NeuroWave Announces the Publication of Two Papers Demonstrating the Use of WAV_CNS Index for Automated Anesthesia Delivery and Sleep Staging

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio (August 2011) -- NeuroWave Systems Inc. announced the publication of two scientific papers in the Journal of Clinical Monitoring and Computing demonstrating the use of WAV_CNS Index, as incorporated in NeuroSENSE Monitor, for automated anesthesia delivery and sleep staging.

The NeuroSENSE Monitoring System, Model NS-701, is a bilateral electroencephalographic (EEG) device to monitor the brain function in the operating room, intensive care unit, emergency room and other clinical settings. This system acquires and processes EEG signals from each brain hemisphere, obtained using 4 proprietary non-invasive electrodes placed on patient’s forehead. The acquired raw EEG signals and processed EEG variables are continuously displayed and recorded by the system for interpretation by the clinician. The proprietary processed variable, WAV_CNS (Wavelet Analysis Value for Central Nervous System monitoring), quantifies the patient’s brain activity, providing a simple 0-100 score for both hemispheres independently. This second-by-second WAV_CNS index may be used as an aid in monitoring the effects of certain anesthetic agents on adult patients.

The first paper titled “Dynamic Behavior of BIS, M-Entropy and NeuroSENSE Brain Function Monitors” concludes that the linear time-invariant characteristic behavior of NeuroSENSE makes it a better suited alternative as feedback sensor for closed-loop anesthesia/sedation delivery systems. In comparison, BIS and M-Entropy monitors introduce undesirable non-linearities and/or time variance, hence adversely affecting the system stability and performance. This paper is available on the journal’s website at http://www.springerlink.com/content/y47551p56u622213/.

Stephane Bibian, Vice-President, Engineering & Clinical Research, stated: “The WAV_CNS algorithm was designed to address the shortcomings of existing commercial depth-of-anesthesia indexes in terms of their response to changes in brain activity. As such, this result does not come as a surprise, and confirms the performance of the WAV_CNS index.” The NeuroSENSE has recently been used for close-loop anesthesia in clinical pre-trials at the hospital Foch in France. Following these clinical pre-trials, NeuroWave has been awarded a contract from the US Army to develop the AutoTIVA^TM, a system for monitoring and controlling total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA).

The second paper titled “NREM Sleep Staging using WAV_CNS Index” demonstrates that changes in the depth of natural NREM sleep are reflected sensitively by changes in the WAV_CNS index, with no significant overlap observed between different NREM sleep stages, including lighter sleep stages (WAV_CNS > 60). Hence, WAV_CNS index may serve as an real-time indicator of depth of natural sleep with high temporal resolution, and can possibly be of great use for automated sleep staging in routine/postoperative somnographic studies. This paper is available on the journal’s website at http://www.springerlink.com/content/v08gjn6h630191w5/.

Tatjana Zikov, President of NeuroWave, stated: “We are happy as these positive results motivate us to continue exploring new applications for our technology. Aside from automated sleep staging, the capability of WAV_CNS to reliably differentiate lighter cortical activity levels, such as different light sleep stages, may also prove useful in ICU environments, where patients are preferably kept in lighter hypnotic levels induced by sedative drugs.”

References
[1] Stephane Bibian, Guy A. Dumont and Tatjana Zikov, “Dynamic Behavior of BIS, M-Entropy and NeuroSENSE Brain Function Monitors,” Journal of Clinical Monitoring & Computing, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 81-87, February 2011.
[2] Gracee Agrawal, Mo Modarres, Tatjana Zikov and Stephane Bibian, “NREM Sleep Staging using WAV_CNS Index,” Journal of Clinical Monitoring & Computing, vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 137-142, April 2011.

About NeuroWave Systems Inc.
NeuroWave System Inc.’s mission is to develop, manufacture, and market monitoring products using advanced signal processing of brain waves (electroencephalogram - EEG) and other biosignals for Neurology, Anesthesia, Emergency Medicine and Psychiatry applications, in order to improve patient outcome and quality of life. For further information regarding NeuroWave Systems Inc., visit the Company's website at www.neurowavesystems.com.