It's small, lightweight, full-featured, programmable, operates on multiple power sources, and can be used just about anywhere. The Delphi IVantage ambulatory infusion pump is showing the medical device market, clinicians, and patients what automotive manufacturers have known for years—Delphi has the experience, technical capability, worldwide resources, and intellectual property to successfully expand its product portfolio in many new directions.

The Delphi IVantage (with related accessories) is one of the first products to be manufactured and marketed by Delphi Medical Systems Corporation, a subsidiary of Delphi Corporation. This portable, simple-to-use rotary peristaltic volumetric infusion pump weighs only 13 ounces (including battery), yet it performs competitively with products many times its size and weight.

It is designed to operate on AC power or up to 22 hours on an internal rechargeable battery. It can be easily toted via a shoulder strap or belt clip, thus increasing mobility for patients at home, in specialized treatment centers, or in hospital settings.

"While medical device design and manufacturing is certainly a new and different direction for Delphi, it should not come as a surprise," said Christophe Sevrain, managing director of Delphi Medical Systems. "Much of Delphi's capability portfolio contains technologiessuch as micro-electromechanical systems, user interfaces, power management, sensors, wireless communications, fluid management, and electronic controlsthat are common to the needs of the medical device industry. So it makes sense for Delphi to leverage its resources by expanding into this market."

As a Delphi subsidiary, Delphi Medical Systems can conveniently tap into Delphi's wealth of technology expertise and resources, as well as access global manufacturing and technical centers to more easily and effectively manufacture and distribute medical devices around the world. Currently, Delphi Medical Systems is focusing on medical devices for the infusion area, as well as products to enhance capabilities in dialysis, mobility, respiratory care, and vital signs monitoring.

Setting New Standards in Accuracy and Portability

The unique design of the IVantage allows IV solutions to be administered consistently and accurately across a wide flow-rate range (0.1 ml/h to 999 ml/h). This is achieved by way of a precision disposable rotary peristaltic mechanism that also does not require any specific orientation to the patient or to the fluid source. Multiple alarm capabilities and software control parameters can be selected by clinicians to support specialized therapies.

The pump can be powered using a standard AC adapter, a built-in, rechargeable battery, 12-volt car adapter, or an external battery pack-providing flexibility and backup capabilities for enhanced ambulatory use.

Thanks to the pump's state-of-the-art design, the pump and IV solutions combination makes for a small, lightweight, and portable package. Supporting accessories allow patients to easily clip the pump to an IV pole, wheelchair, or bed rail. Other options include a belt clip for securing the pump around the waist, a shoulder strap, or a customized fanny pack to meet even greater mobility requirements. This full-featured compact IV pump is ideal for ambulatory care and alternate site markets, such as private homes, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living, outpatient surgery facilities, and chemotherapy and pain management centers.

Disposable, compact, rotary mechanism

"Pumped" Full of Features and Benefits

In addition to portability, the Delphi IVantage sports a host of innovative features and benefits. The disposable, integrated compact rotary mechanism and infusion set facilitates an easy-to-prime, sterile, and closed connection between the electronic pump and the patient. The infusion set also incorporates an innovative sliding mechanism to help prevent free-flow whenever the set is removed from the pump. The rotary mechanism incorporates a transparent case so that actual roller operation can be viewed during the infusion process.

Other features/benefits include:

• Lightweight
• Easy-to-program keypad
• Extremely quiet operation
• Extensive flow-rate range (0.1 ml/h to 999 ml/h)
• Continuous display of flow rate, volume, battery status, and infusion time remaining
• Continuous infusion with optional secondary infusion and intermittent infusion modes for flexibility
• Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) mode with ramp-up and taper-down programming
• Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) with reservoir volume, bolus on demand, and lockout feature
• Audible and visual alarms followed by automatic shutdown are used to signal air-in-line detection and variable occlusion pressure limits; alarms signal the approaching end of infusion or low battery

"This pump is a complete power house, all in a compact, 13-ounce package," said Sevrain. "We are eager to meet and talk with infusion device OEMs and health care professionals to demonstrate how the Delphi ambulatory infusion pump will quickly be setting entirely new standards within the infusion industry. Patients and health care professionals alike will soon find this pump to be indispensable."

To read more about Delphi's IVantage, click here.

Forward-Looking Statements
All statements contained or incorporated in this article which address operating performance, events or developments that we expect or anticipate may occur in the future (including statements relating to future sales or earnings expectations, savings expected as a result of our global restructurings or other initiatives, portfolio restructuring plans, volume growth, awarded sales contracts and earnings per share expectations or statements expressing general optimism about future operating results) are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are made on the basis of management's current views and assumptions with respect to future events. Important factors, risks and uncertainties which may cause actual results to differ from those expressed in our forward-looking statements are discussed in detail in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003. In particular, the achievement of projected levels of revenue, earnings, cash flow and debt levels will depend on our ability to execute our portfolio and other global restructuring plans in a manner which satisfactorily addresses any resultant antitrust or labor issues and customer concerns, any contingent liabilities related to divestitures or integration costs associated with acquisitions, and other matters; the success of our efforts to diversify our customer base and still maintain existing GM business; the continued protection and exploitation of our intellectual property to develop new products and enter new markets; and our ability to capture expected benefits of our cost reduction initiatives so as to maintain flexibility to respond to adverse and cyclical changes in general economic conditions and in the automotive industry in each market we operate, including customer cost reduction initiatives, potential increases in warranty costs, pension contributions, healthcare costs, disruptions in the labor, commodities or transportation markets caused by terrorism or war and other changes in the political and regulatory environments where we do business. Delphi does not intend or assume any obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements.