FROM TECHNOLOGY TO THERAPY

Body weight and BMI do not differentiate between muscle, fat and water. In addition, body composition is often described in terms of fat free mass (FFM) and fat mass (Fat) only, not considering overhydration. The BCM – Body Composition Monitor is the first device on the market to distinguish the muscle mass from pathologic fluid overload. This is of special interest for detecting malnutrition in chronic kidney disease patients.

The BCM - Body Composition Monitor separates excess fluid (over-hydration) from the lean and adipose tissue components of the body on the basis of a unique body composition model.

Body weight = LTM + ATM + OH

Body weight = LTM + ATM + OH

The three compartments (LTM, ATM and OH) are identified from measurements of body weight, height, intracellular (ICW) and extracellular water (ECW) determined by whole body bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS).

Employing the latest bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) technique the BCM - Body Composition Monitor

  • measures at 50 frequencies (5 to 1000 kHz) covering the entire beta-dispersion information
  • determines the electrical resistances of the total body water and the extracellular water
  • enables clear separation between extracellular and intracellular water by the extremely wide range of measurement frequencies.


While high-frequency current passes through the total body water, low-frequency current cannot penetrate cell membranes and thus flows exclusively through the extracellular water.