Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How does PressureSense compare to just hooking a transducer to the side port of a sheath?
-
With digital PressureSense technology, the microscopic pressure sensor and fiber optic thread is embedded in the outer sidewall of the sheath. Devices passing through the lumen do not affect pressure monitoring. The PressureSense system is an 8F system and can be closed on-label with an Angioseal or Perclose.
-
With legacy transducer-based systems used in a side port: The sheath lumen is indicated to either deliver products and fluids OR to take blood pressures. As the catheter and wire are inserted into the sheath, the external transducer’s pressure detection ability is initially truncated and may be eliminated. To address this, physicians will upsize their sheath. In the case of an ischemic stroke, that means upsizing to at least a 9F device, which would in turn would require using a closure device off-label.
-
Use of the side port for pressure monitoring may alter the primary functionality of the side port: flushing the sheath to prevent thrombus formation around inserted catheters. While some flushing may still occur via the drip that occurs through the transducer line, adjustments and incrementation of the flush is restricted by the need to minimize flow through the transducer because increased flow in the line to the transducer could inadvertently distort the pressure readings.
-
External arterial pressure transducers must be placed exactly at the level of the patient’s heart to be accurate. Each centimeter of malposition of the transducer translates directly to an error of 1 centimeter H2O (1 cm H2O = .74mmHG) in the pressure reflected on the monitor. Because the PressureSense system is measuring the BP in real time at the source, there is no dampening. Raising and lowering of the table has no impact on pressures.
How does PressureSense compare to just hooking a transducer to the side port of a sheath?
-
With digital PressureSense technology, the microscopic pressure sensor and fiber optic thread is embedded in the outer sidewall of the sheath. Devices passing through the lumen do not affect pressure monitoring. The PressureSense system is an 8F system and can be closed on-label with an Angioseal or Perclose.
-
With legacy transducer-based systems used in a side port: The sheath lumen is indicated to either deliver products and fluids OR to take blood pressures. As the catheter and wire are inserted into the sheath, the external transducer’s pressure detection ability is initially truncated and may be eliminated. To address this, physicians will upsize their sheath. In the case of an ischemic stroke, that means upsizing to at least a 9F device, which would in turn would require using a closure device off-label.
-
Use of the side port for pressure monitoring may alter the primary functionality of the side port: flushing the sheath to prevent thrombus formation around inserted catheters. While some flushing may still occur via the drip that occurs through the transducer line, adjustments and incrementation of the flush is restricted by the need to minimize flow through the transducer because increased flow in the line to the transducer could inadvertently distort the pressure readings.
-
External arterial pressure transducers must be placed exactly at the level of the patient’s heart to be accurate. Each centimeter of malposition of the transducer translates directly to an error of 1 centimeter H2O (1 cm H2O = .74mmHG) in the pressure reflected on the monitor. Because the PressureSense system is measuring the BP in real time at the source, there is no dampening. Raising and lowering of the table has no impact on pressures.
I don’t use a RAL. How does the PressureSense compare to NonInvasive Blood Pressure monitoring (NIBP)?
-
The PressureSense system provides continuous, hyper-accurate, beat-to-beat blood pressure measurements which is recommended in critical patients. It also offers hyper-accurate pressure readings 250 times per second. NIBP monitoring typically offers a single reading every 3-5 minutes, and blood pressure changes can be missed, which have been associated with worse long term neurological outcomes.
Why is the PressureSense™ system more expensive than a sheath?
-
Endophys Technologies recommends the PressureSense for emergent and critical patients that need hyper-accurate and continuous blood pressure data when time is of the essence (i.e., Ischemic Stroke) or for procedures where Anesthesiologists cannot gain radial access for blood pressure monitoring.
-
1. PressureSense is a hemodynamic data management system and is cost neutral to a RAL. Our system cannot be directly compared with a sheath.
-
2. The PressureSense system is dual-purpose. It allows blood pressure monitoring and full arterial access simultaneously, without having to wait for a separate arterial line to be placed or having to upsize your catheter/sheath. PressureSense is the only FDA approved device to do both simultaneously.
How accurate are your pressures?
