Sutter Health announced on Apr. 14 that it is expanding the use of FloPatch, a wireless, wearable Doppler ultrasound device, to three additional Northern California hospitals: Sutter Solano Medical Center in Vallejo, Mills-Peninsula Medical Center in Burlingame, and the Berkeley campus of Alta Bates Summit Medical Center. The move aims to improve personalized intravenous fluid management for patients with sepsis and other critical conditions during peak flu and sepsis season.
The expansion is intended to help clinicians quickly assess how patients respond to IV fluids at the bedside, supporting safer and more informed treatment decisions. Early administration of IV fluids is standard in treating sepsis; however, studies indicate that nearly one-third of patients with sepsis or septic shock do not benefit from additional fluids. Over-administration can lead to complications such as fluid buildup in the lungs and longer hospital stays.
“Bringing FloPatch to our medical center is an important step forward in caring for some of our most critically ill patients by giving care teams real-time, accurate insight into how patients respond to IV fluids at the bedside,” said Dieter Bruno, MD, chief medical executive at Mills-Peninsula. “This technology helps clinicians act faster and more precisely, reducing complications, shortening hospital stays, and improving outcomes. Investing in innovations like this allows us to intervene earlier and deliver safer, more personalized care while raising the standard of care for the communities we serve.”
Gurpreet Dhanoa, MD, chief medical executive at Sutter Solano said: “Precision matters when caring for patients with sepsis and other critical illnesses. By expanding access to wearable ultrasound technology like FloPatch, we’re giving clinicians better insight into how each patient is responding in real time. This supports safer, more individualized care while helping our teams deliver the right treatment at the right moment especially during periods of high demand like flu season.” Jon-Emile Kenny, MD from Flosonics Medical added: “Sutter Health continues to demonstrate that it is a leader in sepsis care innovation… Sutter Health is setting the standard for sepsis resuscitation in California.”
FloPatch provides real-time information about heart response following IV fluid administration via a small patch placed on a patient’s neck—an assessment that takes minutes without requiring specialized training.
Tiffany Wallace from Sutter Solano said: “Patients with sepsis can deteriorate rapidly… FloPatch gives our teams quick actionable information at the bedside so we can make more confident decisions about IV fluids early… That helps us tailor treatment avoid unnecessary risks and focus our resources where they will make the biggest difference for patients.” Gigi Guan from Mills-Peninsula stated: “FloPatch has become a valuable decision-support tool… It provides objective real-time data at the bedside that complements clinical assessment… This allows us to individualize treatment decisions while balancing early resuscitation with avoiding unnecessary interventions so patients receive care that’s both timely and appropriate.”
