The journey of a baby through the birth canal can be fraught with obstacles and risks. A new AI-based tool to evaluate the head position of the baby could lead to fewer childbirth complications.
A newly-developed wearable camera system is designed to detect potential errors in medication delivery by identifying contents of vials and syringes with the help of deep-learning AI.
New research sheds light on the tradeoffs between survival and time spent in inpatient care that dialysis might entail. This could help patients with kidney failure make more informed decisions.
Many medicines require cold storage, which is a challenge for infrastructure and sustainability. Now, researchers designed a hydrogel protecting therapeutics at temperatures as high as 50°C.
As opportunities for teleoperations rapidly expand within radiology, the concept is being deployed across an array of modalities to deliver more efficient healthcare. A range of speakers covered the topic of ‘Teleoperations in radiology’ at ECR2024, discussing its benefits in applications in MRI, ultrasound, during the social restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic and military use. However,…
As demand for innovative healthcare solutions is at an all-time high, Medical Taiwan once again attracted a record number of visitors for its 2024 edition. The show’s organizer, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), proudly reported an increase in attendance by 10% compared with the previous year. During the three-day event in Taipei, the audience was treated to a wide range…
How do pathogenic bacteria evolve to become epidemic? To find out, researchers examined DNA data from almost 10,000 samples taken from infected individuals, animals, and environments around the world.
Integrating bacterial genomic data with detailed human mobility data makes it possible to see how pathogens causing pneumonia and meningitis, move between regions and evolve over time.
Due to climate change, diseases such as West Nile fever reach European countries. With the help of AI and math, institutions can prepare for new infections in the changing climate, new research shows.
Using ultrasound imaging to detect Covid-19 infections, a new automated detection tool could help doctors in the emergency room diagnose patients quickly and accurately.
Stagnation, under-use, unfulfilled potential: At the EUSEM congress in Barcelona, leading emergency physician Dr Joseph Osterwalder describes how e-FAST (Extended Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma) – a key point-of-care ultrasound technique for trauma – has changed over the last two decades, and not necessarily for the better.
AI plays an increasingly important role in medicine – and this should also be reflected in medical curricula. New work from an international team suggests how this could be done.
HighlightsModular bucky system for general radiographic applications, muscoskeletal diagnostic room or emergency wardSeveral configuration options: table available with motorized lift, floor-mounted or ceiling suspended tubestand Optional tomographic functionalitiesAvailable with standard or tilting chest standCassette Size: 13×18 – 35×43 cm
A new molecular test for bacteria and viruses, including Sars-CoV-2, has been developed at the University of Surrey, as they warn that the world needs to be prepared for the next pandemic.
Combining aerosol sampling and ultrasensitive biosensing, researchers have created a real-time monitor that can detect any of the Sars-CoV-2 virus variants in a room in about 5 minutes.
Machine-learning algorithms are 13% more accurate in predicting the surgical time needed in the operating room compared with human schedulers, according to new US research.
One day, the ultrasound equipment that health care professionals use for diagnostic imaging may no longer be confined to the clinic, instead operated by patients in the comfort of their homes.
At the EACVI congress in Spain, medical imaging specialist Esaote unveiled, among other solutions, its new portable ultrasound system MyLabOmega eXP, which features advanced cardio tools and AI-powered automation.
With resuscitation cardiac arrest, every minute matters – and permanent damage comes quicker than most people think, say Swiss researchers and make the case for improved information.
Caregivers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, have developed a programme designed to facilitate recovery by geriatric patients following hip fracture surgery. The Returning Seniors to Orthopedic Excellence (RESTORE) programme is designed to provide stellar comprehensive collaborative co-managed care for older adults with orthopaedic injuries.
Radiation exposure in diagnostic and interventional radiology is steadily being reduced, but some important parameters have hardly been taken into account so far, says Dr Kerstin Jungnickel. The medical physics expert explains how patient-specific protocols can improve radiation protection and outlined new findings on the radiosensitivity of certain body regions and their impact.
For many endoscopy wards, 2022 has been a year of transition and transformation. The field saw the advent of innovative reprocessing techniques, but also increasing strain due to personnel shortage and the demand for greater sustainability. We spoke with Paul Caesar, Reprocessing and Infection Control Leader EMEA at Pentax Medical, about the company’s upcoming solutions for the year ahead.
Breast cryoablation is an emerging treatment for early-stage, localized breast cancer that destroys malignant tumours by freezing them. During the past decade, it has been increasingly utilized as an alternative to lumpectomy, but its long-term benefits compared to other breast cancer treatments are still unproven.
In surgery, artificial intelligence (AI) is applied mostly in imaging, navigation, and robotic intervention. However, AI can also play a major role in preoperative planning. Objective decisions-making, optimal utilisation of operating theatres and less overtime are additional advantages that are achieved with the use of AI in surgery.
Medical imaging is critical across many fields of healthcare – but accessing it in remote or rural locations can be a struggle, resulting in missed appointments or delayed diagnoses. Fujifilm Healthcare Europe is a leading provider of medical imaging solutions across all modalities, and offers a range of portable imaging systems that allow imaging solutions to be taken closer to the patient.
Using a special type of MRI, researchers have uncovered brain changes in patients up to six months after they recovered from Covid-19, according to a study being presented at the annual RSNA meeting.
Nowadays, the operating theatre is networked and staff have access to a wide range of information and image data. With the Clinio, Rein Medical offers a medical all-in-one (AIO) computer that has been designed for use in hygienically sensitive areas.
Reducing the level of noise in the OR may positively affect a child’s behavior, including fewer temper tantrums, in the days following surgery and anesthesia, according to new research.
Swiss researchers have demonstrated how sensors could help detect health problems in the elderly at an early stage. This could help seniors to live a self-determined life at home for longer.
The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of the fast and accurate diagnosis of infectious diseases in clinical settings. Harald Maier discusses the implementation of rapid molecular diagnostics in the central clinical diagnostics laboratory at Innklinikum Altötting and Mühldorf, highlighting how the use of PCR testing has benefitted the hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Cambridge University Hospitals and the Faculty of Education are helping to bring medical training using 'mixed reality' technology a step closer.
The research team Liver4Life has treated an originally damaged human liver in a machine for three days outside a body and then implanted the recovered organ into a cancer patient.
Hyperpolarized nuclear magnetic resonance enables major medical advances in molecular diagnostics, for example for cardiovascular diseases or cancer therapy.
Two surgeons-in-training suggest some sustainable solutions for their energy-intensive discipline.
Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a telerobotic system to help surgeons quickly and remotely treat patients experiencing a stroke or aneurysm.
To bridge new equipment installations in radiology, temporary high workloads, or long-term additional capacity, Canon Medical provides mobile solutions according to customers’ needs and wishes.
Researchers used artificial intelligence to identify sets of genes that predict whether a patient will acquire severe sepsis.
A new study has found that AI can help physicians in interpreting x-rays after an injury and suspected fracture. This has the potential to improve diagnostic performance and efficiency.
When the coronavirus first struck in the US, hospitals in New York City were the first to feel the impact. Radiologists Professor Judy Yee, M.D., and Mark C. Liszewski, M.D., describe the lessons learned and talk about their firsthand experiences.
Compared to previous SARS and MERS, SARS-CoV-2 became a pandemic due to the high infectivity and different mode of contagion. SARS-CoV-2 spreads more because it is contagious also before symptoms, during incubation phase. No tests to date have been able to find the virus during the pre-symptomatic stage. Stark has developed a new, rapid, non-invasive method "Stark Portable Covid-19 Antigen…
Leading medical XR experts gathered at Shift Medical to discuss developments on the use of immersive technologies in medicine. We interviewed Doctor Egidijus Pelanis of Oslo University Hospital, about applying extended realities in the operating room.
