Dräger introduces anaesthesia system for
MRI environment
Dräger Medical has introduced the Fabius MRI, its latest generation of
anaesthesia solutions designed specifically for magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI). The system is also suitable for other applications involving magnetic
fields such as a cardiac catheterisation laboratory or proton therapy. 12
December 2007
Electronic growth hormone injection device
gains US approval
EMD Serono, Inc. has received US FDA approval of its easypod delivery system
for the administration of Saizen, a treatment for growth hormone deficiency.
23 November 2007
Maquet Critical Care introduces new
anaesthesia system
Maquet Critical Care has introduced the Maquet Flow-i, an anaesthesia system
that combines advanced ICU ventilator performance with state-of-the-art
anaesthesia delivery. 22 November 2007
Submersible keyboard aids fight against
hospital infection
Devlin Electronics has launched a washable keyboard specifically designed to
help health services tackle the problems of hospital-acquired infections. 5
November
Sugar biosensor could help diabetics
continuously monitor blood glucose
A postgraduate student at Kalmar University in Sweden has designed
biosensors that monitor the concentration of sugars in fluids. These sensors
could be further developed to monitor blood sugar in diabetics. 17 October
2007
Ozone cleaning system answers superbug
crisis
A major city hospital in the UK has become the first in the National Health
Service to invest in a revolutionary cleaning system that helps reduce the
environmental reservoir of resistant organisms such as MRSA and
Clostridium difficile. 10 October 2007
Bird flu evolving into human virus
A team of researchers from the US, Japan and Vietnam, has identified that a
single change in a protein of the H5N1 avian flu virus will enable it to
infect the respiratory tract — a first step to spreading quickly from person
to person. 9 October 2007
Air purifier could eliminate MRSA from
hospitals says Tri-Air Developments
Tri-Air Developments has developed an air purifier that can kill the MRSA
‘superbug’ and other bacteria and viruses, including H5N1, within minutes.
The unit simulates the natural purification properties of fresh air to
ensure the continued protection of the hard-to-reach places, such as
ceilings, fittings and ventilation ducts. 4 October 2007
Hydrogen peroxide spray system controls
MRSA and C. difficile in hospitals
Netherlands-based TNO and Infection Control have developed a system using
hydrogen peroxide that can effectively disinfect a hospital room in four
hours. It can kill resistant forms of bacteria, including MRSA and Clostridium
difficile. 3 October 2007
Mobile phone users show slowed brain
activity
Frequent mobile phone use slows brain function, according to a recent study,
but they also showed better focused attention. No firm conclusions can be
drawn as to whether these effects are to be considered an adverse health
effect or not. 1 October 2007
Crospon
licenses drug-delivery system based on HP inkjet printer technology
The technology which is based on an inkjet printer head, enables painless,
controlled release of one or more drugs in a single patch applied to the
skin. 28 September 2007
Glowing
mice illuminate diabetes
Mice given a customised firefly gene that causes their livers to glow in the
presence of key chemicals formed during glucose metabolism could help the
development of new diabetes drugs. 26 September
1.5 million unnecessary child deaths from
diarrhoea
Diarrhoea is still one of the most common reasons for the high child
mortality rates in many low and middle-income countries despite two decades
of global efforts to control it. One fifth of all the deaths amongst
children under the age of five that are reported every year are caused by
serious diarrhoea. 17 September
Diabetes combined with heart disease a
growing problem in Europe
Recent large surveys of patients with heart failure have shown that diabetes
in such patients was also present in 30-40% of cases. This combination of
disorders worsens the long-term health risks for patients and complicates
the management of those with acute and chronic heart failure. 12 September
2007
NHS Scotland rolls out nationwide diabetic
retinopathy screening service
NHS Scotland has completed the roll-out of a country-wide diabetic
retinopathy screening service to help prevent the large number of cases of
blindness caused by diabetes. 23 August 2007
Staffordshire digital eye-screening
programme on target to screen 35,000 diabetics
The Staffordshire Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Service, which is part of
the UK's screening programme, is averaging 4,000 patient screenings per
month and is on track to exceed its target of screening over 35,000 diabetes
patients this year. 21 August 2007
Speech and therapy software for speech
disabled
The Touch & Talk system is a speech communication and therapy tool for
patients suffering from stroke, autism, cancer and other speech
communication disabilities. 5 August
Public need more help in managing their
chronic diseases
Eight out of ten adults in the UK would be willing to self-manage a chronic
condition, according to a new survey, but many of those who already do fail
to manage their condition properly. 30 July 2007
Arkray launches blood glucose monitoring
system in US. 27 July 2007
MedSy launches anti-stammer device in the
UK
The SpeechEasy anti-stammer device is custom made to fit completely within
the ear canal and is almost invisible. 19 July 2007
Vitamin D deficiency leaves millions at
risk of numerous diseases and disorders
Vitamin D deficiency is one of the most commonly unrecognized and easily
preventable medical conditions, according to Dr Michael Holick, one of the
foremost authorities on vitamin D in the US. 19 July 2007
Mental stimulation reduces risk of
Alzheimer’s disease
A five-year study of older people has found that how often old people read a
newspaper, play chess, or engage in other mentally stimulating activities is
related to risk of developing the disease. 2 July 2007
First Dräger Award for Intensive Care
