|
B. Braun Medical Receives Patent Approval for Outlook™ Safety
Infusion System DoseScan™ Barcode Technology
Helps Ensure the Right Patient Receives the Right Drug, at the Right Dose,
at the Right Time
Bethlehem, PA (February 19, 2003) – B. Braun Medical Inc. today announced that is has received approval from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for its DoseScan technology featured in the B. Braun Outlook Safety Infusion System, an IV administration safety system that sets a new standard for the management of infusion therapy through barcoding.
“We are very pleased to announce patent approval for our DoseScan technology, a key element of the B. Braun Outlook Safety Infusion System,” said Caroll H. Neubauer, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of B. Braun Medical Inc. “This is a major milestone in our effort to establish a standard barcode technology to reduce IV medication errors and improve the overall quality of healthcare.”
According to a 2001 report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, adverse drug events cause more than 770,000 injuries and deaths each year and cost up to $5.6M per hospital. In addition, patients who suffered unintended drug events remained in the hospital an average of 8 to 10 days longer than patients who did not experience such mistakes.
B. Braun's patented DoseScan technology uses barcodes to automatically program the infusion device, creating a primary level of safety with automated checks and balances that reduces the manual procedures commonly used today. Through authorized user identification and patient matching, DoseScan technology is designed to ensure the right patient receives the right drug, at the right dose, at the right time, by an authorized clinician. In addition, protection is provided by DoseGuard™ software, which notifies clinicians if institution defined dose limits are exceeded. The combined technologies help to reduce human error and enable hospitals to provide an unprecedented level of IV medication delivery safety for patients
The Outlook Safety Infusion System has an open architecture design that enables it to interface with any hospital or pharmacy information management system. This provides the institution the freedom to choose the right system for their needs. If the hospital does not currently have a pharmacy system in place, a B. Braun software package is available to enable the hospital to generate barcodes.
About B. Braun
With more than 28,000 employees worldwide, B. Braun is a full line supplier of innovative healthcare products & programs designed to improve both patient and clinician safety. Through its People, Products, and Programs - "Working Together for Excellence in Safety™" initiative, B. Braun promotes best practices and products for continuous improvement of safety.
Founded 160 years ago, B. Braun is proud of its longstanding tradition and commitment to delivering innovative healthcare products and programs with unmatched quality, superior technology, and cost-effectiveness, while maintaining environmental responsibility. For more information about B. Braun or its safety healthcare products, call 800-854-6851, or visit B. Braun at www.bbraunusa.com.
|
