Pressure doesn't kill tissue, lack of blood flow does. Researchers tested the product using infrared technology to assess blood flow in the buttocks after a two-hour period of lying down. Working with men and women over the age of 50, the group had the subjects lie on a variety of surfaces, then rolled them over to take the infrared photos of their backsides. A rush of blood to an area indicated the body's attempt to replenish nutrients and heat, a sign that tissue damage would occur if left for longer periods of time. Fredericks and his students fine-tuned the research procedures, then tested the MicroPulse system against a gel pad and the standard foam pad, which are both typically found in hospital operating rooms.
Early results indicate good news for the company.
A person lies on it and that's it. During surgery, the patient often maintains one position for hours, resulting in areas of blood-starved tissue. With the MicroPulse product's alternating inflating and deflating zones, the blood has an opportunity to move around and that's what we proved in our study. It does make a significant difference. Armed with these results and a relatively inexpensive product that can be made to fit a variety of settings, MicroPulse hopes to make a major impact in the health care industry, unrolling its system on hospital room operating tables, nursing home beds and even wheelchairs.