Medicine bestowed
The European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA) has presented the first Dräger
Award for Intensive Care Medicine to the Department of Anaesthesiology and
Intensive Care Medicine at the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena,
Germany. 13 June 2007
Growing Alzheimer’s epidemic could cripple
healthcare
The rapidly increasing number of people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease
could cripple healthcare services in the next few decades. In 2006, 26.6m
people were suffering from Alzheimer’s disease worldwide and could rise to
100m by 2050. 11 June 2007
Breakdown of myelin in brain implicated in
Alzheimer’s
New research suggests that it is the breakdown of myelin, a fatty coating of
nerve cells, that promotes the build-up of toxic amyloid-beta fibrils that
eventually deposit in the brain and become the plaques which have long been
associated with Alzheimer’s disease. 24 May 2007
Enhanced MR-guided focused ultrasound
improves treatment of uterine fibroids
Women undergoing MR-guided focused ultrasound experience rapid and sustained
relief from their condition and have a reduced need for alternative,
invasive treatments in the future. 17 May 2007
Virtual reality helps MS patients walk
better
A virtual reality device that combines combines a wearable, cell phone-sized
audio component and a visual feedback apparatus to improve walking speed and
stride length in patients suffering from multiple sclerosis has been
developed at the the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. 10 May 2007
Philips and Misys collaborate in home
telemonitoring solutions
The companies intend to develop an integrated software platform that will
enable care agencies to provide high quality care to chronically ill
patients at home, including the remote monitoring of patients’ health status
to provide operational efficiencies. 10 May 2007
Debiotech and STMicroelectronics in
partnership to manufacture microfluidic insulin pump
The nanopump, which relies on microfluidic MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical
system) technology, is a breakthrough concept that allows a tiny pump to be
mounted on a disposable skin patch to provide continuous insulin infusion. 1
May 2007
Dental X-rays of carotid artery not enough
to estimate stroke risk
A review of research on the detection of calcified tissue in the carotid
artery by dental x-rays has found that the technique does not give enough
evidence to estimate a patient’s stroke risk. 30 April 2007
Abbott launches FreeStyle Lite blood
glucose monitoring system
Abbott Diabetes Care has launched its FreeStyle Lite blood glucose
monitoring system that allows people with diabetes to test quickly and more
easily. 27 April 2007
Smart phone for dyslexics reads aloud from
text files and images
CapturaTalk is a new device aimed at people with dyslexia and other forms of
reading and writing difficulties. It reads aloud any text from a file a user
has saved in memory or from an image the user has taken with the integrated
camera. 19 April 2007
Door lock and bell with GSM phone aids
emergency response for elderly
The GSM Doorbell, developed by Dutch company Waleli, is a mobile phone
application that allows people to answer their doorbell, talk to visitors
and even open the door, whether they are at home or not. 17 April 2007
EaglePicher
releases world’s smallest implantable medical battery
The battery is based on proprietary new cell construction. It’s small size
enables devices to be deployed via a minimally-invasive catheter procedure
rather than traditional implantation surgery. 14 March 2007
Redsense blood loss detection device gains
EU approval
Redsense Medical’s fibre optic device for blood loss detection during
haemodialysis has been approved for sale in Europe. 13 March 2007
Osteoporosis measurement software for PACS
Medstrat has announced the integration of CompuMed's OsteoGram bone mineral
density (BMD) measurement software for osteoporosis screening, diagnosis and
monitoring with its echoeSYSTEM PACS software suite. 11 March 2007
€12m European SOPRANO project to develop
technology for independent living for older people
The Service Orientated Programmable Smart Environments for Older Europeans
(SOPRANO) project will develop affordable, smart IT-based assisted living
services aimed at promoting independence for older people, improving quality
of life and addressing the issue of an ageing population across Europe. 13
February 2007
Project to combine biology and engineering
to create soft-bodied robots
Researchers at Tufts University in the USA have launched a multidisciplinary
initiative focused on the science and engineering of a new class of robots
that are completely soft-bodied. These devices will make possible advances
in such far flung arenas as medicine and space exploration. 12 February 2007
Smiths Medical launches medication control
software for infusion pumps
Smiths Medical, part of the global technology business Smiths Group, has
received 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for
software that makes programming pain management infusion pumps simpler and
safer. 1 Feb 2007
Microwave
ovens can sterilise kitchen sponges
Microwaving kitchen sponges and plastic scrubbers — known to be common
carriers of the bacteria and viruses that cause food-borne illnesses —
sterilizes them rapidly and effectively, according to University of Florida
(UF) engineering researchers. 31 Jan 2007
Home blood-pressure monitor market to
reach $1bn by 2010
The world market for home-use digital blood pressure monitors is worth
almost $800 million. The increase in hypertension and use of telehealth will
lead to growth of 6.7% per year, taking it to $1 billion by 2010, according
to a report by InMedica. 30 Jan 2007
Consumer electronics companies move into
over-the-counter healthcare devices
Consumer electronics companies are exploiting the growing demand for devices
and services that help people remain trim, fit and mentally alert, according
to a report by UK analysts Wireless Healthcare. 15 Jan 2007
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