Wellstar/TMI targets long-term care with thermal imaging system to detect developing bedsores

Jan. 16, 2009

JANUARY 16, 2009--Wellstar International (Holland, OH) says its wholly-owned subsidiary, Trillennium Medical Imaging (TMI), will market its thermal imaging system to long-term care facilities in the US. TMI's diagnostic imaging device aims to help care personnel identify patterns of injury associated with pressure ulcer (i.e., bed sore) development. National statistics show that pressure ulcers/bed sores plague up to 28% of people living in nursing homes and other such facilities.

JANUARY 16, 2009--Wellstar International, Inc. (Holland, OH), provider of specialized diagnostic software and equipment, says its wholly-owned subsidiary, Trillennium Medical Imaging (TMI), is ready to begin marketing its thermal imaging system to long-term care facilities in the United States. TMI's thermal imaging diagnostic device aims to help healthcare personnel objectively identify patterns of injury associated with pressure ulcer (i.e., bed sore) development. National statistics currently show that pressure ulcers are a problem for up to 28% of people receiving nursing home care and similar services; with many experts believing the rate is higher.

Early detection can lead to intervention and even prevention: by identifying the tissue changes associated with the development of these wounds prior to skin breakdown, a patient can receive considerably better care. When long-term care facilities can reduce the occurrence of pressure ulcers, they receive a higher rating in the pay for performance ("P4P") initiative from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). By having complete documentation of every skin assessment performed, a facility can mostly curtail its liabilities and protect against costly lawsuits.

With nearly 16,000 long-term care facilities in the United States, and an
increasingly aging population, TMI sees an enormous and largely untouched market. TMI's marketing plan includes a program that allows facilities to lease the equipment necessary to perform skin assessments and store the necessary data. Lease plans start at a minimal monthly fee of $2000 per unit. The fee allows for unlimited imaging, to promote aggressive imaging/assessment programs.

Wellstar/TMI CEO, John Antonio said the company anticipates placing initial units in the first quarter of 2009.

The company has developed its thermal imaging system for various applications. The TMI hardware and software has been approved by the FDA as an Adjunctive Diagnostic Screening Procedure for early breast cancer detection, differential diagnoses of pain dysfunctions (such as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, Neuromuscular Skeletal Syndromes and neurological disorders), for the early detection of pressure ulcers, deep tissue injuries, and bedsores, as well as for orthopedic applications. The company plans to market diagnostic systems for all these applications.

More information:
Wellstar International, Inc.