Deltex Medical is a small innovative British healthcare company which has developed the CardioQ to accurately monitor blood-flow during surgery, allowing the clinical team to better manage the patient during this time (haemodynamic optimisation), thus reducing complications.

The CardioQ haemodynamic monitor uses disposable ultra-sound probes inserted into the oesophagus to determine the amount of blood being pumped around the body. This is also referred to as oesophageal Doppler monitoring.

Deltex & ODM

Oesophageal Doppler monitoring is a minimally invasive method of accurately measuring beat-by-beat circulating blood volume in patients undergoing surgery. It allows doctors to use fluids and drugs to optimise the flow of blood around the system, thus maintaining an adequate supply of oxygen to the body's organs and tissues.

Reduced circulating blood volume is known as hypovolemia, similar to dehydration, which can lead to insufficient oxygen being delivered to the organs.

Insufficient oxygen causes medical complications including peripheral and major organ failure which leads to longer hospital stays and in some cases death.

'The CardioQ works by allowing the anaesthetist to monitor and optimise circulating blood volume thus ensuring adequate oxygen delivery to the tissues and vital organs. This allows patients to leave hospital earlier because they recover more quickly from surgery and have fewer complications.'

The CardioQ was developed inside the NHS by Deltex Medical and is supported by gold standard clinical evidience. In January 2006 NICE announced that it considers oesophageal Doppler monitoring to be "standard clinical practice" in the NHS.

The use of oesophageal Doppler monitoring during surgery is called Targeted Volume Management or 'TVM' for short.