Researchers have leveraged the power of digital pathology and computational modeling to detect and quantify podocytes, a specialized type of cell in the kidney that undergoes damaging changes during early-stage kidney disease.
A team of scientists at Argonne National Laboratory has leveraged artificial intelligence to train computers to keep up with the massive amounts of X-ray data taken at the Advanced Photon Source.
Cécile Geneviève is one of the few women who lead research and development (R&D) at a major company and her increasingly female team reflects women’s growing interest in the field. But while gender balance is an important criterion, it takes a broad palette of skills to innovate to alleviate pain for millions of patients, she explained in an interview with Healthcare in Europe.
When patients are admitted to a hospital emergency room (ER) it is immediately vital to determine whether s/he has Covid-19. However, with a regular PCR test a result can take up to a few hours. Thus, initially, the patient must be isolated. During the height of the corona pandemic last year, researcher Ruben Deneer from Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) and clinical chemist Arjen-Kars…
A new platform allows hospitals to deliver improved organisational and financial performance by deploying an Internet of Things (IoT) sensor network to collect data and using AI to analyse the gathered information in a HIPAA-compliant way.
The Covid-19 pandemic made it clear technological innovations were urgently needed to detect, treat, and prevent the SARS-CoV-2 virus. A year and a half into this epidemic, waves of successive outbreaks and the dire need for new medical solutions — especially testing — continue to exist. In the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B, researchers from the University of Florida and…
Computer scientists at the University of California San Diego have developed a more accurate navigation system that will allow robots to better negotiate busy clinical environments in general and emergency departments more specifically. The researchers have also developed a dataset of open source videos to help train robotic navigation systems in the future. The team, led by Professor Laurel Riek…
Researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) want to build the world’s first prototype that tracks moving tumors with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in real time during proton therapy. They are combining a rotating open MRI device, designed for the LINAC-MR system from Alberta Health Services, with an actively scanned clinical-akin proton beam at OncoRay, the Dresden-based…
Siemens Healthineers announced the company's Atellica VTLi Patient-Side Immunoassay Analyzer has obtained CE mark and is expected to be available later this spring. The Atellica VTLi analyzer provides lab standard, high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) test results to clinicians in eight minutes using a patient's fingerstick blood sample. With this industry first technology, Siemens…
Now Available: The Fluxergy Analyzer System is a testing platform designed for sample-to-answer point-of-care testing, enabling clinicians to cost-effectively conduct molecular in vitro diagnostic tests. The analyzer system is designed to deliver test results within one hour. This device is solely intended to be used by healthcare professionals.
GE Healthcare has launched a new wireless, pocket-sized ultrasound system called Vscan Air. The device runs in the tradition of GE's Vscan Family systems, of which the company report over 30,000 to be in use worldwide. The system is designed to transform the clinical exam by making it easier to acquire high quality ultrasound images. “Many of us are pressed to see patients, to give patients…
In the era of social distancing, using robots for some health care interactions is a promising way to reduce in-person contact between health care workers and sick patients. However, a key question that needs to be answered is how patients will react to a robot entering the exam room. Researchers from MIT and Brigham and Women’s Hospital recently set out to answer that question. In a study…
Tumour metabolism can be imaged with MRI as a technique to help determine cancer aggressiveness and response to therapy. The work by a UK-based group, on probing cancer metabolism non-invasively with clinical hyperpolarised carbon-13 MRI, can detect metabolic changes in the tumour. As metabolic changes occur much earlier than change in tumour size, this could have implications for quicker…
Abbott has received 510(k) clearance for the first rapid handheld traumatic brain injury (TBI) blood test, which will help clinicians assess individuals with suspected mild TBIs, including concussions. The test will run on Abbott's handheld i-STAT Alinity platform. Tests results are available within 15 minutes after plasma is placed in the test cartridge. TBIs, including concussions, are an…
Before the pandemic, the lab of Stanford University biochemist Peter S. Kim focused on developing vaccines for HIV, Ebola and pandemic influenza. But, within days of closing their campus lab space as part of Covid-19 precautions, they turned their attention to a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. Although the coronavirus was outside the lab’s specific area of expertise,…
This July, Fujifilm Sonosite launched Sonosite PX, its newest ultrasound system, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Diku Mandavia, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Fujifilm Sonosite, sat down with sonographer and Sonosite’s Director of Marketing Development Jodi Miller to discuss how Sonosite’s newest ultrasound system can help frontline health care workers combat the pandemic and why…
The Covid-19 pandemic came as a shock but not a surprise. Bodies around the world have been warning for years of a novel disease that could wipe out millions and crash the global economy. In February 2019, Dr Jonathan Quick, chair of the Global Health Council, told Raconteur: “Our greatest fear is being blindsided by a new virus, most likely due to animal-human spill over, which then readily…
Overcrowding is a challenge that faces numerous hospitals across the UK. The burden of managing occupancy rates can immediately turn into a major issue that puts immense pressure on hospital staff, patients and their families alike. Studies show that when capacity rates increase above 92.5%, the death rate in hospitals can expand exponentially. It can represent one-in-seven mortalities amongst…
With its Magnetom Free.Max, Siemens Healthineers is presenting a new class of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems that the company calls “High-V MRI.” The scanner’s unique combination of digital technologies and the new field strength of 0.55 tesla broadens the range of clinical applications for MRI systems. Magnetom Free.Max considerably improves pulmonary imaging with MRI and allows…
COVID-19 has rocked health care systems, revealing vulnerabilities in our supply chain, piling up unprecedented costs, and creating an alarming amount of medical waste. The health care sector was already a major source of pollution. The World Health Organization points to the burning and incineration of health care waste as a source of dioxins, furans, and particulate matter emissions that…
Cardiology tends to be surrounded by a maze of regulations, responsibilities and red tape. Leave it to the traditionally mercantile Dutch to streamline things. Case in point: HartKliniek, a chain of medical specialist diagnosis and treatment centres in the Netherlands which aim to transform cardiology to a more effective model – less personnel, more time for patients. We spoke with Menno and…
Ultrasound specialists at the Hainan Hospital of Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital in Sanya and the Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital of Hangzhou successfully conducted robotic tele-ultrasound examinations over a 5G network of four patients with confirmed and suspected Covid-19. They were in Tongxiang and Wuhan, cities some 2600+ kilometres distant.
There are many reasons why for some patients a visit to the doctor’s office is difficult or well-nigh impossible – limited mobility after surgery, old age, or a handicap. For others, particularly in rural areas, the doctor is often far away and/or difficult to reach due to poor public transport. In times of corona, another important issue emerged: infection protection.
Researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) and the Catharina Hospital in Eindhoven have developed a new algorithm for the rapid screening for COVID-19. The software is intended for use in Emergency Rooms (ER), to quickly exclude the presence of corona in incoming patients. As a result, doctors need to conduct fewer standard coronavirus tests, increasing efficiency. The quick scan…
Rapid first aid during cardiac arrest makes the difference between life and death. But what happens to the heart and the internal organs when people come running and begin to give well-meaning but heavy-handed heart massage as they attempt to keep the person who has suffered a cardiac arrest alive? A research collaboration between the Department of Forensic Medicine at Aarhus University and the…
The complex form of machine learning DLIR (Deep Learning Image Reconstruction) is based on a deep neuronal network which is similar to the human brain. The artificial neurons of this network learn according to their biological model through intensive training. For the DLIR image reconstruction, the network is fed with sample data from phantom images on the one hand and high-resolution images of…
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected children with direct impacts of the infection as well as on them leading normal lives. Schooling, play and vaccinations are among issues that can affect children’s health. Delay in taking paediatric patients to the emergency room (ER) has also had a negative impact, for example late treatment of acute appendicitis. Two experts from Spain tackled these topics…
To develop and manufacture COVID-19 test kits in massive quantities was not part of their 2020 business plans. Yet, as the epidemic evolved into a global pandemic, the urgent need for diagnostic and antibody SARS-CoV-2 test kits triggered an unprecedented scramble among medical manufacturers.
