Search for: "robotic hand" - 156 articles found

News • Future lifesavers

Tiny robots are next step to precisely targeted drug delivery

A Stanford mechanical engineer creates multifunctional wireless robots to maximize health outcomes and minimize invasiveness of procedures.

Robotic assistance brings benefits for paediatric patients

Robot-assisted surgery has seen marked advances in the past years and thus become a viable tool for more interventions. For example, the challenging field of paediatric surgery can benefit greatly from the new possibilities, reports Prof Wim van Gemert. Using the Senhance Surgical System from Asensus, the expert details on the advantages of the solution.

News • Pneumatic actuators

Soft assistive robotic wearables get a boost

Scientists have created a design and fabrication tool for soft pneumatic actuators for integrated sensing, which can power personalized health care.

Article • Technology advances

Robotic surgery: the importance of social sharing

During the first Chemnitz’ Robotic-Symposium, two experts reported on the current state and the future of robot-assisted surgery and highlighted why it is a good time to be involved in this field of technology.

News • Identifying antimicrobials

Automated CAST-R system helps to fight blood infections

When treating acute infections, health care providers must quickly identify the best antibiotics for fighting the infection. An automated system provides swift, accurate results for determining the best antibiotics at the right dose.

Video • Telerobotic intervention

Joystick-operated robot could help remote surgical stroke treatment

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.

News • No more biopsies?

3D microscope reveals features in living tissues

MediSCAPE, a high-speed 3D microscope, can see real-time cellular detail in living tissues to guide surgery, speed up tissue analyses, and improve treatments.

News • For better contact

A flexible brain-computer interface array

A brain-computer interface array featuring microneedles affixed to a flexible backing allows arrays of micro-scale needles to conform to the contours of the brain.

News • AI-GUIDE system

Handheld robot can help stem fatal blood loss

The AI-Guided Ultrasound Intervention Device is a lifesaving technology that helps a range of users deliver complex medical interventions at the point of injury.

News • Alzheimer's assistance

Dementia: 'Storytelling AI' to aid memory recollection

A new type of AI companion is being designed to aid memory recollection, boost confidence and combat depression in people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia.

News • New hope

Using AI and robotics to treat spinal cord injuries

By employing artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics to formulate therapeutic proteins, researchers promoted tissue regeneration.

Article • Safe navigation

Enhanced precision with semi-automatic milling systems

Professor Dr Henning Windhagen is a great fan of semi-automatic systems that help with implants but leave the surgeon in the driver’s seat.

News • Autonomous procedure

Robot performs first laparoscopic surgery without human help

A robot has performed laparoscopic surgery on the soft tissue of a pig without the guiding hand of a human – a significant step toward fully automated surgery on humans.

Surgical robots are the future of medicine

Esslingen is one of the most innovative regions worldwide. Thus, it does not come as a surprise that Esslingen‘s 660-bed hospital is interested in adopting cutting-edge technology. A surgical robot, to be precise.

Article • Robotic surgery

OR without surgeon: science fiction or realistic scenario?

Dr Jan Stallkamp, Professor for Automation in Healthcare and Biotechnology, has a vision: robots that can treat patients more efficiently and more precisely than any human physician.

Article • Mini-microscopes

Are disposable robots conquering the labs of the future?

The team at the Institute of Medical Device Technology at the University of Stuttgart, Germany, is developing methods to produce top-quality medical devices at affordable prices. Professor Dr Peter Pott, the director of the institute, turns to 3D printers to successfully realize his vision of “high end at low cost”.

Article • Visualization

Augmented Reality in the OR: matching man and machine

One of the crucial future technologies in surgery is Augmented Reality (AR). Most experts agree that AR will increase safety and efficiency, improve surgical training and decrease costs.

Article • BCI

Quantum sensors for next-gen brain-computer interfaces

Connecting the brain with a machine has been a powerful dream of mankind. What used to be science fiction, from the Borg in Star Trek to the Matrix, has become mainstream thanks to Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg who have put their entrepreneurial commitments into the area of neurotechnology. Recently, Professor Surjo R. Soekadar outlined current and upcoming applications of brain-computer…

News • Kinematic self-replication

Xenobots: first living robots that can reproduce

AI-designed Xenobots reveal an entirely new form of biological self-replication—promising for regenerative medicine.

Article • Laboratory productivity

Outlook: Lab automation in 2021

Innovations in technology continue to improve clinical laboratory productivity. Total lab automation systems are responding to dramatic growth in internet-driven streamlined processes.

