Transforming healthcare for people living with chronic conditions.
Monitor physiological changes remotely and proactively with Kitea: the world’s most accurate implantable digital pressure sensor.
Introducing the next generation of micro-implantable devices.
Kitea technology facilitates long-term, remote monitoring of symptoms and changes in pressure for a number of chronic conditions.
Our first application is hydrocephalus.
Hydrocephalus: from reactive to proactive care.
Caused by a buildup of excess fluid in the brain, hydrocephalus is a serious, lifelong condition.
The condition disproportionately affects children, and it is generally fatal without treatment. The main treatment path places a shunt in the brain to drain excess fluid and prevent a rise in pressure.
Shunt failure is common
Highest failure rate of any implanted medical device
Symptoms are confusing
Shunt failure can mimic common illnesses
Significant risks
Increase in intracranial pressure can be life threatening
Requires hospital admission
Assessment of failure is complex and expensive
Hydrocephalus: by the numbers
How it works
The Kitea system eliminates guesswork by enabling brain pressure monitoring at home and in hospital, for the first time.
Enable
Device is implanted during standard shunt procedure (no extra surgical time required)
Measure
Take intracranial pressure measurements in hospital or at home, and track symptoms
Manage
Physicians monitor measurements and set thresholds for portal notifications
Resolve
Physicians make informed decisions based on real pressure values
Improving outcomes at every level.
For patients
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Reduced inequity in healthcare access
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Monitor symptoms any time, any place
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Early detection, less time in hospital
For hospitals
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Estimated 30% reduction in costs
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Fewer CT, MRI and other imaging procedures
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Better clinical outcomes
For payers
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Significant reduction in insurance costs
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Better outcomes for patients
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Reimbursement codes available for remote monitoring
Contact the team.
1. Hydrocephalus Association; About Hydrocephalus
2. Simon TD, Riva-Cambrin J, Srivastava R, Bratton SL, Dean JM, Kestle JR; Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network. Hospital care for children with hydrocephalus in the United States: utilization, charges, comorbidities, and deaths. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2008 Feb;1(2):131-7.
3. Reddy GK, Bollam P, Caldito G. Long-Term Outcomes of Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Surgery in Patients with Hydrocephalus. World Neurosurgery. 2014;81(2):404-10.
4. Chern JJ, Macias CG, Jea A, Curry DJ, Luerssen TG, Whitehead WE. Effectiveness of a clinical pathway for patients with cerebrospinal fluid shunt malfunction. Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics. 2010;6(4):318-24
5. Naftel RP, Tubergen E, Shannon CN, Gran KA, Vance EH, Oakes WJ, et al. Parental recognition of shunt failure: a prospective single-institution study. Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics. 2012;9(4):363-71.
6. Barber, J.M., et al., Telemetric intra-cranial pressure monitoring: clinical and financial considerations. British Journal of Neurosurgery, 2017. 31(3): p. 300-306.