A new patient monitoring system that uniquely and economically monitors the electrical activity of the heart (ECG) in order to protect the unmonitored hospital patient population in the event of a life-threatening heart rhythm.

Tens of thousands of unmonitored patients in in hospitals worldwide die each year as a result of a dangerous heart rhythm. As the first monitoring system of its kind, NetGuard will provide continuous monitoring of patients, allowing for immediate detection and early treatment of a dangerous heart rhythm, which has been shown to significantly increase survival.

The NetGuard system is simple, clinically effective and automatic.

The heart of NetGuard is a very small wireless ECG monitor, weighing less than an ounce. The monitor communicates with a standard PC at a nurse's station, which gives an alert and an ECG display when a dangerous rhythm is detected. A nurse confirms the alert and calls an emergency "code" in accordance with hospital protocol.

The NetGuard system is also economical.

The cost of the wireless system components, including the reusable portion of the ECG monitor, is a fraction of the cost of conventional monitors. One PC has the capacity to cover 50 patients. The system architecture of NetGuard provides for total hospital coverage.

Hospitals using the NetGuard System may reduce their potential exposure to liability from incidents to unmonitored patients that could have been prevented had monitoring been available. In addition, the availability of NetGuard may prove to be a competitive advantage to hospitals that use it.