ISRAELI CO. PRODUCES FINGERTIP CORONARY TEST

[Guest shiloh357]

ISRAELI CO. PRODUCES FINGERTIP CORONARY TEST

A new device, developed in Israel, can detect coronary disease through

a convenient, non-invasive fingertip test.

The Endo-PAT 2000, developed by Itamar Medical in Caesarea, assesses

vascular endothelial dysfunction, an early indicator of atherosclerosis.

The Endo-Pat 2000 System consists of three components. Peripheral

Arterial Tonometry (PAT) signals are obtained using two disposable probes placed

on fingers of the individual being tested. A portable unit connects to and

operates the probes, and signal analysis and the endothelial dysfunction report

are generated via a laptop computer. Endothelial dysfunction assessments

can be completed in a 20-minute office visit.

Distributed in the United States by the Cholestech Corporation, the new

device is the only one to have received clearance from the Food & Drug

Administration for this use. FDA clearance was obtained after it was

shown that the Endo-Pat 2000 System is equivalent with an invasive

procedure that assessed endothelial

dysfunction in coronary arteries.

Cholestech expects to launch the Endo-PAT 2000 for broad clinical use

in 2005.

The innovative device may have a role in routine cardiac care,

according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American College of

Cardiology.

The paper, titled "Noninvasive Identification of Patients With Early

Coronary Atherosclerosis by Assessment of Digital Reactive Hyperemia," outlined

the findings of researchers from Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The

researchers investigated the value of the Endo-PAT to assess the

relationship between dysfunction in the heart region and dysfunction in extremities. Through invasive

testing in the catheterization lab of the 94 patients participating, coronary

endothelial dysfunction was found in 55 patients. By comparing these

results against the Endo-PAT, the researchers found a threshold value for the

fingertip test that would have identified the majority of the patients with early

heart disease.

"This test is a noninvasive and easy-to-perform technique to assess

peripheral endothelial function that has the potential to become a

valuable tool for cardiovascular risk stratification in daily clinical practice, said

Amir Lerman, M.D., F.A.C.C., a cardiologist from Mayo Clinic. All of the

currently available tests for the assessment of endothelial function are more or

less invasive or operator-dependent, which precludes their use as a

screening tool in clinical practice. In contrast, the Endo-PAT is noninvasive,

easy to perform and operator independent. We found a strong correlation, and that the

fingertip test was very sensitive in identifying patients with early heart

disease."

Itamar Medical, established in 1997, is headquartered in Caesarea,

Israel and has an office in Boston, MA. The company is a pioneer in introducing to

the medical community non-invasive windows to the autonomic nervous system

and arterial health.

[hmh]

With all of the anti-Israeli attitudes in the university system in this country, I guess there will be no training or money spent on buying this item then. It's way past due for me to move to Israel.