Dymedix Diagnostics has released a completely disposable option for respiratory effort sensing during sleep diagnostic testing. The FastTrack Effort Pack consists of two cut-to-fit belts with two attached polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) sensors. These respiratory effort belts are used on a single patient study and then disposed of after the test. This option will help sleep testing facilities reduce the time and expense of disinfection procedures while also reducing infection risk to patients.

Historically, sleep testing centers have relied upon reusable sensors to measure the amount of effort in a patient’s respiration, usually from belts around the chest and abdomen. Belts and sensors had to be put through a careful cleaning process to ensure that they would not cause the spread of potential infection from one patient to the next. With the recent emphasis on infection control procedures by the Joint Commission (JCAHO) in accreditation of sleep testing facilities, pressure has increased for better practices and options to avoid this issue.

Dymedix says its FastTrack option differentiates itself by being fully disposable—including belts and sensors. “Semi-disposable options have been available for a number of years, but would still rely upon a reusable sensor that made contact with the patient’s body. Only the belting material was disposable with these systems,” the company states in a release.

The FastTrack Effort Pack comes in a pre-packaged bag from the manufacturer to be opened only at the time of testing. The belts can be cut to the specific length required for a given patient and then used with any current sleep diagnostic testing system.