Suit that helps improve muscle movement subject of NICE’s 100th Medtech Innovation Briefing

Mollii Suit electrical stimulation body suit one of three briefings issues this week

The latest Medtech Innovation Briefings have been published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and include the 100th document, outlining the benefits of the Mollii Suit – a full-body garment that aims to reduce spasticity.

The Bair Hugger System, a novel method for measuring temperature during surgery; and ZioService, a new approach of monitoring heart rhythm remotely, are also subjects of the new releases.

Since their introduction in 2013, NICE medtech innovation briefings (MIBs) have featured new and novel technologies used in the most-common care pathways and across almost all health and care settings, from highly-specialised settings to patients’ homes.

MIBs reflect the increasing importance of medical and digital technology in providing new solutions to health and care needs.

NICE MIBs provide objective information on devices, diagnostics, and digital technologies to help NHS and social care commissioners and staff who are considering using these new technologies – but the briefings don’t make recommendations on using the technology.

Professor Carole Longson, director of the NICE centre for health technology evaluation, said: “We’re delighted to publish our 100th Medtech Innovation Briefing, which looks at the Mollii Suit.

“If health and social care colleagues are interested in using the device then our briefing gives a handy impartial summary of the evidence available.

“Like many innovations featured in MIBs, the product is at an early stage in its development and so we are hoping that further evidence emerges on how well it works compared to existing treatments.

“Our briefings are not guidance, so they don’t make any recommendations on whether or not the technology should be used – that decision is entirely the choice of local staff. But, by providing these briefing summaries, NICE helps NHS organisations avoid the need to produce this information which saves staff time, effort, and resources.”

Bair Hugger is also the subject of one of the briefings

The latest briefings cover:

• The Mollii Suit for Spasticity (Inerventions): This is used for reducing spasticity and improving motor impairment which happens because of upper motor neuron damage. The suit delivers electrical stimulation through a full-body garment that aims to produce a whole-body response to reduce spasticity through a mechanism called reciprocal inhibition. Studies suggest the Mollii suit could be an effective option for people with conditions that cause spasticity
• Bair Hugger for measuring core temperature during perioperative care (3M UK): The Bair Hugger temperature monitoring system is used for measuring core temperature in people having surgery. It can non-invasively monitor core temperature in both awake and anaesthetised patients during the perioperative phase. Temperature is monitored by an insulated zero-heat flux sensor on the patient's forehead. The intended place in therapy would be before, during and after surgical procedures as an alternative to minimally invasive and invasive temperature monitoring
• Zio Service for detecting cardiac arrhythmias: Zio Service is a remote cardiac monitoring system used for detecting cardiac arrhythmias. It can collect continuous cardiac monitoring data for up to 14 days through an adhesive biosensor patch (the Zio Patch). At the end of the monitoring period, the user posts the Zio Patch to the manufacturer, which produces a report for clinicians. A non-invasive, water resistant device, it has no leads or wires so people may find it easier to wear than other ambulatory monitors

Companies

• National Institute For Health and Care Excellence
• Inerventions
• iRhythm