Continuous Compartment Pressure Monitor

2021: Announcement of a device for the diagnosis of compartment syndrome

In early June 2021, the Montreal medtech company MY01 developed a sterile disposable device for diagnosing acute compartment syndrome. This condition usually occurs after injury and can lead to serious consequences in the absence of proper treatment, including disability and amputation of the limbs.

Compartment syndrome is a potentially dangerous and relatively frequent complication of fractures and injuries. After extensive injury, swelling quickly grows at the site of the injury, which compresses the muscles and leads to their ischemia and necrosis. At the same time, muscle necrosis can develop very quickly and is observed within 2 hours after the injury in 35% patients with compartment syndrome. Rapid diagnosis followed by surgical decompression with fasciotomy is crucial to achieving favorable results.

Continuous Compartment Pressure Monitor

Currently, the condition is diagnosed by subjective measurements such as pain assessment. However, they may not be reliable. Given the potential for serious consequences, clinicians sometimes resort to unwarranted interventions to avoid complications. Late fasciotomy and lack of treatment can have catastrophic consequences for the patient: 5.4% of all cases lead to amputation.

To address this issue, MY01 has developed a sterile disposable device that allows clinicians to accurately diagnose acute compartment syndrome. The pressure monitor in individual compartments provides continuous display of digital pressure readings for 18 hours. The monitor can transmit this data to a smartphone application or to special patient surveillance systems. In size, the device is smaller and lighter than a smartphone and is attached to the affected extremity of the patient using built-in adhesive tape.^[1]

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