Diagnostic imaging examinations and radiology departments have been essential in the care of the millions of COVID-19 patients. As the virus abates, how should radiology departments return to “normal” operations? The American College of Radiology (ACR) and the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) have published recommendations and guidelines.
The novel Coronavirus infection (severe acute respiratory syndrome SARS-CoV-2), which has led to the spread of COVID-19 around the world, has upset normal workflow in hospitals. The increased workload and stress, due to the necessity of implementing safe and separate diagnostic pathways, and the need to constantly monitor the development of the disease after its onset, continues to have a…
Researchers have developed an AI algorithm that can detect and identify different types of brain injuries. The researchers, from the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London, have clinically validated and tested the AI on large sets of CT scans and found that it was successfully able to detect, segment, quantify and differentiate different types of brain lesions. Their results,…
Establishing whether a patient is suffering from severe lung disease, possibly COVID-19, within a few minutes: this is possible using fairly simple ultrasound machines that are enhanced with artificial intelligence. A research team at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) and the University of Trento in Italy has been able to translate the expertise of top lung specialists into a software…
Despite the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), reports show that many health care workers contracted the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which raises substantial concerns about the effectiveness of the PPE.
Until recently, the major challenges surrounding Point-of-Care-testing (POCT) concerned the quality of the results and improving the reagents and the procedures in order to optimise patient care. In the modern clinical environment, however, IT security of POCT devices is becoming increasingly important, in Germany also due to new industry-specific safety standards under the Act on the Federal…
Radiology experts from Norway and Germany highlighted the role of structured reporting in communicating clear results to the rest of the team, to improve patient and staff safety during the pandemic. They also related Germany’s experience of the crisis and what lies ahead in an online conference organized by the European Society of Radiology (ESR) last week.
The pandemic has sparked a cultural change in healthcare and telemedicine use will increase much faster than planned in the near future, according to Vicent Moncho Mas, IT Director at Denia Marina Salud Hospital near Alicante, Spain.
As radiologists worldwide continue to share their knowledge of COVID-19 to help fight the pandemic, two chest experts from France and Spain talked about their country perspectives and the practical experience at their hospital in a dedicated online session organized by the European Society of Radiology (ESR).
Heraeus Medical, makers of the market-leading PALACOS bone cement, has enhanced its online HeraeusCare orthopedic care coordination solution to a new digital health platform that connects healthcare authorities and providers with patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The coronavirus crisis is putting enormous strain on healthcare organizations, with worried patients filling emergency rooms…
As many nations struggle to keep COVID-19 infection numbers down through increasingly tough public health measures, some point out the island of Taiwan presents an example of how to be prepared in the event of a pandemic. Located less than 150 kilometres from the original viral source – China – Taiwan has seen far fewer cases of the coronavirus in the past month, with a much lower infection…
The COVID-19 pandemic is putting extra pressure on radiology services. Radiographers are particularly at risk of catching and spreading the disease. This is why they must follow strict cleaning and disinfection protocols, according to Pablo Valdés Solís, President of the Spanish Society of Radiology (SERAM), who has just published new guidelines on how to protect staff and patients, as the…
Siemens Healthineers announced that its latest critical care testing solution, the RapidPoint 500e Blood Gas Analyzer, has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and is now available in the U.S., Europe and countries requiring the CE mark. The analyzer generates blood gas, electrolyte, metabolite, CO-oximetry, and neonatal bilirubin results, which are used to…
The sense of fear is palpable in the images and videos of hospital intensive care units (ICUs) and emergency departments that are broadcast on television and posted on social media. Fear and heartbreak can be heard in the voices of physicians and nurses who describe what they are experiencing.
Capturing all the possibilities brought by AI long-seemed a faraway dream for hospitals, since most artificial intelligence (AI) solutions are vendor dependent, thus complicating their deployment in clinical practice. However, the dream has become reality at Utrecht UMC, which launched a pioneering AI infrastructure able to monitor information and run any algorithm from its HIS, RIS and PACS.…
Chest X-ray is the first imaging method to diagnose COVID-19 coronavirus infection in Spain, but in the light of new evidence this may change soon, according to Milagros Martí de Gracia, Vice President of the Spanish Society of Radiology (SERAM) and head of the emergency radiology unit at La Paz Hospital in Madrid, one of the hot spots for viral re-production of COVID-19.
A coronavirus app coupled with machine intelligence will soon enable an individual to get an at-home risk assessment based on how they feel and where they’ve been in about a minute, and direct those deemed at risk to the nearest definitive testing facility, investigators say. It will also help provide local and public health officials with real time information on emerging demographics of those…
WHO Chief Adhanom Ghebreyesus has declared the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) a global health emergency. He said the decision was reached not because of the situation in China, but because of, “what is happening in other countries.” On Feb. 17, the number of infections totaled around 71,000 globally based on data of the WHO. COVID-19 – the official shorthand name of the novel corona virus…
Surgery for appendicitis is the most common emergency operation in children. A new study has found that the UK has the highest reported national rate of ‘normal appendicectomy,’ where children undergo surgery for suspected appendicitis but laboratory examination of the removed appendix finds it to be normal. Although most children who are misdiagnosed as having appendicitis improve without…
An exciting development from an innovative French company is poised for a major breakthrough in European markets. As is now well-known, coronary angioplasty is a procedure that widens and/or unblocks the arteries to the heart by the insertion and inflation of a balloon and/or stent into the vessel lumen. In modern practice, a stent is normally left in place to ensure the blood flow remains…
Agfa announces that it will launch the DR 100s high-productivity, ergonomic, mobile DR imaging solution, at RSNA 2019. With a customer-driven design that meets the needs of today’s healthcare environments, the DR 100s delivers a new force in mobile imaging. It combines agility, excellent DR image quality, fast image preview and a broad range of applications, including Chest, Abdomen, Skeletal…
Fujifilm Medical Systems U.S.A., Inc. will present research and development advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) for digital radiography at McCormick Place in Chicago during the 105th scientific assembly and annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) from December 1 – 6, 2019. "AI has the potential to bring a wealth of advancements to the medical imaging…
Health tech Made in Taiwan is among the mainstays of every MEDICA; this year’s fair is no exception. In co-operation with the Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT) of the Taiwanese Ministry of Economics and the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), 20 world-class healthcare companies are demonstrating innovative medical solutions based on national advances in Artificial Intelligence…
Dr Philippe Mahiou practices anaesthesia in the Grenoble area, splitting his time between a private clinic and working as a helicopter doctor to attend mountaineering accidents. As part of his work, Mahiou routinely uses ultrasound, and understands the importance of the technology to guide anaesthesia in the operating room and assess patients in the field. When anaesthetist Dr Philippe Mahiou…
Carestream will introduce a three-dimensional extension of general radiography through its Digital Tomosynthesis (DT) functionality (Pending FDA 510(k) clearance) at this year’s Radiological Society of North America conference in booth #7513, North Hall. Simplifying workflow and reducing exam time, Carestream’s DT technology is an upgradable option on the DRX-Evolution Plus System. This DT…
In a busy hospital, thousands of devices and equipment are on the move every hour of every day. Beds, blood pressure monitors, wheelchairs, or infusion pumps can be taken to different locations and, at times, even ‘lost’. Keeping track of vital tools is a challenge, particularly given the massive throughput of patients and staff shift changes. However, innovative tracking systems are evolving…
In endoscope reprocessing, time and storage space are always limited. During the ESGE Days in Prague the IKEM hospital facilitated the live procedures and had to deal with an exceptionally high demand for endoscope reprocessing. Hana Kubecova, head nurse of their endoscopy department, explains how a new solution, the PlasmaTYPHOON, helped her team to deal with this high work load whilst still…
Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is widely used in hospitals across the country. However, as these systems are often shared between departments, and consultants may work at more than one hospital within a trust, there is a clear advantage to choosing instruments from a single supplier wherever possible. Jim McWilliams, Associate Director for Technical Services at Hinchingbrooke Hospital in…
Point-of-care testing (POCT) is complex and its development continues due to digitisation in healthcare and increasing international partnerships among the healthcare actors. In a hospital, a number of factors need consideration to fully exploit the potential of bedside testing. POCT instruments and analysis methods must be thoroughly validated and quality assurance processes be in place.…
Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are among the most important tools in modern biomedical research, leading to new and promising possibilities in precision medicine. To create them requires transforming a cell of one type, such as skin, into something of a blank slate, so it has the potential to become virtually any other kind of cell in the body, useful for regenerative therapies for…
Digitalization offers great potential for hospitals: diseases can be detected earlier, internal processes more efficiently organized, health expenditure reduced and patients better cared for. Artificial intelligence, robotics, sensor technology, big data, additive manufacturing or augmented reality - the technologies for this have long been available.
