About Biotronic and Our Neuroprotection Services
Biotronic, a subsidiary of Calder Development Associates, Inc., offers neuroprotection through intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring. We are committed to providing quality neurophysiologic monitoring solutions that protect patients and are cost-efficient for hospitals and surgeons. Through the years, Biotronic has been recognized and regarded by leading physicians as a premier provider of quality surgical monitoring because of our neural monitoring technologists' performance and our reliable, prompt neuroprotection services, including remote supervision for quality assurance. We occupy a leadership position in the field of intraoperative neurodiagnostic services and endeavor to sustain that leadership role.
- The Biotronic Mission
- About Neurophysiological Monitoring and Neuroprotection
- Biotronic Company History
- Humanitarian Efforts
The Biotronic Mission
Our foremost responsibility is to the patients to whom we provide services; to assure that our work is of the highest quality and serves the best interests of the patient throughout each procedure.
We are committed to the highest standards of both individual and corporate integrity - to always meeting the needs of our customer by providing quality and cost-efficient intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring with well-trained clinical staff and with the highest standard of technical resources.
We are committed to pursuing our mission, which is demonstrated by our successful growth and development. Biotronic has assembled the clinical expertise and organizational capabilities needed to provide excellence in care and prompt, reliable neuroprotection services with managed cost efficiency. As a result, Biotronic is the premier provider of intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring, having expanded our services to include more than 250 hospitals and over 650 physicians throughout the United States and the Caribbean, with nearly 100 neural monitoring technologists located around the country, monitoring tens-of-thousands of surgeries each year. We are excited about the prospect of partnering with you or your hospital to continue our growth of coverage throughout the United States
About Neurophysiological Monitoring and Neuroprotection
Neurophysiological intraoperative monitoring has developed into a complex field that uses many advanced neurophysiological techniques. Each of these techniques is tailored to monitor unique neural functions associated with the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves. These techniques provide neuroprotection for patients by guarding neural structures that may be at risk during surgery. Using modalities including SSEP, TcMEP, VEP, AEP, EMG, and deep brain stimulation, intraoperative monitoring measures the brain's responses to sensory stimulation from outside the brain. By measuring the brain's responses, our neural monitoring technologists can detect effects such as lack of oxygen, a stretched nerve, or a mechanical disturbance during surgery. If an anomaly develops during surgery, a surgical intervention can reduce or eliminate nerve damage.
Biotronic Presents Intraoperative Monitoring (IOM) of the Nerves
There are many important applications of evoked potential monitoring for neuroprotection. Generally, it involves stimulating a sensory nerve and measuring the response along its course, or stimulating a motor nerve (nerve going to the muscles) and measuring the response of the muscles. At Biotronic, we are interested in determining if the nerve pathway between the stimulator and the measurement site remains undisturbed. If the response changes or is delayed it may indicate that there is a problem, and immediate action should be taken to remedy the problem so it does not result in permanent neural damage.
Biotronic Company History
In 1978, in response to new medical evidence that monitoring the function of the somatosensory pathways through the spine could aid in preventing debilitating injuries to the spinal cord during scoliosis surgeries, Dr. H.B. Calder, Ph.D. founded Biotronic. His goal was to provide the highest-quality, cost-effective intraoperative monitoring services available to physicians and hospitals, anytime, anywhere. Under Dr. Calder's guidance, Biotronic has become the preeminent provider of intraoperative monitoring solutions.
In 1984, Biotronic instituted a service to provide neuroprotection through surgical evoked potential monitoring to hospitals in the Detroit area. That year, Biotronic developed programs at major teaching hospitals for spinal cord and facial nerve monitoring, respectively. Subsequently, Biotronic developed a surgical monitoring program in Los Angeles, California.
Since that time, intraoperative evoked potential monitoring has become a mature, sophisticated healthcare practice in which diverse and complex strategies have evolved to protect an ever expanding range of neural structures as well as more obscure structures. It has become the standard of care in instrumented spine, spinal tumor, acetabular fracture, acoustic neuroma, shunted and unshunted carotid endarterectomy, thoracic aortic aneurysm, and skull base surgeries.
Biotronic has monitored more than 60,000 surgeries, and currently monitors over 1,000 surgeries each month. Our staff of more than 90 neural monitoring technologists enables case coverage as needed. Biotronic provides a variety of services to meet the diverse needs of each patient. We offer everything you need in neurophysiological intraoperative monitoring and are highly sought after, as evidenced by the people we work with. Our breadth of experience and our commitment to leadership in the field allows us to solve difficult surgical monitoring challenges as we aid your surgeons to deliver excellence in surgical monitoring.
Humanitarian Efforts
In addition to serving hospitals and patients within the United States and Puerto Rico, Biotronic donates its neuroprotection services and other resources to patients in developing countries. A few times each year, Biotronic's CEO, Dr. H.B. Calder, as well as neural monitoring technologists, surgeons, and specialists travel to countries such as Ghana, Barbados, Columbia, Jordan, Ethiopia, and Nigeria to offer their neural monitoring services to patients suffering from spinal and musculoskeletal disorders. Neural monitoring helps to protect patients during surgery, reducing the risk of permanent nerve damage that may result from these delicate procedures.
These humanitarian services are made possible through programs such as those offered by the Foundation of Orthopedics and Complex Spine (FOCOS). FOCOS, founded by Dr. Boachie-Adjei, is an organization dedicated to helping the disabled and fostering international cooperation among specialists. Dr. H.B. Calder is an active board member of the FOCOS's Michigan chapter, Detroit Orthofocos. Detroit Orthofocos has been involved in more than 100 surgeries in developing countries since the year 2000.
Biotronic is also a supporter of organizations such as the Scoliosis Research Society and the Illinois Bone & Joint Institute, which conduct similar programs in India, Thailand, and Nepal. Biotronic provides neural monitoring and other critical medical services to these organizations as well.
Useful Links
To learn more, or to request our neuroprotection services in your next surgery, contact Biotronic today.
Common Misspellings: Biotronics
812 Avis Drive
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108
map and directions
Toll Free:
(866) 856-4404
Fax:
(734) 677-2423
If you're interested in the neuroprotection services we offer, contact Biotronic today.