A Medical Device Daily

Deep Breeze (Chicago), makers of vibration response imaging (VRI) technology, said that its VRIxp lung imaging system is now available in the U.S. market. The VRIxp is a pulmonary imaging system that allows healthcare providers to see and monitor lung sounds without radiation or use of an invasive procedure.

The system records lung sounds from sensors applied to a patient’s back, with an algorithm used to convert these data into images. Changes in tissue composition and airflow affect the vibration of sounds within the lung, which is reflected on the image of the VRIxp system. This information on the patient’s lung condition enables the physician to manage and monitor central airway problems.

The procedure takes only minutes in a physician’s office and may be performed repeatedly for continuous monitoring. Results are delivered immediately and can be stored in a system database. The technology has been used in more than 3,500 patients worldwide without a single adverse event, according to the company.

Atul Mehta, MD, medical director lung transplantation at the Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland), said that the technique “has the potential to diagnose a variety of airway conditions promptly and in a cost-effective manner.”