Sixty-two percent of Germans fear antibiotic resistance, according to a survey recently conducted by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment. ‘Patients colonised by multi-resistant pathogens are particularly scared. But many of these fears are rooted in misunderstandings,’ explained Professor Mathias Pletz at the Congress for Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine (KIT).
AI has made an extraordinary qualitative jump, particularly in machine learning. This can help quantify imaging data to tremendously advance both pathology and radiology. At a recent meeting in Valencia, delegates glimpsed what quantitative tools can bring to medical imaging, as leading Spanish researcher Ángel Alberich-Bayarri from imaging biomarker company Quibim unveiled part of his work.
The topic of artificial intelligence (AI) was omnipresent at RSNA2018, the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America. From the opening presidential address, throughout scientific sessions and educational presentations, to the vendors’ technical exhibition, around 53,000 attendees learned about pioneering new products, research, plus challenges and opportunities to implement…
Mosul, Iraq’s second city, is slowly rebuilding its healthcare infrastructure after years of war and destruction. Dr Henryk Pich, a consultant anaesthetist and intensive care physician at the University of Dresden, Germany, visited the region soon after the fighting had ended, supported by the independent aid organisation CADUS. Moved by the makeshift treatment centres he witnessed in the…
Whilst acknowledging that state-of-the-art bioengineering approaches are being applied in preventing Medical Device Related Pressure Ulcers (MDRPUs), Professor Amit Gefen, from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Tel Aviv University, believes there are gaps in knowledge and technology in this area and therefore more must be done to improve patient care and avoid additional healthcare…
Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has become an important adjunct to clinical diagnosis and procedural guidance in the Pediatric Emergency Department (PED), supported by literature demonstrating that its use can improve patient safety and expedite life-saving care. POCUS further helps to reduce costs and children’s exposure to ionizing radiation. Not only is POCUS ideally suited for…
A new dimension in data handling is not only emerging, but is already a reality in our lives. However, political discourse about this often lags behind real events. We spoke with two experts who have an overview of clouds, decentralised data flows and the evaluation of personal data with IT help in various areas. Engineer Professor Alexandra Dmitrienko is a Secure Software Systems expert at the…
Test results are denoted by a colour change and could be further analysed by a smartphone app, making it attractive as a point-of-care diagnostic device.
Beckman Coulter was a gold sponsor of the 2nd World Sepsis Congress, a free-of-charge online conference, hosted by the Global Sepsis Alliance, that took place on Sept. 5 and 6, 2018. Over the course of 17 sessions, more than 100 speakers from approximately 30 countries discussed the wide-ranging implications of sepsis and how to raise public awareness of this often-fatal condition.
Clinical laboratories are challenged to meet greater testing demands, improve efficiency, and deliver reliable, high-quality results, while facing an increasing shortage of skilled employees and growing budget constraints. Recognizing that technology can play a critical role in addressing each of these challenges, Siemens Healthineers brought to market the Atellica Solution immunoassay and…
Novaerus, an Irish company specialising in non-chemical air disinfection using patented ultra-low energy plasma, announced the launch of the Defend 1050, a portable, easy to use device ideal for rapid disinfection and purification of the air in large spaces and high-risk situations such as operating theatres, ICUs, IVF labs, emergency and waiting rooms, and construction zones.
A small study of adults with the most common form of pancreatic cancer adds to evidence that patients with BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations long linked to a high risk of breast cancer have poorer overall survival rates than those without the mutations. The same study also found that those with BRCA1 or BRCA2 had better survival rates with platinum-based chemotherapy, compared with similar patients…
Loreen Herwaldt doesn’t believe there is a ‘gold standard’ for infection prevention, but she knows there are common sense steps that hospitals can take to prevent disease outbreaks. ‘I don’t think there’s a gold standard, or a silver bullet, but more like standard operating procedures,’ says Herwaldt, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Iowa, USA. ‘These are…
Beckman Coulter announced its exclusive sponsorship of the ESCAVO Sepsis Clinical Guide (Sepsis app), a point-of-care medical reference mobile application for healthcare professionals who manage septic patients in acute-care settings. Beckman Coulter’s sponsorship of the Sepsis app ensures that the tool will remain free for all users and that content will continue to be maintained and updated…
Digital bed management systems being trialled in NHS hospitals to improve patient flow are showing early signs of success. Innovations such as patient tracking and real-time location of equipment and staff to help make hospital stays more efficient are being tested at 10 sites. Project leader Bernard Quinn is particularly optimistic about technology that monitors bed availability and patient flow.
Room decontamination using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has proved to be a powerful solution for complete surface and final disinfection as well as outbreak management in modern hospital hygiene. Most final disinfections in hospitals are carried out using the scrub and wipe method, the specialist disinfection company Diop GmbH and Co. KG explains. ‘However,’ the firm adds, ‘this essential…
Although robotics is now an established arm of medical technology – with the Da Vinci surgical system a trailblazer – many basic issues need to be resolved before nurse Robot can report for the morning shift in a ward. Since centre-forward Robot and nurse Robot are closely related, we spoke with the developer of soccer robots about current progress.
Emergency radiology is no longer a babbling field; professionalisation will bring more recognition to this young subspecialty, according to Elizabeth Dick, a London-based consultant, who will coordinate part of the new European Diploma in Emergency Radiology (EDER), the European Society of Radiology’s new tool. We interviewed the radiologist, who spoke of her daily practice and why she loves…
The Clinica Creu Blanca Diagnostic Group in Barcelona, Spain, is the first clinic in Europe to use Canon Medical System’s new Celesteion PET-CT Scanner. Dr. Xavier Alomar, Head of the Diagnostic Imaging Department at the Clinic, explains how the new system has opened up a large field of diagnostic possibilities for the Group in Metabolic Medicine in Oncology, Neurology, Cardiology and…
“With Your Stories – lifetime healthcare support” is the future-driven approach combining the best of two worlds by using our insight and expertise in medical imaging systems and laboratory instrumentation to benefit patients through even better prevention, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up and thus help them in the pursuit of a healthy life.
