Environmental Tectonics Corporation's Biomedical Systems Division announced the sale of a BARA-MED XD computerized monoplace hyperbaric oxygen chamber to Mercy Medical Center in Canton, OH.

Hyperbaric chambers are used in Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), a non-invasive procedure in which the patient breathes 100 per cent oxygen while fully enclosed in a specially designed chamber at increased pressure. HBOT is the primary treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning, arterial gas embolism and decompression sickness. It is also used to promote and support healing in the management of conditions in which oxygen transport to the tissues has been disrupted by traumatic injury, infection, inflammation, or edema.

Every ETC Biomedical Systems monoplace hyperbaric chamber contains a fourth-generation, automated computerized operating system that controls and records each treatment. Additionally, a patient friendly pressure-change technology known as SMOOTH-RIDE is included on all BARA-MED XD chambers. This specialized software reduces the risk of complications due to middle ear and sinus barotraumas during compression. During decompression, SMOOTH-RIDE reduces the risk of air trapping in cases of potential obstructive or restrictive pulmonary conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and emphysema. SMOOTH-RIDE achieves these important risk reductions without having to increase the times of the pressure changes.

Joe Snyder, RN CHT, Programme coordinator, Mercy Medical Center Hyperbaric Medicine Unit, commented, "We decided to go with ETC largely due to the impressive oxygen savings and computerized automated system. The operational savings and the computerized technology far outweighed our initial plan of going with a manual chamber. The addition of the BARA-MED® XD will give Mercy Medical Center a cutting edge over current systems in operation throughout the four-county area (Tuscarawas, Stark, Wayne & Summit)."

Jennifer Lawrence, Biomedical Division sales manager, commented, "Customers are always looking for ways to save on operational costs. Our BARA-MED XD computerized chamber offers the customer the revenue associated with HBOT and the cost savings of running treatments on extremely low vent rates which saves on their oxygen consumption."