Neurovirtual News: Tell us about your training in sleep medicine.
Karen Nieto: I am a physiotherapist, I have nine years experience working in sleep medicine. I performed my training in Vitoria, Spain at the Txagorritxu Hospital with Dr. Joaquin Duran and Dr. Ramon Rubio and their entire team.
NN: When did the business relationship with Neurovirtual begin?
Karen Nieto: In 2010, we acquired Neurovirtual BW II PSG systems. Then, in 2012 we acquired BW 3’s, and we are currently working with their new BWMini PSG/HST.
NN:When Neurovirtual presented the new BWMini PSG/ HST, what was your first impression?
Karen Nieto: I found the product very interesting for use as a type 1 in our sleep laboratory and as a type 2/3 home sleep testing device from a patients home.
NN:During your first live home sleep testing study with the BWMini, what was the patients opinion related to the device?
Karen Nieto: The first patient that we performed a study with the BWMini, already had an in-lab sleep study done before in the sleep laboratory. With the BWMini, he reported feeling much more comfortable and at ease being at home, and enjoyed the flexibility of changing body positions freely. At the sleep laboratory he was not as comfortable and feared that changing body positions would disconnect a wire/ sensor. Having all of the wires centrally placed on the unit placed at his chest lowered those concerns and in result, the patient’s level of anxiety during the recording was diminished. With regards to handling the unit, it seems to me that the sensors/accessories are very easy to use since they are the same that we have been using with our other Neurovirtual products. Overall the system is very user friendly and the connections are very easy to locate.
NN:What was the most striking feature in the software of BWMini?
Karen Nieto: It is very important to us that the BWMini software share the same software platform with the other products since we are very familiar with it. Overall, the software is very user friendly, the time needed to start the study is adequate, scoring/review is easy for our physicians and allows them to edit any type of report quickly, those are a few positive
things about the software.
NN:How would you rate your customer/vendor relationship with Neurovirtual?
Karen Nieto: Our relationship is really very close: They have always given us the support and advice we need from the business, clinical, and engineering side. I think it is quite
positive at the time.
NN: Finally, what do you like about Neurovirtual in general, related to the following items?
Karen Nieto:Products are very intuitive and user friendly, reliable, and have a very good track record. The quality of the signals is adequate. The brand is increasingly becoming well-recognized in Colombia and around the world. In Colombia, the number of sleep labs using Neurovirtual equipment is on the rise. Accessories are standard for all Neurovirtual models products, easy to use, have an appropriate lifespan, and do not damage easily. Neurovirtual has a team members with experience in all areas of sleep medicine and neurology: We can count on their support 24 hours, seven days a week; they have highly trained support specialists.