New words are consistently spun out in the USA and frequently assimilated into ‘American English’. Take the term ‘hospitalist’ (little used in European English), which was coined by the renowned academic physician Robert M Wachter (University of California, San Francisco) and his colleague Lee Goldman, in an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1996. Lisa Chamoff…
Sutures and staples are the traditional methods for closing surgical incisions and wounds in emergency situations. However, these methods can be inadequate in complex surgeries and cannot make an air-tight or liquid-tight seal on a lung or artery wound or incision. Now researchers funded by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) have created a surgical glue that…
Time is of the essence in an emergency situation, and may be the difference between life and death. Ambulance crews on the front line must decide rapidly whether or not a patient is suffering from a life-threatening condition requiring specialist treatment, and point-of-care ultrasound can provide vital guidance. Geert-Jan Deddens, a nurse practitioner in emergency care with the Rotterdam…
No visit to the doctor’s office is complete without a blood-pressure cuff squeezing your arm and a cold stethoscope placed on your chest. But what if your vital signs could be gathered, without contact, as you sit in the waiting room or the comfort of your own home? Cornell University engineers have demonstrated a method for gathering blood pressure, heart rate and breath rate using a cheap and…
The holidays are supposed to be a happy time of the year, but many isolated seniors often are left feeling lonely — which can be harmful to their health. Loneliness is linked to serious medical conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, stroke and heart disease as well as a higher risk of premature death. But loneliness can be easily overlooked as a health risk because healthcare providers…
Determining where breast cancer ends and healthy tissue begins is a critical part of breast cancer surgery. Surgeons are used to working closely during surgery with anatomic pathologists who generate pathology reports that specify the surgical or tumor margin, an area of healthy tissue surrounding a tumor that also must be excised to ensure none of the tumor is left behind. This helps prevent the…
Training was at the heart of the biggest annual fair in the world, thanks to the newly introduced Medica Academy sessions, i.e. full-day seminars that dealt with practical questions, current techniques and advances in medicine. One of the hot topics tackled by the new format was emergency ultrasound, as renowned experts such as Dr Wolfgang Heinz from Stuttgart gave hands-on training on this…
Given the aim to provide ‘affordable care’, the economical organisation of operating theatres is critical. Surgical procedures also contribute as much as 60-70% of hospital revenues. Thus surgical efficiency and flexibility are paramount in surgical departments.
FUJIFILM SonoSite was pleased to support a Spanish medical team on a humanitarian mission offering critical medical assistance in Kenya, supplying a point-of-care ultrasound system for them to take on their trip. Angela Cepero, team member and radiologist, described the recent trip: “This summer, a group of healthcare professionals – the majority from the Hospital Clínico Universitario…
Providing insights into new cardiac testing methods, Professor Stefan Holdenrieder, Director of the Institute of Laboratory Medicine at Munich’s German Heart Centre, explained why biomarkers are a game changer in diagnostics.
A Swiss hospital group is using drones to fly medical laboratory specimens between its key centres. In what is believed to be a world first, the eight-hospital Ticino EOC organisation has partnered with Swiss Post and US drone manufacturer Matternet to spearhead faster, more efficient specimens transport.
A new blood test to detect heart attacks has been developed by a team of researchers at King’s College, London, which could speed up diagnosis, according to results from pan-European trials. The test is quicker than the standard test, which combines an ECG with a blood test to measure the levels of troponin. Under current guidelines, suspected heart attack cases are tested for high blood…
The International Day of Radiology (IDoR) will be celebrated for the sixth time on November 8, this year focusing on emergency radiology. As in previous years, more than 150 radiology-related professional societies from around the world will participate in the International Day of Radiology, holding a range of different events to celebrate, such as public lectures, department open days, national…
Not long ago, POCT was a specialist diagnostic discipline used by only few laboratory staff. This has changed considerably over recent years. Initially, the main focus had been on determining electrolytes, blood gases, blood clotting and blood count, but further parameters, such as kidney function, cardiac enzymes, urine tests and testing for autoimmune diseases have now been added. Whilst the…
Connected, high performance tablets enable healthcare anywhere.
21st century challenges are multitudinous for all. Ageing populations, a changing disease burden; increasing obesity with associated morbidities – Type 2 diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease; climate change pressures and more. Any new build plan demands a low carbon footprint; respect for the environment is paramount. To capture all those elements, the plan to regenerate a previously 10…
Dr. Wolf M. Harmening from University Eye Hospital Bonn, together with American colleagues, studied color vision by probing individual sensory cells – photoreceptors – in the human eye. The results reveal that proximity effects play a key role in how we perceive colors.
Electrospun materials bring a spark of hope to a cardiovascular landscape darkened by setbacks for reabsorbable stents. It was famously said that implanting a device in a person to cure a disease is to implant a new disease. Simply put, the human body will continually fight against foreign materials, leading to chronic inflammations or repeated interventions.
Scientists have discovered that dying tumor cells release small pieces of their DNA into the bloodstream. These pieces are called circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) or circulating cell-free DNA (ccfDNA).
A computer-driven automated drill, similar to those used to machine auto parts, could play a pivotal role in future surgical procedures. The new machine can make one type of complex cranial surgery 50 times faster than standard procedures, decreasing from two hours to two and a half minutes.
Point-of-care (POC) ultrasound is now commonly used in emergency departments throughout the UK. These instruments provide valuable insight for the assessment of both trauma and non-trauma patients, as well as helping to guide procedures. But for many departments, the use of POC ultrasound is limited by a lack of training and poor instrument availability. Professor Bob Jarman, Consultant in…
‘I am sorry, the electricity will be cut off because we’re going to simulate an attack, or emergency exercise, this morning,’ explained Dr Wim Develter, when he suddenly delayed his interview with Mélisande Rouger of European Hospital. They were about to discuss computed tomography, and its role not only in advanced healthcare and other more unexpected areas, such as the arts and…
What if doctors could look into a crystal ball and predict which of their patients might be at risk of getting sick enough to go to the emergency room? What if they could use that prediction to help patients get treatment more quickly, with less fear and uncertainty, and with a greater chance of returning home rather than being admitted to the hospital? For at least one group of patients,…
Germany’s hospital emergency departments run up a loss of more than one billion euros every year. According to Dr Thomas Fleischmann, specialist in the reorganisation of emergency departments, care for emergency patients rakes up a loss of about one billion euros every year.
In today’s digitised world, hospitals are already embracing the benefits which technology brings to improve efficiency and reduce costs. Against a backdrop of stretched resources and operational scrutiny hospital managers are able to address the needs of multiple stakeholders through hospital-wide digitalisation.
In rare cases, a dangerous bacterial infection occurs following major cardiac surgery. A device which is used for the regulation of body temperature has been found to be responsible for this. Since this discovery was made, Bern University Hospital has been working on guidelines for infection prevention.
Ultrasound examinations are considered cost-efficient, fast and effective. The E-FAST (Extended-Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma) is a standardised examination used in accident & emergency medicine worldwide. The procedure helps to diagnose internal bleeding and organ damage in severely injured patients in the resuscitation room and, in some regions, even during emergency…
Dr. Thomas Grau, Head of Anaesthesia, Surgery, Intensive Care, Emergency Medicine and Pain at the Gütersloh Clinic, first studied ultrasound for a PhD on spinal imaging at Heidelberg University Hospital in the 1990s. 25 years on, he reflects on the role point-of-care ultrasound now plays in anaesthesia.
Professor Peter Guggenbichler is only too aware of infection prevention and control issues in hospitals. Prior to his retirement in 2013, from the Children’s Hospital at Erlangen University Hospital, in Germany, he led the Infectiology and Preventive Medicine Department, for 25 years. ‘After countless nights on the intensive care ward I realised that the staff does not adhere to infection…
Airports are international travel hubs visited by large numbers of people. London Heathrow, for example, has an average of 205,400 travellers every day and saw 75 million people arriving and departing from all over the world in 2015. A study just published in the journal Clinical Microbiology and Infection suggest that international travellers can acquire antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and may…
Resuscitation is always a desperate attempt by an entire team to save a human life. If a reversible cause can be discovered, a patient’s chances of survival increase considerably. All medics therefore know the ‘4 Hs’ and ‘HITS’. Report: Brigitte Dinkloh
As the number of patients and people requiring care increases, exacerbating the shortage of care staff for in- and out-patients, care robots might solve the problem. For menial tasks, many devices can contribute well; however, at the complex interactive human level of care, the idea that advancing technologies could replace human caregivers to alleviate staff shortages is clearly simplistic.
