BREAKTHROUGH FOR WOMEN'S HEALTHCARE PRIVACY ISSUE

            BREAKTHROUGH FOR WOMEN’S HEALTHCARE PRIVACY ISSUE

Creation Of EchoVesttmMakes Breast Exposure Unnecessary For Women, Teenage and Pre-teen Girls During Heart Examinations.

St. Louis, MO - August 20, 2010 - Women and girls of all ages are subjected to embarrassing breast exposure during echocardiograms (called echos). The ultrasound imaging areas are located just above and just below the left breast. Cardiac sonographers combat breast exposure while obtaining heart images daily. As hard as they try to prevent it, breasts still pop out for everyone in the room to see. Frustrated over battling this for 26 years, St. Louis cardiac sonographer, Pattie Lenzen, M.Ed., RDCS created the EchoVesttm, a cost effective patent pending privacy garment designed to finally defeat this exposure for patients and sonographers. A soft disposable made of SMS material joins the EchoVesttm line alongside the washable poly/cotton version this month. Ms. Lenzen seeks public opinion and assistance in educating administrators of the magnitude of this privacy issue by asking, “Has this been an issue for you or someone you know?” If so, tell the hospital administrators and managers of echo labs your story.

An echocardiogram (echo) images the heart using ultrasound. Shy young teenagers and pre-teens have been known to burst into tears when told to remove everything from the waist up and put a hospital gown or paper cape on open to the front. The ‘pat’ response to complaints given is, “I’m sorry, there’s just no other way to get the pictures”. Some sonographers place a towel over the area, but the towels can fall off during the scan. The pain of embarrassment shows on the faces of the elderly and post-mastectomy patients alike.

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Evaluation of chest pain for middle aged women frequently requires a stress test with echo imaging. They must run on the treadmill braless. The gown, if used, is taped shut but can become undone at any time. The sonographer must open the gown quickly and complete imaging within a 90 second time limit leaving no time to throw a towel over the patient. The result, breasts are exposed and the patient cringes, especially if the sonographer, nurse or cardiologist in the room is male. Ms. Lenzen witnessed another sonographer rip a gown completely open using both hands. She recalls, “The look on the woman’s face could only be described as sheer horror. I am sure mine looked the same. That’s the day I vowed to end it. I just had to find a way. It took me 3 years to finally come up with a design that actually worked.” 

EchoVesttm debuted at the American Society of Echocardiography Scientific Sessions in June of this year achieving international recognition. Hannah Dark, New Business Manager for Physiological Measurements Ltd. of United Kingdom proclaimed, “We think it will be a smashing success in the UK!” Sonographers, nurses, and cardiologists trialing samples in their laboratories across the globe give overwhelmingly positive feedback. Contract negotiations for exclusive rights of distribution with Physiological Measurements Ltd. in the UK and Ireland are nearing completion, but changed into discussions for full licensing rights last week due to the “keen” and universally positive reactions. Negotiations for licensing rights of the patent for “the rest of the world” have also begun with a major USA owned distributorship.

Some private practices and outpatient facilities easily accessed by linen services find the washable garment an ideal choice. Tracking of the garment through most hospital linen systems presents insurmountable challenges. In response, a comfortable disposable version made of soft non-woven SMS fabric has been developed. Both versions are competitively priced at a replacement cost to fit into any hospital or private practice budget.

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