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Early detection and treatment are crucial, yet current diagnostic methods can take hours. Research shows as many as 80% of sepsis-related deaths could be prevented with rapid diagnosis and treatment.*
Sepsis is a leading cause of death in US hospitals, surpassing opioid overdoses, prostate cancer and breast cancer combined.
Those who survive often endure prolonged periods of critical illness and dependency on vital organ support.
The financial burden of treating sepsis costs the U.S. healthcare system alone nearly $57 billion dollars annually.
With today’s pulse oximeters, people of color face increased risks of organ dysfunction and death. This decades-old technology misdiagnoses Black patients nearly three times more often than White patients, falsely indicating normal blood oxygen levels when they may be dangerously low.1,2 The magnitude of this problem received widespread attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, when patients with darker skin died at a higher rate than patients with lighter skin.3
The FDA is now taking steps to address this tragic inequity and is expected to soon require pulse oximetry manufacturers to include a significant proportion of people with dark skin tones in their device clinical testing.4
Opticyte’s VitalO₂ device will likely surpass the new FDA standards. Coupled with sophisticated machine learning that is trained on data with equal numbers of volunteers with dark, medium, and light skin, Opticyte is positioned to quickly commercialize this revolutionary technology and lead the way in addressing this massive healthcare disparity.
Explore how our proprietary technology will make a difference.
1. Sjoding MW, et al. Racial Bias in Pulse Oximetry Measurement. N Engl J Med. 2020;383(25):2477-8.
2. Wong AI, et al. Analysis of Discrepancies Between Pulse Oximetry and Arterial Oxygen Saturation Measurements by Race and Ethnicity and Association With Organ Dysfunction and Mortality. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4:e2131674.
3. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/08/nyregion/coronavirus-race-deaths.html
4. Kozlov M. Crackdown on skin-colour bias by fingertip oxygen sensors is coming, hints FDA. Nature. 2024;epub 20240202. doi: 10.1038/d41586-023-04144-6.
Imagine a world where sepsis no longer claims 11 million lives each year—a world where every patient, regardless of skin tone, has access to accurate, life-saving technology.
This is the future Opticyte is working toward with our VitalO₂ device. Our breakthrough approach to monitoring both cellular and blood oxygen levels can turn the tide against sepsis, trauma, and respiratory failure (pneumonia, COVID). Join us in this crucial mission to save lives and bring equity to healthcare. Together, we can accelerate this life-saving innovation.
Organ failure results from prolonged, untreated low oxygen levels in cells due to sepsis, COVID-19, hemorrhage (blood loss), or cardiac failure. The US FDA awarded Opticyte’s VitalO₂ Breakthrough Device Designation for its potential to provide more effective treatment over the existing standard of care for identifying and treating life-threatening organ dysfunction. Learn more and explore Opticyte’s proprietary technology.
