Stockholm, August 5, 2020 – IRRAS AB, a commercial-stage medical technology company with a comprehensive portfolio of innovative products for neurocritical care, today announced the first patient treatment using the Hummingbird Solo, an additional line extension to its innovative Hummingbird ICP Monitoring product family that was launched in December of last year. Hummingbird Solo is a single-lumen, bolt-based monitor that measures the pressure within a patient’s brain tissue and helps diagnose and manage patients’ intracranial pressure (ICP) after traumatic brain injury (TBI), a subarachnoid hemorrhage, or stroke.
The first Hummingbird Solo patient was treated by a team, led by neurosurgeon Dr. Andrew Carlson, at the University of New Mexico (UNM) Hospital, located in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
“The Hummingbird Solo bolt’s simple insertion and set up allow us to quickly and confidently monitor critically ill patients who suffer from traumatic brain injury,” said Dr. Carlson, assistant professor of neurological surgery, UNM Hospital. “Our mission at UNM Hospital is to provide our patients with the best quality in healthcare, and we are proud to be the first hospital in the world to use this next-generation technology.”
Traumatic brain injury is defined as an impact to the head that disrupts the normal function of the brain. Worldwide, TBI is a leading cause of injury-related death and disability, with a devastating impact on patients and their families. It is estimated that the lifetime economic cost of TBI in the US alone, including direct and indirect medical costs, is over $75 billion.1 In the United States and European Union, approximately 5.4 million people each year are affected by TBI, and 1.3 million experience injuries severe enough to require hospitalization.2
“Today marks a significant milestone for IRRAS as we celebrate the first patient treatment with the Hummingbird Solo product line,” said Will Martin, President and Chief Commercial Officer of IRRAS. “This line extension to the Hummingbird product family offers a unique and simplified monitoring solution for neurocritical care specialists, and we believe that Hummingbird Solo can grow into a market leader in the global ICP monitoring market.”
Assessment of a patient’s ICP is a critical element of managing TBI, and the Hummingbird Solo is designed to continuously monitor a patient’s ICP by placing a small sensor directly into the brain tissue. Instead of using strain gauge or fiberoptic sensors like other ICP monitors, the Hummingbird system uses a small air bladder that allows simple setup and automatic, hourly ICP recalibration. This air bladder mechanism of action eliminates challenges that plague other systems, including cumbersome setup and ICP readings that cannot be recalibrated and become increasingly inaccurate over time.
Physicians or hospitals in the United States who are interested in learning more about IRRAS or the Hummingbird ICP Monitoring product line should contact their local IRRAS sales professional or info@irras.com for additional information. IRRAS’ team of direct sales professionals is available to provide support, training, and certification for the company’s entire product family, including Hummingbird ICP and IRRAflow.
About IRRAS
IRRAS is a global medical care company focused on delivering innovative medical solutions to improve the lives of critically ill patients. IRRAS designs, develops, and commercializes neurocritical care products that transform patient outcomes and decrease the overall cost of care by addressing complications
associated with current treatment methodologies. IRRAS markets and sells its comprehensive, innovative IRRAflow and Hummingbird ICP Monitoring product lines to hospitals worldwide through its direct sales organization in the United States and select European countries as well as an international network of distribution partners.
IRRAS maintains its headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, with corporate offices in Munich, Germany, and San Diego, California, USA. For more information, please visit www.irras.com.
IRRAS AB (publ) is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm (ticker: IRRAS).
For more information, please contact:
USA
Kleanthis G. Xanthopoulos, Ph.D.
CEO
ir@irras.com
Europe
Sabina Berlin
CFO
+46 73 951 95 02
sabina.berlin@irras.com
The information was released for public disclosure, through the agency of the contact person above, on August 11, 2020 at 10:00 (CET).
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Severe TBI. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2 Apr. 2019, www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/severe.html.
- Traumatic Brain Injury Fact sheets and Policy brief. Center-TBI, https://www.center-tbi.eu/files/news/21571f81-20b8-4860-a3dd-1f6e27d02b3d.pdf.
