KCI Launches Next Generation Wound Care Therapy Systems

OXFORD, England, August 31 /PRNewswire/ --

- With Photos

KCI, a leading global advanced wound care and therapeutic surfaces company, today announces the launch of its two new Vacuum Assisted Closure (V.A.C.(R)) systems, InfoV.A.C.(R) and ActiV.A.C.(R).

These next generation V.A.C. (R) products were developed using in-depth market research with healthcare professionals to ensure the products match customer expectations in real life situations across both the acute and homecare settings. A key driver for healthcare is to ensure continuity and consistency of care.

The two systems include a number of developments for medical, scientific and technological applications focused on ease of use. This ranges from simple ergonomic design to the ability to monitor and track wound progress.

KCI's InfoV.A.C.(R) is designed to deliver better wound care in the hospital by providing healthcare professionals with detailed information on therapy delivered by V.A.C. (R) and the ability to track and view the wound progression. And its counterpart, ActiV.A.C.(R), which is smaller and lighter making it more mobile, includes an improved user-interface with touch-screen technology. This feature is also shared by InfoV.A.C.(R), which ensures the smooth transition of the patient from the hospital to home. Patient wound types span from major acute to chronic wounds and include venous leg ulcers, pressure ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers.

"KCI's V.A.C. (R) Therapy continues to be accepted as an excellent option for the treatment of complex and even life-threatening wounds," explains Frank DiLazzaro, Vice President and Regional Manager for Kinetic Concepts, Inc. (KCI) "By improving patient's compliance and ensuring optimal delivery of Negative Pressure Wound Treatment (NPWT), KCI's InfoV.A.C. (R) Therapy System will improve upon the already outstanding outcomes for which V.A.C. (R) Therapy is recognized globally."

The design of V.A.C. (R) Therapy ensures a moist wound environment, controlled negative pressure and an interaction with the wound bed that stimulates wound healing. It is commonly perceived that V.A.C. (R) Therapy is a clear paradigm shift in wound healing. A key component of V.A.C. (R) Therapy is its open cell reticulated foam structure. This structure creates a wound interface that delivers evenly-distributed negative pressure to the entire wound bed, resulting in clinically demonstrated improvements in wound outcomes.

InfoV.A.C. (R) key features:

- Wound measurement and patient history

- Therapy History Report

- Seal Check(TM) - ability to detect audible and visual indicators

- Improved ergonomics

- Intuitive touch-screen technology

- SensaT.R.A.C.(R) Technology - for monitoring and maintaining target pressure at wound site

ActiV.A.C. (R) key features:

- Smaller and lighter than predecessor

- Therapy History Report

- Seal Check(TM) - ability to detect audible and visual indicators

- Quieter operation

- Ergonomic design including improved canister attachment and release

- Intuitive touch-screen technology

- SensaT.R.A.C.(R) Technology - for monitoring and maintaining target pressure at wound site

KCI's innovative InfoV.A.C.(R) and ActiV.A.C. (R) Therapy system enhancements are based on 'Voice of the Customer' input from patients and caregivers. Kath Vowden, Nurse Consultant, Bradford Wound Healing Unit and a key opinion leader in the area of advanced wound care, explains, "Time is critical for patients and nurses, and the Seal Check(TM) feature saves time in trying to achieve and maintain a closed seal."

The digital wound image analysis feature assists in wound measurement and therefore helps in the documentation of wound healing and facilitates the dissemination of wound information among multi-disciplinary teams. Here, for the first time, InfoV.A.C. (R) brings a way for healthcare professionals to standardize wound measurements. In addition, a chronological graphic history of the wound can be made to analyse trends in the wound by recording the wound healing progress, as a whole.

The clinical outcomes of V.A.C. (R) Therapy are documented with a large body of clinical evidence to support its usage. Key to these outcomes are all components involved in V.A.C. (R) Therapy. The therapy can be considered as an integrated system with three key components: the units, the dressings and SensaT.R.A.C.(R) technology. SensaT.R.A.C.(R) which is also a new development from KCI, monitors and maintains target pressure at the wound site, whilst improving patient comfort and compliance with improved design and conformability.

About KCI

Kinetic Concepts, Inc. is a global medical technology company with leadership positions in advanced wound care and therapeutic surfaces. We design, manufacture, market and service a wide range of proprietary products that can improve clinical outcomes and can help reduce the overall cost of patient care. Our advanced wound-care systems incorporate our proprietary Vacuum Assisted Closure(R), or V.A.C.(R) Therapy technology, which has been demonstrated clinically to help promote wound healing through unique mechanisms of action and can help reduce the cost of treating patients with serious wounds. Our therapeutic surfaces, including specialty hospital beds, mattress replacement systems and overlays, are designed to address pulmonary complications associated with immobility, to prevent skin breakdown and assist caregivers in the safe and dignified handling of obese patients. We have an infrastructure designed to meet the specific needs of medical professionals and patients across all health care settings, including acute care hospitals, extended care organizations and patients' homes, both in the United States and abroad.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the clinical evidence relating to V.A.C.(R) Therapy and the potential impact of the launch of the InfoV.A.C.(R) Therapy System and customer preference. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. All information set forth in this release is as of its date, and we undertake no duty to update this information. More information about the company is described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006 and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2007, on file with the SEC and available at the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov.

ActiV.A.C.(R) InfoV.A.C.(R) Launch Date 2007 2007 Care Setting Acute, Extended, Home Acute, Extended Unit Weight 1.31 kg (2.9lbs) 2.89 kg (6.37lbs) Canister 300ml 500ml and 1,000ml Easy quick release Easy quick release Battery Life 14 hours 6 hours Pressure Monitoring system SensaT.R.A.C.(R) SensaT.R.A.C.(R) User Interface 3.5 inch colour touch 5.5 inch colour touch screen screen Pressure Range 25 to 200mmHg 25 to 200mmHg Alarm Features - Alarms for: - Alarms for: - tubing blockages - tubing blockages - canister full - canister full - canister missing - canister missing - leaks in V.A.C.(R) - leaks in V.A.C.(R) Therapy Dressing System Therapy Dressing System - inactive therapy - inactive therapy - low pressure - low pressure - low battery - low battery Advanced Features - Seal Check(TM) for easy negative pressure seal monitoring - Wound Image Analysis for wound progress assessment - Seal Check(TM) for - Settings Guide easy negative pressure seal monitoring - Single Touch Therapy - Disposables Log On/Off - Settings - Settings Guide Confirmations - Disposables Log - Settings Confirmations - Therapy History Report - Therapy History Report

Note to Editors:

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