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Covidien Ltd. has announced the availability of several enhancements for its MRidium MRI Infusion System, which is the industry's first and only non-magnetic IV infusion pump. Covidien Ltd. has announced the availability of several enhancements for its MRidium MRI Infusion System, which is the industry's first and only non-magnetic IV infusion pump. Specifically designed to address the challenges of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) suite, the pump now has additional features that help operators administer intravenous medication more efficiently.

In the United States, there were approximately 33 million MRI procedures performed in 2006, according to Arlington Medical Resources, US Imaging Market Guide.[1] The Department of Anesthesia at Children's Hospital Boston recently selected the MRidium pump for its MRI needs. This facility performs about 16,000 MRIs annually, with a focus on using leading-edge equipment to provide exceptional pediatric care.

"The MRidium Infusion Pump is the state-of-the-art intravenous infusion pump in the MRI environment," said Keira P. Mason M.D., Director of Radiology Anesthesia at Children's Hospital Boston. "It is easy to use and accurate, and it has preprogrammed drug libraries - all of which make it appropriate for the delivery of an intravenous sedative or general anesthetic."

Compatible with magnets up to 3 Tesla and cleared for operation at the 10,000 Gauss Line, the MRidium pump helps shorten the distances between the pump and the patient, eliminating the need for tubing-intensive workarounds employed to keep traditional IV pumps outside of the strong magnetic fields of MRI systems.

In the latest version of software, the MRidium MRI Infusion System includes a library of drugs commonly initiated in the MRI suite, along with an integrated dose rate calculator to aid in accurate and efficient dispensing of medication. The new feature enables several key capabilities:

• Provides the ability to deliver a bolus in the drug calculator mode, while the pump is running - an important feature for delivering sedation medications;
  
• Allows delivery of drugs in volumes of less than 1 ml, which is particularly useful for pediatric patients where smaller volumes of drugs are commonly required;
  
• Allows drugs to be administered in Volume-Over-Time Mode, which is important for some cardiac MR stress test studies.

"Covidien is passionate about collaborating with medical professionals in their efforts to identify critical needs to improve patient care," said Rick Lytle, Vice President and General Manager of Covidien's Imaging Solutions business. "The MRidium Infusion System is a clear example of the innovative medical devices that we are delivering to help clinicians more effectively and efficiently do their daily work."

Additionally, the MRidium Infusion System features a wireless remote control that enables medical professionals to operate the system from the control room. The clinician no longer has to enter the scan room to adjust infusion parameters because the wireless remote can be used to titrate a patient's medication from the control room, eliminating the need to interrupt procedures. The pump also includes a microbore vented syringe infusion set that allows drug flow from the syringe into the IV tubing for accurate drug delivery while minimizing waste.


[1] Source: The US Imaging Market Guide, 2006 by AMR/Arlington Medical Resources, Inc.