Healthcare organizations are now using modern technologies to enable digital healthcare to improve the quality and efficiency of their services. Digital healthcare emphasizes the provision of patient-centric medical services to deliver a superior patient experience, reduce operation costs, and enhance medical staff workflow. To facilitate digital applications in the medical environment, ADLINK…
Defined processes and competencies are essential in the operating room along with the allocation of staff. Yet the OR-Barometer 2015 that is published every other year by the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, reveals that only 47 percent of the surveyed nursing staff in the fields of surgery and anesthesiology are satisfied with the level of organization in operating rooms. In this…
The massive earthquake in Nepal in April 2015 killed more than 9,000 people and injured more than 23,000. Within days, medical teams from other countries had offered services to the disaster relief effort.
The same 4K ultra-high-definition (UHD) technology that is surging as the next wave in consumer television has broken into the medical market with the presentation of two first-to-market laparoscopes.
As a leading global provider of both diagnostic imaging and analytical instrumentation technologies, Shimadzu offers broad expertise in medical imaging and mass spectrometry detection platforms helping to deliver a measurable impact on healthcare and diagnosis. The company is the perfect partner for transformational technologies to accelerate diagnosis.
Since launching Somatom Definition in 2005, Siemens has continued to develop Dual Source technology in order to overcome the remaining challenges in computed tomography. This significant development has made it possible to produce diagnostic images of a patient’s beating heart and coronary vessels without having to artificially lower their heart rate, for example. Scanning speeds that were…
Telemedicine - connecting health care providers and patients via computer or smart phone for diagnosis and treatment - has been making it easier, and more cost-effective, to "see" the doctor. Using a camera-enabled computer or smart phone, patients with common health concerns can get some diagnoses without leaving their homes. Emergency room doctors and nurses are able to communicate…
Frost & Sullivan has awarded Carestream Health its 2016 North America Frost & Sullivan Award for New Product Innovation Leadership for innovation focused on value-based imaging that solves real-life problems and addresses unmet customer needs.
Emergency medicine requires smooth, patient-oriented and perfectly timed cooperation of several clinical disciplines.
A pioneer in cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging, NewTom recently introduced the only CBCT system with an open gantry and supine positioning, which the firm reports is ‘…ideal for a host of diagnostic needs. Exceeding the limits posed by CT systems, the NewTom 5G XL combines high diagnostic resolution with minimum patient exposure.’
When there is an accident or a house fire, we call the police or the fire services. A control room quickly coordinates emergency operations. The cells in our bodies also have helpers in a crisis; the heat-shock proteins. These are triggered in response to cellular stress, such as high temperature, UV radiation or cancer. Heat-shock proteins help other proteins maintain their functional structure…
Since 2012, at least 1,500 individuals have developed Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), resulting in more than 500 fatalities. Only now are results being reported of the first autopsy of a MERS patient, which was performed in 2014. Not only do these findings, published in The American Journal of Pathology, provide unprecedented, clinically-relevant insights about how MERS progresses, they…
In addition to physical examinations, medical history laboratory test results are critical in almost all medical decisions made in the hospital. The demand for adequate, fast measurements has increased exponentially over at least the last 50 years and may have increased 100-fold, or more, since the 1950s. This could not have been achieved without the introduction of partial or full automation, of…
UPM participates in the ZOTERAC project, whose technology could replace the conventional X-ray sources in medicine or improve the detection of weapons and explosives.
Self-injury so often occurs in private, an important reason why solid statistics are hard to come by. But researchers estimate between 10 and 40 percent of adolescents, and up to 10 percent of adults, harm themselves physically – usually by cutting or burning their skin.
JADAK will launch the XE-80P, a portable, battery-powered thermal printer and chart recorder, at Medica, in Düsseldorf, Germany, Nov. 16-19, in Hall 13, Suite Room 8. The XE-80P’s unique Charge-on-Demand™ feature allows the user to choose when the printer will charge, which reserves all power for the host device’s functions during a critical event. The XE-80P is the first printer JADAK…
NDS Surgical Imaging’s new Radiance® Ultra 27” is a revolutionary visualization platform for operating rooms and minimally invasive suites to help clinical staff see more, know more, and ultimately do more for their patients. The first surgical display to feature Corning® Gorilla® Glass for durability and scratch resistance, the Radiance® Ultra also boasts the brightest LED backlight in…
During the past 15 years, liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) has evolved into a vital technology used to perform routine tests in many clinical laboratories. Historically, LC-MS/MS had been used primarily by research, pharmaceutical, or commercial laboratories; however, advances in the technology, decreasing costs for basic systems, intelligible software, an increased…
Abbott's i-STAT® 1 Wireless System is now available for use in hospitals, emergency rooms, physicians' offices and other health care environments in Europe and regions that recognize CE Mark. A portable, handheld blood analyzer, the i-STAT® uses two to three drops of a person's blood to perform common tests right at the bedside. By providing and transmitting test results within minutes to a…
The German care system for patients with acute and unspecific chest pain is unique in Europe. The closely knit and countrywide network of accredited Chest Pain Units (CPUs) ensures fast and targeted diagnosis of acute cardiac events. The German CPUs may soon serve as a blueprint for other European countries. The German Cardiac Society (DGK) has already accredited the first institutions – others…
Manuela Messmer-Wullen awoke in her hotel room one morning, during a business trip, and realised she was hemiplegic. There were also cognitive impairments and she could not articulate. Diagnosis: Stroke. ‘In the very first period after the stroke, contact with radiologists was very strange and mysterious for me.’ Report: Michael Krassnitzer
NDS Surgical Imaging (NDSsi) designed a revolutionary visualization platform for operating rooms and minimally invasive suites to help surgeons see more, know more, and ultimately do more for their patients. The company released its highly anticipated 27" Radiance® Ultra, a next-generation surgical visualization platform boasting the brightest LED backlight in its class*. The ultra-high…
Given the increasing focus on telehealth and telecare services aimed at improving long-term patients’ living conditions and save costs, numerous pilots in various countries have been conducted for proof of concept purposes. Among these, the United Kingdom’s ‘Whole System Demonstrator’ (WSD) programme is the largest randomised controlled trial. Set up by the English National Health Service…
The Critical Care Recovery Center care model - the first collaborative care concept focusing on the extensive cognitive, physical and psychological recovery needs of intensive care unit survivors - decreases the likelihood of serious illness after discharge from an ICU, according to a new study from the Regenstrief Institute and the Indiana University schools of medicine and nursing.
In the year of Shimadzu’s 140th anniversary, new systems continue the company’s tradition in diagnostic imaging providing innovative technologies and industry firsts.
