Zebra Technologies Introduces Smart, Non-Invasive Way For Hospitals To Track, Provide Real-Time Feedback On Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction

Leiden University Medical Center Selects Zebra’s Time Tracking Solution

Zebra Technologies Corporation, a global leader in solutions and services that provide real-time visibility into organizations’ assets, people and transactions, and Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) in Leiden, the Netherlands recently announced the first commercial deployment of the Time Tracking Solution for Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients. The technology will be shared for the first time during the European Society for Cardiology Congress in London.

According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death globally, leading to 17.3 million fatalities annually, and that number is expected to rise to more than 23.6 million by 2030. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) occurs when blood flow is blocked in the coronary artery. As a result, part of the heart muscle is short on oxygen (ischemia) and damaged.

LUMC’s Cardiology Department set up the Door-To-Balloon (DTB) Task Force focused on ischemic time in heart infarction patients. DTB is the crucial period of time from when the patient enters the hospital to when the blockage is removed to restore blood flow by inflating a balloon during primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In order to reduce DTB time, real-time, accurate time tracking, evaluation and feedback is essential.

Zebra Technologies worked with LUMC to develop a solution powered by Zatar, Zebra’s Internet of Things (IoT) platform to enable hospitals to track patients and provide real-time feedback on DTB time. The real-time data provided allows all members of the caregiving team including cardiologists, ED physicians, nurses, EMS staff, technicians and administrators to focus on the reduction of DTB time.

KEY FACTS

• LUMC completed a 6-month, 100-patient pilot review of the Time Tracking Solution and the solution has now moved into commercialization phase for all AMI patients.
• The solution provides automatic time recording and real-time visibility into the time consumed on the AMI patients in treatment.
• Hospitals can start using the solution very quickly as it installs in days without IT support and does not require significant training of staff.
• The solution can be used in other time-critical emergency care, including Door-To-Needle (DTN) for tracking the time in response to acute ischemic stroke.
• The solution is powered by Zebra’s Internet of Things (IoT) platform Zatar, Bluetooth Smart wristbands and digital display devices installed in-route from door to catherization lab in the hospital.

Prof. Dr. M.J. Schalij PhD MD, head of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center
“Zebra’s Time Tracking Solution for AMI patients allows us to track and evaluate door-to-balloon time in myocardial infarction patients. The system provides reliable, real-time feedback and helps us optimize the logistics chain in acute myocardial infarction care.”

Phil Gerskovich, senior vice president, New Growth Platforms, Zebra Technologies
“Our Time Tracking Solution for AMI patients is focused on helping hospitals focus on providing greater attention and care to patients in urgent, time-sensitive use cases. We are excited about completing the Leiden pilot and moving to production to benefit even more patients.”

Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC)
As a center of medical innovations the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) strives towards an (inter)nationally recognized leading role in the improvement of quality of health care. Core businesses of the LUMC are patient care, research, education and training. The LUMC is part of the Dutch Federation of University Medical Centers (NFU). The NFU is a collaboration of the 8 University Medical Centers of the Netherlands. For more information, visit www.lumc.nl

About Zebra Technologies
Zebra makes businesses as smart and connected as the world we live in. Zebra tracking and visibility solutions transform the physical to digital, creating the data streams enterprises need to simplify operations, know more about their businesses, and empower their mobile workforces. For more information, visit www.zebra.com.