NeuroWave Systems has received a U.S. Army contract to develop a closed-loop anesthesia system based on a brain-monitoring device the company produces.

The Cleveland Heights, Ohio-based company said its AutoTiva anesthesia system will control the administration and infusion rate of anesthetics and drugs for patients who are undergoing surgery or sedation.

NeuroWave envisions the AutoTiva as an “autopilot” system, meaning it would automatically maintain the proper level of anesthesia in a patient and free up anesthesiologists to work on higher-level tasks. A “closed-loop” system refers to one in which some or all of the system’s output is also used as input.

The AutoTiva will be based on the company’s NeuroSense monitor, which acquires and displays electroencephalogram (EEG) signals from both sides of the front part of the brain. Monitoring both sides of the brain is important for detecting anesthesia-related pathologies, such as stroke, that can affect only one part of the brain.

“Closed-loop anesthesia holds great promise for improving the consistency and safety of general anesthesia, and the anesthesiologist work environment,” said Stephane Bibian, NeuroWave’s vice president of engineering and clinical research.

NeuroWave was spun off in 2008 from Cleveland Medical Devices, which develops biomedical signal processing and instrumentation devices for sleep and movement disorders, like Parkinson’s.

In December, NeuroWave struck a deal in which CareFusion Corp. (NYSE:CFN) will distribute the NeuroSense system in Germany and Scandinavia.