When the Medical Radiological Institute (MRI) at the private Bethanien Hospital in Zurich and the local hospital in Ærø, Denmark, needed new fluoroscopy and radiography equipment, they investigated quality, functionality, service quality and cost. Among systems examined was Shimadzu’s Sonialvision G4, which has been completely revised, with innovations in all areas, including dose reduction…
Premieres in Europe: The new RADspeed fit (DR ready) with its best-in-class features for general radiography as well as the new MobileDaRt Evolution EFX for mobile X-ray applications are the most recent developments provided by Shimadzu. Together with angiographic, R/F and C-arm systems, they make the main attractions on Shimadzu’s stand at ECR 2015 in Vienna, Austria – 4-8 March, Expo C,…
On 29 July, Dr James Ritchie was attending the American Association of Clinical Chemistry’s annual conference in Chicago when he received the call that a physician and missionary worker, who had been in West Africa, were headed to Atlanta’s Emory University Hospital. Report: Lisa Chamoff
In a 'travelogue' of clinical practices, Carestream turns up some unique solutions to shared challenges. Responsible on a global scale for sales and marketing development with Carestream, Todd Minnigh does a good bit of travelling around the world. Report: John Brosky
In the USA, some patients have bled to death while in the CT scanner because this type of examination takes too long for blunt abdominal trauma diagnosis. Report: Chrissanthi Nikolakudi
Reading radiology exams has become a real pain. According to Piet Candeel, General Manager for Healthcare at visualisation expert Barco, ‘Today there are more studies of more patients with more images and typically with fewer people.’ Report: John Brosky
Albit was designed as an easy-to-use and practical ultrasound device both for general diagnostic applications such as obs/gyn, paediatric, small subsurface organ examinations and specific diagnostic applications such as proctology, TRUS, anaesthesia, vascular surgery or orthopaedics.
The Ebola epidemic in West Africa, war in Syria, typhoon in the Philippines – over and over, German doctors are among those deployed to help. We interviewed Dr Johannes Schad, Medical Director of the Foundation of the German Institute for Disaster Medicine, about his direct experiences on the ground at the worst of times. Interview: Sascha Keutel
More than 750 British military personnel as well as RFA Argus – the country’s medical ship – have arrived in Sierra Leone, for front line duties in the battle against Ebola. In the meantime Britain tested its readiness for a possible Ebola virus epidemic. Report: Brenda Marsh
The risk of terrorist attacks, nuclear-radiological hazards, power outages and epidemic-pandemic infections as well as earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis and fires are increasing worldwide. Mass casualty incidents, or MCIs, provide a constant reminder of why hospitals need a plan in place to be able to function optimally during and after a catastrophe.
Recently, ways to improve trauma care, particularly the care of acutely injured victims of traffic accidents, was discussed by international experts gathered at the World Trauma Congress (held in Frankfurt/Main, Germany).
There is room for worldwide improvement of trauma care, as Congress President Professor Ingo Marzi, Frankfurt/Main (Germany), emphasised.
At this year’s meeting of the German Radiological Society (DRK), Dr Mathias Langer, Head of the Radiology Clinic at Freiburg University Hospital and the society’s 2013 President, assured EH that CT is still the be all and end all in trauma surgery.
Johns Hopkins researchers say they have discovered a chemical alteration in a single human gene linked to stress reactions that, if confirmed in larger studies, could give doctors a simple blood test to reliably predict a person’s risk of attempting suicide.
Some time this year, exact date unknown, Google Glass – a miniature computer attached to a pair of glasses – is expected to make its consumer debut.
The UK’s first Specialist Emergency Care Hospital is on target to open for the first patients in 2015.
Two things that radiologists resist – structured reporting and (computer-assisted) quantification – are the very things that Gabriel Krestin believes are essential to advance diagnosis in the brave new world of omic-medicine that is emerging.
For the first time, the right of patients in Europe to seek healthcare in another Member State, and be reimbursed for it, is clearly established thanks to the EU Directive on Patients’ Rights in Cross-Border Healthcare. EPF organised a three-day regional conference to enable Patient leaders to understand the details of this legislation and its transposition at national level.
Partnerships are at the top of the agenda for RSNA 2013. To meet current and emerging challenges, “we need internal partnerships within radiology and external ones with our clinical peers as well as with our patients,” outlined Sarah S. Donaldson, MD in her opening address of the 99th RSNA Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting.
Philips at MEDICA: New healthcare solutions developed with users and patients help improve the recovery process and treatment options for patients while supporting medical staff in their work
The rapidly growing importance of emergency radiology is underlined by the 10-15% annual increase in the number of emergency medicine scans performed in just the last few years. Clearly knowledge exchange in emergency radiology had become necessary.A European home for emergency diagnostics
Beckman Coulter’s new Access AccuTnI+3 troponin I assay has received FDA clearance for its UniCel DxI series of immunoassay systems at the same time as having a new CE Mark approved on the UniCel DxI and Access 2 immunoassay instruments.
Until recently, hospitals were constructed the way they had been built through centuries. Today, however, hospital design is shifting towards patient logistics, opening up very new perspectives.
Whole-body CT scans during shock room treatment of polytrauma patients are on the increase since their advantages are obvious: they are a fast and comprehensive examination that allows immediate therapy-relevant decisions.
New technological opportunities make it continuously easier to use medical devices anywhere, for in- and out-patient care. The technology has become mobile – and so have the patients. In-patient monitoring can be carried out wirelessly, independent of a patient’s respective location.
At October’s annual congress of trauma and orthopaedic surgeons in Berlin, the session Ultrasound beyond trauma and orthopaedic surgery – What can we learn from neighbouring disciplines? exposed the unexploited potential of ultrasound for trauma and orthopaedic surgery, EH correspondent Bettina Döbereiner reports.
A large proportion of the patients treated at the Asklepios Schlossberg Clinic are intensive care patients. To track the medical treatment and nursing support which is carried out, an immense amount of documentation is produced.
Until recently, hospitals were built the way they had been built through the centuries. Today, hospital design is shifting towards patient logistics, opening up totally new perspectives.
Demand is increasing for point of care (POC) diagnostic testing, particularly for tests that help foster clinical decision-making within 30 minutes or less.
Loading high performance functions on highly portable ultrasound systems puts life-saving tools in the hands of trauma physicians, John Brosky reports.
Belgium – Last year, the annual ISICEM event attracted almost 6,000 participants from 101 countries. Its chairman, Professor Jean-Louis Vincent, from the Intensive Care Medicine Department in Erasme University Hospital, Brussels, offered EH a few reasons for its continuing success.
At ECR 2013 Hitachi Medical Systems Europe will for the first time in Europe be showcasing Noblus, an advanced versatile and compact ultrasound platform.
Professor Ulrich Linsenmaier, a leading expert in emergency radiology, has highlighted the need for clinicians to read image data rapidly in an emergency department if they are to help improve clinical outcomes for polytrauma patients.
Operating theatre (OT) equipment is increasingly distributed and interconnected, and the staff depends on IT to access and exchange vital information.
Olympus has led the field in advancing endoscopic technology. Just when experts and users thought no further optimisation was possible, Olympus placed another major innovation in the marketplace – and the firm has done it again.
People prefer to seek medical help in public rather than private hospital
ACEM Medical Company, specialising in the manufacture of medical equipment, scialytic and surgical lamps, is demonstrating the following products at Medica 2012:
Even mild perioperative hypothermia can have significant effects on rates of surgical site infections (SSIs), morbid myocardial outcomes, blood loss and transfusion requirements, altering the response to drugs, extending recovery rates, hospital stay and patient discomfort.
Carestream Health brought fresh innovations to ECR 2012, among them the DRX-Revolution that shares the same DRX-1/DRX-1C wireless detectors as others in the firm’s DRX family. In our recent European Hospital discussion, Ulf Andersson, Director of marketing and development at Carestream Health in Europe, explained why he considers this mobile X-ray device and the firm’s DRX series to be so…
Her Majesty the Queen officially opened the new state-of-the-art South West Acute Hospital, in the Northern Ireland town of Enniskillen on June 26th. The £276 million hospital is the first hospital to be built in Northern Ireland in more than a decade.
The European operating room solutions market, comprising surgical lights, surgical tables and pendants, is primarily a replacement market. Although tightening budgets are hindering market prospects, the need for state-of-the-art operating rooms are creating lucrative growth opportunities.
