PLAINSBORO, N.J., Oct. 13, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation (Nasdaq:IART) today responded to a request from the 207th Neurosurgery Team at the 28th Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq to donate medical equipment for the treatment of severe head injuries. Integra donated Camino(R) fiber optic-based intracranial pressure and temperature monitoring systems and a LICOX(R) Brain Tissue Oxygen Monitoring system to the U.S. Army hospital to assist neurosurgeons treating the wounded in Iraq. The monitors are used primarily for the diagnosis and treatment of severe head trauma.
"We received a request from U.S. Army neurosurgeons to send several of our Camino and LICOX monitoring systems to Iraq to assist them in treating severe head injury patients in Baghdad," said Robert Paltridge, Integra's Senior Vice President of Sales. "We were pleased to be able to support the U.S. Army by expeditiously fulfilling their request."
The Camino monitoring system measures the intracranial pressure and temperature in the brain and ventricles, and the LICOX monitoring system allows for continuous quantitative regional monitoring of dissolved oxygen in cerebral tissue. Intracranial pressure measurement is necessary to accurately determine cerebral perfusion pressure, a key element in maintaining adequate cerebral blood flow for the delivery of oxygen and metabolites to the brain. Monitoring brain oxygen levels with LICOX is a reliable method, which can improve the outcome of severely brain-injured patients.
Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation is a diversified medical technology company that develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices for use in a variety of applications. The primary applications for our products are neuro-trauma and neurosurgery, plastic and reconstructive surgery, and soft tissue repair. Integra is a leader in applying the principles of biotechnology to medical devices that improve patients' quality of life. The Company has its corporate headquarters in Plainsboro, New Jersey, with manufacturing and research facilities located throughout the world. The Company has approximately 860 permanent employees.