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Noninvasive Medical Technologies Helps Make Young Tennessee Woman's Wishes Come True

Saturday, November 22, 2008 General News
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LAS VEGAS, Nov. 21 "Thanks to NMT, all of my wishes arecoming true," says Kristin Shumpert, who is traveling from Oak Ridge,Tennessee this week to experience the lights, sounds and excitement of LasVegas ... and to meet the people who "saved my life." Until recently, theprospect of spending time far from home held little interest to the youngwoman who suffers from a devastating disorder that affects her ability toregulate thirst or sense when its time to use the ladies' room.
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At the age of 18, Kristin, now 23, underwent surgery on a benign braintumor, resulting in the removal of her pituitary gland. No larger than thesize of a pea and found at the base of the brain, the pituitary gland secretesa hormone known as vasopressin that triggers the kidneys to regulate normalstorage and release of bodily fluids. As a consequence of the surgery, Kristindeveloped Diabetes Insipidus (DI), a type of diabetes much different from thekind brought on by too much sugar in the blood.
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Prior to being diagnosed with the condition, Kristin would complain to hermother that she felt like she could not quench her intense thirst, despitedrinking an extraordinary amount of fluids. To complicate matters, she hadlost the ability to recognize when her body was overhydrated and when it wastime to urinate. To treat Kristin, her doctors prescribed nasal vasopressin,which immediately triggers her body to release the fluids. However, notknowing how to regulate her hydration levels, Kristin was often left confusedand ultimately found it difficult to stray far from home. "It was dreadfullydebilitating and seriously impacted the quality of my life."

If water intake is seriously impaired, there is a grave risk of severedehydration that could lead to serious brain damage or even death. On theother hand, overhydration, also referred to as water intoxication, can resultin digestive problems, behavioral changes, brain damage, seizures or coma.

Kristin's mother, Jody Shumpert, works at the Oak Ridge AssociatedUniversities, a consortium of 99 doctoral-granting academic institutions.Earlier this year, Jody read an article regarding Oak Ridge NationalLaboratories' (ORNL) research collaboration with Noninvasive MedicalTechnologies, Inc. (NMT), a Las Vegas-based medical device company pioneeringhighly advanced, award-winning medical assessment and communications solutionsfor military and civilian medical use. Aiming to improve the odds for peoplemedically at risk from dehydration or congestive heart failure, ORNL and NMTwere actively engaged in improving and miniaturizing NMT's proprietary,patented ZOE(TM), an FDA-approved noninvasive medical device that monitors aperson's fluid status using bioimpedence. Curious, Jody contacted ORNL toinquire whether or not this technology could potentially help Kristin monitorher hydration levels. After being redirected to NMT's Chief Operating OfficerAnn McCaughan, Jody believed she had found a potential savior for her daughter.

A registered nurse recognized as one of the nation's leading experts inCardiac Home Care, McCaughan oversees NMT's product design and developmentefforts and has largely been responsible for spearheading theconceptualization and commercialization of the ZOE. After speaking with Jodyand learning more about Kristin's medical condition, McCaughan immediatelytasked Carolyn Humphrey, a clinical consultant to NMT, to direct a study todetermine whether the ZOE could prove effective for Kristin.

NMT sent Kristin a ZOE fluid status monitor and several sets of electrodesrequired to measure her hydration levels. Under Humphrey's direction, she wastaught how to self-monitor her "Zo" readings. (Zo, or "Z naught," is a metricthat has been used for years in cardioplethsmograph technology to determinehydration in human subjects.) A series of monitoring days were established,initially beginning in two to three day segments for consistent measuringpurposes. There was a need for flexibility in the data collection schedulesince Kristin's DI treatment plan was still being established by herphysicians. Moreover, because her brain tumor had reappeared, requiring her toundergo radiation therapy several months before commencing the NMT study, itwas essential that she be closely monitored to ensure that the timing of hermedications were accurately determined.

Keeping a detailed daily journal, Kristin tracked her fluid intake, whenshe felt thirsty, the level of her fullness, her physical symptoms and eachtime she took her nasal vasopressin within a 24-hour period. Through regularconversations with Humphrey, trends emerged from the data that helped toempower Kristin with crucial insight helping her to recognize when to stopdrinking fluids (even though she was thirsty) and when to administer her nasalvasopressin to signal her body to urinate. Kristin notes, "With the ability toconfidently and objectively measure what's going on inside me, it is no longera guessing game. NMT has given me back control of my life!"

Ronald McCaughan, Chairman and CEO of NMT, noted, "NMT has achievednotable advancements in the field of noninvasive hemodynamic assessment andmonitoring -- advancements some have described as innovative and, even, trulyextraordinary. Still others have suggested that our cutting edge productresearch and development efforts are producing disruptive technologies thatwill indeed redefine the standard of medical care in our industry. But, it iswhen we meet people like Kristin that we fully appreciate that the work we areaccomplishing at NMT is without question of profound importance."

In addition to reassuming control over her body, Kristin has long wishedto vacation in Las Vegas. NMT made that wish come true, too. The Company hasarranged for Kristin and her mother Jody to arrive at Las Vegas McCarranInternational Airport tomorrow afternoon and be transported to the luxuriousMonte Carlo Resort and Casino, where, as NMT's guests, mother and daughterwill be treated to the hotel's AAA Four Diamond hospitality and a taste of allthe excitement and entertainment that has made Las Vegas a destination ofchoice.

On Monday, Kristin and Jody will arrive at NMT's offices, where they willbe granted a personal tour of the facilities and meet all of the people whohave worked so hard to make the ZOE possible. "Having the chance to personallymeet Kristin and her mother is a gift to the entire NMT team. It is thrillingto know that it is because of our efforts that someone so young and full ofvital energy can now truly enjoy everything that life has to offer her," addedAnn McCaughan. "This is a proud moment for NMT -- and a wish that has cometrue for us."

About Noninvasive Medical Technologies, Inc.

Headquartered in Las Vegas Nevada, Noninvasive Medical Technologies, Inc.(NMT) has pioneered a suite of highly advanced noninvasive medical assessmentand communication tools and solutions that provide military and civilianmedical care specialists with real-time situational awareness and criticallife saving intelligence. NMT's mission is to save lives by continuallyadvancing the standard for noninvasive patient monitoring across the carecontinuum, while maximizing clinical, medical and financial outcomes, andpromoting scientific innovation. To learn more, please visithttp://www.nmtinc.org.FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: At Noninvasive Medical Technologies, Inc. Laura Dolajak, 888-466-8552 or via email at [email protected] OR Elite Financial Communication Group/Elite Media Group Dodi Handy, 407-585-1080 or via email at [email protected]

SOURCE Noninvasive Medical Technologies, Inc.
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