Zynex and Sleep Virtual
The numbers are familiar, and even if the estimates end up being overstated, the potential is vast. Considering the possibilities, exploring partnership possibilities was a no-brainer.
Soon all roads led to the relatively young but well known duo of Sleep Virtual and Neuro Virtual. “For approximately
8 months, we studied their customer service, viability, and product reliability,” says Bonnie Hunt, sales manager, Zynex. “After multiple meetings with the CEOs and others, we decided to partner with them in February 2013.”
Zynex’s considerable sales team has already allowed Sleep Virtual and Neuro Virtual to grow more quickly and get their BWII
dedicated in-lab sleep equipment into the hands of more sleep lab managers. “Customers know Sleep Virtual and have a very good feel for them,” enthuses Hunt.“They like their product, and they have a wonderful relationshipwith customers. Zynex happens to have that same platform, so it was a wonderful merger between the two companies.”
Software Advantage
Florida-based Neuro Virtual develops its own software, a practice that offers a level of fl exibility that Zynex offi cials
appreciated. Felipe Lerida, customer service manager at Neuro Virtual, says the home grown software platform gives them the tools to readily adapt to customer needs.
“This has allowed us to grow our software in a limited amount of time,” he says. “We’re competing with companies that have had over 30 years in the industry, adding features every six months, while we have everything that they’ve done in less than four.That’s a huge advantag.”
The software is designed for research, and compatible with the European Data Format (EDF). The advanced form of EDF allows
Neuro Virtual to export the raw data into EDF, while also allowing them to pick and choose the data. “It has become a requirement now for research facilities to have software that exports exactly what you’re looking for, not everysingle channel in the amplifi er,” explains Lerida. “We can do that. There are some vendors who can, and there are a lot of endors who can’t. We can also export events, comments, and notations with our EDF. To my knowledge, no other company hasdone that before.”
In-Lab Sleep Equipment
The BWII that initially attracted Zynex is dedicated in-lab sleep equipment, designed specifically
for the in-lab sleep environment. “It has everything that the American Academy of Sleep Medicine requires to do a sleep
exam,” says Lerida. “This system is lightweight, bundled with a durable system, and the software is very intuitive and easy to use— which is called BW analysis. The hardware is dedicated for sleep, and that’s the BWII PSG. We have a dedicated EEG system which is called the BW2 EEG.”
The head box is integrated into the amplifi er that connects directly into the computer. “The BW3 is a state-of-the art,
50-channel amplifi er, and it does both EEG and sleep combined. This device has dual inputs on the head box as well as the amplifi er.It has bedside impedance check, which allows it to check the impedances from the bedside.The software ties all three units together, giving customers complete flexibility to mix and match amplifiers.”