Cuts in pharmaceuticals spending, doctors’ jobs threats, A&E closures, non-payments to medical suppliers – can a new government save their country and its NHS by massive stringency and tax hikes? Our correspondent Dr Eduardo de la Sota Guimón reports.
20,000 participants attended ECR 2011 – a record its organising body, the European Society of Radiology (ESR), which represents more than 56,000 radiologists worldwide, is keen to surpass. Thus, for 2012, it set out to create an even more attractive, versatile programme, which is led by Congress President Lorenzo Bonomo, Professor of Radiology and Chairman of the Department of Radiological…
Critical ultrasound, as a tool for immediate therapeutic decisions, and emergency POC ultrasound – an extension of the clinical examination at the bedside or on the accident scene – have shown clear benefits along with lung ultrasound.
A British ambulance service has successfully made the transition from paperbased patient reporting to a fully electronic system enabling paramedics to capture patient data at the scene of an incident and transmit it to the receiving hospital ahead of arrival at the Accident and Emergency (A&E) unit.
Cardiovascular surgeon Dr Miodrag Todorovic explains how an island hospital – which is a medical centre of excellence and regional reference centre – is further improving medical care for patients there and in six neighbouring states with the help of a new picture archiving system from Visus
Italy is a front runner in diabetic foot revascularisation. Among the country’s pioneers is Professor Roberto Gandini, at the Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology Department, University of Tor Vergata in Rome, who has developed and improved new technical options in peripheral vascular disease intervention, a technique that now saves about 92% of patients from major amputations due…
Accessing patient files on smartphones physicians can view laboratory and radiology reports, vital signs and all relevant patient data
Traumatic injuries result in 800,00 deaths per year in Europe, making this one of the leading causes of mortality and the primary cause of death in patients aged 45 years old or younger. Depending on the type and severity of injury, usually trauma patients are treated by a team of experts from different disciplines.
Agfa HealthCare announces that it will launch its automated DX-D 600 direct radiography (DR) system, which has received 510k clearance by the U.S. FDA, into the U.S. market at RSNA 2011. Combining user-friendly design with excellent image quality in a high-productivity direct digital X-ray room, the fully automatic system also offers the latest in state-of-the-art auto-positioning technology.
Having secured significant contracts with hospitals in Sweden and the Netherlands, the UK-based mobile surgical services firm Vanguard Healthcare aims for further expansion in Europe. Mark Nicholls reports
‘We are all aware of the importance of early diagnosis and rapid appropriate treatment of patients with severe sepsis. Yet, many patients still do not receive satisfactory early management and the application of recent guidelines for sepsis management is still inadequate,’ writes Jean-Louis Vincent MD PhD, from the Intensive Care Department, Erasme Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles,…
Breathtaking though the rate of improvement in medical imaging systems may be, many hospitals remain locked into their various evolutionary stages – depending on their needs and capabilities. With its versatile portfolio, Carestream Health, provides choices to meet their diverse circumstances.
An original computer application that enables access to electronic patient records (EPRs) instantly via doctors’ smartphones has been designed by the IT team at the Holy Name Medical Centre in Teaneck, New Jersey, USA. The app also offers direct phone links to a patient’s nurse and emergency contact person via iPhone, Android, Blackberry and other mobile devices. Report: Mark Nicholls
Recent events have again underlined the reason why Papworth Hospital in ambridgeshire, England, maintains a enowned international reputation for cardiac and thoracic procedures. As Britains largest specialist cardiothoracic hospitals, over 2,000 major heart operations were performed there in 2010. In the year ending 1 April 2011, 824 patients had coronary bypass operations, including urgent,…
Rapid and accurate acquisition of basic diagnostic information through the innovative concept of point of care ultrasound can have significant benefits for patient outcome, costs, reducing mortality and medical-legal risk scenarios. These benefits of point-of-care (POC) ultrasound will be highlighted during a WFUMB session by Italian critical care physician Professor Luca Neri, founder and past…
Lung ultrasound is a technique with widespread uses and advantages in a range of areas from critical care through to less urgent medical areas. Most of all, it is of particular help in the rapid diagnosis of acute respiratory failure. During a session at WFUMB, its benefits and the latest techniques will be outlined by medical intensivist Dr Daniel Lichtenstein -- Lung Ultrasound in Acute…
Prenatal ultrasound images are the first images we see of new humans. But the prenatal ultrasound first carried out by Professor Ian Donald in the late 50s has little to do with today’s potential with 3-D and 4-D imaging with Doppler and colour Doppler. The three tightly linked disciplines gynaecology, prenatal medicine and obstetrics would now be inconceivable without ultrasound
A modern-day childhood totally differs from what was common just a few decades ago. It is mostly spent sitting -- at school desks, in front of TV screens or before computer monitors – all combined with the sweet temptations of the kid’s food industry. According to a WHO worldwide estimate, an estimated 10% of school-age children between five and 17 years old are overweight or obese. The…
Roche Diagnostics showcased its full spectrum of cobas laboratory solutions at EuroMedLab this year. Visitors were given live demonstrations and shown videos of leading products for both small and large laboratories – including workflow automation, analytics and customised IT.
In terms of health politics, no hospital-related subject is more explosive than hygiene. However, although this reaction is common across Europe, approaches towards tackling nosocomial infections varies among our EU countries. Karoline Laarmann reports from Germany and Jane MacDougall from France…
In late May, a particularly aggressive and new strain of enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) posed an enormous challenge for northern German hospitals. In Hamburg, the focus of the epidemic, more than 1,000 people fell ill, about 180 of them seriously, after getting into contact with the bacterium. Report: Meike Lerner
Shimadzu, world-wide manufacturer of diagnostic imaging equipment, has introduced the first wireless flat-panel detector (FPD) for its mobile, fully digital X-ray system MobileDaRt Evolution. This new CXDI-70C detector generation is the next evolutionary step for mobile X-ray applications.
Major disasters and natural catastrophes occur all the time – but in most cases we are only aware of them as images in the news on our TV screens or in the newspapers. Fortunately, most European hospitals are confronted with such major events only occasionally.
At first glance you think it’s a futuristic washing machine, or maybe an oversized designer amplifier. Actually, you are looking at GE’s Optima* MR430s. This is not only a real eye-catcher because of its exceptionally compact design (ever, for an MR scanner) but also due to the system’s truly smart function and performance.
Cold is not only a winter topic. Cold is also applied medicine: Moderate to deep hypothermia made cardiac surgery possible and mild therapeutic hypothermia improves survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. By Holger Zorn
Improvements in microfluidics and detection technologies are beginning to expand the range of point-of-care diagnostics beyond simple blood chemistry tests to sophisticated immuno-assays and molecular diagnostics. Though yet to see much adoption in European hospitals, these point-of-care (POC) diagnostics are coming into use in the USA, initially in emergency rooms and ICUs where fast results are…
Bedside testing of parameters has been introduced in clinical practice much earlier than laboratory testing: In past centuries, not only were temperature or pulse rate taken at the point of care (POC), but also qualitative blood or urine analysis were performed right next to a patient’s bed
Philips is ushering in a new era in radiology science with Imaging 2.0, a concept fueled by integration of technology, clinician and patient. Showcasing its commitment to pioneering innovative, cost-effective solutions, Philips is highlighting technologies that focus specifically on the patient, in addition to advanced networking tools that facilitate greater collaboration between radiologists…
Carestream Health showcased its award-winning family of detectors and systems based on the wireless, cassette-size CARESTREAM DRX-1 at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America. Carestream Health is the only company that can offer a full family of options from CR to wireless, cassette-size detectors for existing x-ray rooms and mobile x-ray systems as well as fully automated…
This year at the 96th annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago, Philips was ushering in a new era in radiology science with Imaging 2.0, a concept fueled by integration of technology, clinician and patient.