Nihon Kohden America Awarded Patent For Sophisticated Technology That Reduces False Alarms In Patient Monitoring Systems

Irvine, CA (Marketwired) - Nihon Kohden America, a market leader in patient monitoring innovation, has been awarded patent number US 8,571,893 B2 from the U.S. Patent Office for a unique smoothing algorithm that reduces false alarms in patient monitoring systems. Designed for Nihon Kohden's Prefense Defensive Monitoring System, this sophisticated technology aides in preventing alarm fatigue, which significantly improves patient safety.

Alarm fatigue is one of the many challenges facing the healthcare industry today. According to an educational post on RN.com, the burning question is how to use alarms to help monitor patient conditions that need attention, but not have so many alarms that mean so little that the truly important ones are ignored. According to an investigation conducted by the Boston Globe in 2011, more than 200 deaths over a five-year period were attributed to alarm fatigue. They also noted that on a 15-bed unit at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, staff documented an average of 942 alarms per day -- about one critical alarm every 90 seconds.

Addressing this issue head-on, Nihon Kohden is committed to developing solutions that greatly reduce false alarms, thereby making it possible for nursing staffs to attend to the alarms that really matter. Nihon Kohden has integrated this patented technology into its Prefense Defensive Monitoring System, which makes it possible to continuously monitor at-risk patients, not just those in conventionally monitored areas such as critical care or telemetry. In use at hospitals nationwide, Nihon Kohden's approach to patient monitoring is a unique blend of technology with consultation.

"We work with the finest hospitals in the nation, and our goal is to provide the best monitoring technology so nursing staffs can offer the quality of care that patients have come to expect from their hospital," said Mike Dashefsky, vice president, Nihon Kohden America. "Alarm fatigue is a critical issue impacting patient safety. As a pioneer in this arena, our commitment is to offer hospitals a solution that will help them provide a safer patient environment."

For more information, please visit www.nkusa.com/monitoring.

About Nihon Kohden America - Different Thinking for Better Healthcare
The monitoring division of Nihon Kohden America is empowering hospitals to radically improve their quality and economics of care. Its singular focus is on patient monitoring. Through collaboration with hospitals, Nihon Kohden America helps solve today's healthcare challenges. This different mindset and business approach enables the company to deliver solutions that have an immediate clinical and financial impact. Find more information at www.nkusa.com/monitoring.