreases drug use, shortens timeto awakening after surgery, and reduces costs in patientsundergoing cardiopulmonary bypass. (Okayama University School ofMedicine, Japan; University of Louisville, United States) According to Noah Sandler, D.M.D, M.D., an Assistant Professorat the University of Minnesota who is presenting his researchfindings at the ASA, the BIS monitor may be a useful measure ofconscious sedation for oral surgery. "More and more complexprocedures are being performed in dental offices, and until nowthere has been no way to gauge with confidence an individualpatient's response to sedatives in this environment," Dr. Sandlersaid. "The BIS adds to our arsenal a new, objective tool toassess sedation, which increases our confidence that we areproviding an appropriate amount of sedation for each patient." About BIS Monitoring Developed in collaboration with leading anesthesiologists, BIStechnology uses patented signal processing to provide anoninvasive, direct means of measuring the effects of anestheticson the brain. BIS monitors use a sensor placed on the forehead tocapture the EEG signals, which are translated into a singlenumber ranging from 100 (for wide awake) to zero (indicating theabsence of brain electrical activity). To date, more than 350scientific publications from trials document the efficacy andclinical outcome benefits of BIS monitoring. Since its commercialintroduction in October 1996, more than 450 healthcare facilitiesnationwide have adopted the BIS monitor. BIS technology isavailable in Aspect's A-2000(TM) BIS monitor and has beenlicensed for integration into other manufacturers' monitoringsystems. About Aspect Medical Systems Aspect Medical Systems, Inc. is a privately held medicaltechnology company that develops noninvasive monitoring systemsto improve the cost effectiveness and quality of patient care.The company's systems utilize innovative, patented, digitalsignal processing software linked to proprietary sensors. Formore information, visit the company's web site athttp://www.aspectms.com. Bispectral Index and BIS are registered trademarks of AspectMedical Systems, Inc. A-2000 is a trademark of Aspect MedicalSystems, Inc. CONTACT: Lorie Fiber, 310-577-7870, ext. 109,lfiber@fischerpr.com, or Joni Morford, 310-577-7870, ext. 153,jmorford@fischerpr.com, both of Fischer & Partners, Inc., forAspect Medical Systems, Inc. ots Original Text Service: AspectMedical Systems, Inc. Internet: http://www.newsaktuell.deContact: Lorie Fiber, 310-577-7870, ext. 109,lfiber@fischerpr.com, or Joni Morford, 310-577-7870, ext. 153,jmorford@fischerpr.com, both of Fischer & Partners, Inc., forAspect Medical Systems, Inc. Web site: http://www.aspectms.com

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