TCD ultrasound has been used for decades to noninvasively evaluate blood flow in the brain. It is widely recognized as a valuable tool in the diagnosis and management of cerebrovascular disease.1 The NovaGuide Platform builds on this proven technology with AI-guided robotics, advanced algorithms, and cloud access.
TCD provides a real-time assessment of cerebral hemodynamics, allowing clinicians to quickly identify abnormalities and make informed treatment decisions. With robotics and AI, the NovaGuide Platform expands the availability and use of TCD to hospitals without TCD-expertise.
Hospitals are required to have TCD capabilities to be certified as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center, or Primary Stroke Center caring for complex stroke patients. Thanks to its advanced capabilities, proven clinical value, and ease of use, the NovaGuide Platform is an excellent choice for meeting this requirement.
With AI-guided robotics, NovaGuide 2 autonomously finds the temporal window and acquires blood flow signals without requiring operator adjustments or interference. This has been shown to reduce operator-dependent variability in signal acquisition.2
Advanced algorithms analyze exam data and provide insight into subtle changes in cerebral hemodynamics, helping clinicians detect changes that may not be visible with other monitoring techniques.
NovaGuide 2 uses a robotic probe with five degrees of freedom to autonomously adjust the position of the ultrasound transducer, helping to improve exam accuracy.
The cloud-connected NovaGuide Platform enables remote access to exam data, exam live streaming, and the ability to collaborate with other healthcare providers, which can improve hospital efficiency and coordination of care.
Our US-based service, support, and customer success professionals are dedicated to helping customers with any questions or issues that may arise.
We understand that every hospital is unique, so we work with our customers to develop customized protocols and training plans that match their workflow and ensure an effective and efficient program.
Our medical education team has over 150 years of combined TCD experience and are available to provide clinical guidance, training, and support.
We provide onboarding and IT implementation process support to help our customers get up and running with their platform. Our team of experts assist with configuration and integration of the NovaGuide Platform with hospital IT systems.
We provide regular hands-on product training to help clinical teams become, and remain, proficient in using the NovaGuide Platform. We also offer certification and CME programs to keep skills and clinical knowledge fresh.
We offer marketing, press, and community outreach programs to help hospitals promote their NovaGuide Platform-based services.
In a recent study with non-expert TCD operators, the NovaGuide Platform exhibited a >3X detection rate for a right-to-left shunt (RLS) and a 2.7X detection rate for patients with large, intervenable shunts as compared to standard of care transthoracic echocardiography (TTE).3 Without appropriate diagnosis and intervention, many of these patients are at a high risk of stroke recurrence. Furthermore, the autonomous, robotic headset makes it easy for a bubble study to be completed by one person, helping to alleviate personnel shortages.
TCD is the only diagnostic modality able to assess blood flow in the brain in real time.5 By using the NovaGuide Platform to monitor changes in cerebral hemodynamics during a procedure, clinicians can identify potential complications and take appropriate action to prevent ischemia or other adverse outcomes while the patient is still in the OR. TCD is currently the gold-standard test to detect, localize, and quantify cerebral embolism. It has been used in aortic surgery to confirm cerebral perfusion and during cardiopulmonary bypass surgery to monitor microemboli.
After a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), guidelines state that patients should receive daily TCD monitoring. Thanks to its ease of use, NovaGuide 2 enables TCD exams to be performed any time of the day or night, giving clinicians the ability to immediately monitor a patient if their condition is deteriorating. The exam does not subject patients to harmful radiation and can reduce the number of CT-As performed. A prospective study demonstrated that the use of TCD combined with clinical management of post-SAH patients could reduce ICU stays by an average of 8 days, or $24,000 per patient.4
After mechanical thrombectomy, it is crucial to monitor blood flow in the brain to quickly detect any complications that may arise. The NovaGuide Platform provides continuous monitoring of cerebral hemodynamics, helping clinicians to quickly and easily identify changes indicative of complications like reocclusion or hemorrhage. TCD has been successfully used to guide post-thrombectomy blood pressure management for the prevention of complication and injury.6
“Understanding the underlying cause of a stroke allows us to deliver far more effective therapy to prevent another stroke. After seeing the positive impact delivered by the NovaGuide platform in our practice, it became clear to both our brain and heart doctors that it must be incorporated into our practice as a new standard of care.”
References
1. Purkayastha S, Sorond F. Transcranial Dopplerultrasound: technique and application. Semin Neurol. 2012;32(4):411-420.doi:10.1055/s-0032-1331812
2. O’Brien, M J.; Dorn, A Y.; Ranjbaran, M.; Nie, Z.;Scheidt, M.; Mirnateghi, N.; Radhakrishnan, S.; Hamilton, R B. Fully AutomatedTranscranial Doppler Ultrasound for Middle Cerebral Artery Insonation. JNeurosonology and Neuroimaging, June 2022;14(1):27-34.https://doi.org/10.31728/jnn.2021.00110
3. Rubin, M., Shah, R., et al. Novel Robotic-Assisted Transcranial Doppler versus Transthoracic Echocardiography to Detect Right-to-Left Shunts. New Orleans, LA USA: International Stroke Conference - Late Breaking Abstract.
4. Collins CI, Hasan TF, Mooney LH, et al. Subarachnoid Hemorrhage "Fast Track": A Health Economics and HealthCare Redesign Approach for Early Selected Hospital Discharge. Mayo Clin Proc Innov Qual Outcomes. 2020;4(3):238-248. Published 2020 Jun 5. doi:10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2020.04.001
5. Practice Standards for Transcranial Doppler (TCD) Ultrasound. Part II. Clinical Indications and Expected Outcomes. Andrei V. Alexandrov MD. J Neuroimaging 2012;22:215‐224.
6. Kneihsl, M., et al. (2018). Abnormal blood flow on transcranial duplex sonography predicts poor outcome after stroke thrombectomy. Stroke, 49(11), 2780–2782.
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