-
They are the most accurate available. With PressureSense, blood pressure is measured 250 times every second, which is hyper-accurate when compared to even the best legacy systems. The beat-to-beat, continuous pressure readings are accurate down to 0.001 mmHg. In addition, our digital technology does not require leveling, external transducer placement, or flushing that are known risks of error commonly found in traditional blood pressure monitoring methods.
Why is PressureSense more accurate than other BP measurement methods?
-
PressureSense uses modern digital and fiberoptic technology. Because of its higher sampling rates (pressures at 250 times per second), PressureSense offers more precise BP measurement than traditional blood pressure measurement methods that typically rely on a fluid-based system, external transducer, or non-invasive cuff.
How does the system capture pressures?
-
The PressureSense system harnesses the power of its Intelligent Sheath Technology capturing hemodynamic data through a microscopic sensor embedded in the wall of the sheath and a fiber optic signal that relays true, high-fidelity blood pressure readings back to the Blood Pressure Monitor and transfers the data to the patient monitor, where it is visible both numerically and in waveform.
How fast can this be set up?
-
When not kept plugged in, the unit will require a five-minute warm-up period. For this reason, we recommend keeping the unit always plugged in. Once fully warmed up, you can plug in the green connector, and it will take 3-5 seconds to zero. After being zeroed, you are ready to start your procedure.
What sheath sizes are available?
-
Details can be found on the PressureSense Specs page.
How will this improve my case?
-
With PressureSense, you can skip the radial art line, which will shorten time-to-treatment. PressureSense can detect even the most subtle changes faster and more accurately than other methods providing continuous, real-time data that informs critical patient management decisions.
-
PressureSense can detect a broader range of measures, too. For example, even when a traditional transducer might show a low BP of “0”, PressureSense shows narrow but non-zero pulse pressures—proof of life vs. perception of death.
What does my team need to know on set up?
-
Please refer to our PressureSense BPM Setup and Troubleshooting Guide.
How will this benefit me?
-
Answer to this may differ based on who, specifically, we’re talking to. PressureSense provides you hemodynamic data when you need it, where you need it—immediately, continuously, and more accurately. Giving you the information, you need to make critical patient management decisions that can impact outcomes.
For what types of procedures is PressureSense used? Is it only for neuro procedures?
-
Because benefits of PressureSense include time savings and hyper-accurate, continuous pressures, the system is ideal for any procedure for which time-to-treatment and precise blood pressure management are required. In addition to endovascular therapies, this may include transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI), endovascular thrombectomy, angiography, artery stenting, embolization, GI bleeds, postpartum hemorrhage, endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), and endovascular trauma repair.
Is your system compatible with all patient care monitors?
-
Yes, the PressureSense digital interface transmits digital data through the fiber optic thread embedded in its sheath wall to any patient monitor—numerically and in waveform—via our interface cables.
Can the Sheath be left in the patient post procedure?
-
PressureSense is currently available in femoral configuration which is not suited for post-procedural monitoring.
How does your system differ from a radial art line and side port pressure?
-
A side port (SP) in a vascular sheath is often favored for its speed, but with compromises: The sheath must be upsized and any catheter you put through the lumen will potentially dampen your pressure readings.
What interventional devices is the PressureSense system compatible with?
-
The PressureSense Intelligent Sheath Technology is compatible with nearly all interventional devices. The ID of our 6F device is 0.085. The ID of our 8F device is 0.115. Any catheter with a smaller OD will fit through our device.
How do I trial the device?
-
Contact our support team at support@endophys.com.
Will data automatically transfer over to whatever charting system the hospital uses, such as Cerner, Epic, etc.?
-
Yes, the readings from PressureSense will transfer to the EMR system.
Why the numbers on the BPM don’t match up to the numbers being displayed on the PCM?
-
The PressureSense system measures beat-to-beat arterial blood pressures with more precision than any other method (250+ measurement per second). Patient care monitors may not always be able to translate the volume of digital data in real time. In these situations, the PressureSense data interface display should be used.

At Endophys Technologies, our mission is to help improve safety and outcomes in procedures when time-to-treatment and blood pressure management are critical. Our flagship technology, PressureSense™ is the first major innovation in hemodynamic data management in more than 50 years.