Article • Medical technology event

Overview: Compamed 2021

Since Compamed could only be held digitally last year, due to the pandemic, the event now takes place publicly again. Almost 500 registrations from exhibitors prove that there is a high level of interest from medical technology suppliers – a huge step towards reaching normality again.

Article • Digital infrastructure

Update: 5G in German healthcare

This September, the symposium 5G4Healthcare, organised by the Technical University of Applied Sciences (Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule - OTH) Amberg-Weiden, Germany, explored how 5G can contribute to greater efficiency in healthcare. The event was based on the insights from the 5G4Healthcare project at OTH. Launched in 2020, it is one of six research projects in the 5G innovation programme…

A myriad of French innovations at Medica 2021

This year as every year, the very best in global HealthTech will be converging on Dusseldorf for the Medica trade fair. With more than 127 companies attending the event from November 15-18, France will have one of the largest contingents there. Grouped together under the brand umbrella of “French Healthcare”, the French MedTech companies will be presenting their many innovations to industry…

News • Trade fair presence

Start-ups at Medica: Anticipation for two 'world cups'

Medica trade fair (November 15-18) is once again a welcome field for many healthcare start-ups to present their products. The joint stand at the 'Medica Start-up Park' in Hall 12 has become the central cross-national meeting point for the healthcare start-up scene, the fair's organizers are pleased to report. "We bring innovators and investors together. This time, more than 40 start-ups are…

Article • New tools for the OR

Promoting ‘robot readiness’ in surgery

Using surgical robotic systems in OR settings brings many benefits, but there are also challenges that must be overcome before implementing the systems into surgical routine. We spoke with Megan Rosengarten, president of Medtronic’s Surgical Robotics business, about the technology, as well as the company’s efforts to promote the spread of robot-assisted surgery across Europe.

Article • Extended realities in the OR

‘XR is fusing surgical reality with medical images’

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.

Article • Orthopaedic advances

Virtual training by hip implant simulator

Trainee trauma or orthopaedic surgeons have limited chances to practice hip replacement surgery before their first hands-on case. To change this, a team in the Dynamic HIPS project aim to improve this by creating a dynamic hip replacement simulator for future surgeons to practice the intervention and develop a reality-based feel for the procedure.

Increased safety for patients und less stress for the surgeons

In early 2020, Landeskrankenhaus (LKH – regional public hospital) Feldkirch in Austria procured two robotics systems. Dr Burghard Abendstein, head of department of Ob/Gyn, welcomes this – as he says – rather unusual but future-oriented decision of the hospital management and has been using the Asensus Senhance surgical system for laparoscopic procedures in gynaecology.

Article • Surgical robotics

Elevating outcomes of surgery

What’s in a name? In the case of Asensus Surgical, Inc., previously known as TransEnterix, Inc., the recent rebranding doubles as a mission statement for the manufacturer of surgical robotics systems: The initial ‘A’ stands for artificial intelligence and augmented surgery, reflecting the company’s emphasis on new technologies designed to enhance the operator’s cognition (‘sensus’…

News • Commercial-scale manufacturing

1.4 million grant for resorbable implant development

Medtech company BellaSeno and the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT have received a grant totaling EUR 1.4 million for the development of commercial-scale, fully automated additive manufacturing of resorbable medical implants. The grant was issued by Germany's Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) under the funding program KMU-innovativ. BellaSeno and Fraunhofer IPT…

News • Virtual booth at ECR 2021

Ziehm Imaging presents clinical packages for cardiovascular intervention

At this year's virtual ECR congress, Ziehm Imaging showcases its portfolio of mobile C-arms and advanced imaging solutions. Highlights on display include two clinical packages for cardio and vascular interventions based on the fully motorized Ziehm Vision RFD Hybrid Edition, that provide clinical users with state-of-the-art imaging support and further workflow integration. The virtual booth,…

News • Restoring movement and ability

Brain implants: the key to mobility after stroke?

Someone has a stroke every 40 seconds in the US, resulting in death every 4 minutes. Stroke is the leading cause of disability from a medical condition. When it happens, blood clots or bleeds kill a part of the brain – it goes dark – and can no longer control part of the body. People stop being able to walk, see, talk, or control their hand or arm the way they once did. Although treatments…

Article • Second opinion from afar

Telepathology: a prime application of digital pathology

Telepathology remains number one application for digital pathology, according to expert Professor Liron Pantanowitz, Professor of Pathology and Director of Anatomical Pathology at the University of Michigan. Speaking at the ‘7th Digital Pathology and AI Congress: Europe’, Pantanowitz outlined advances in telepathology, and its enabling access to broader expertise, image sharing and rapid…

Video • Coping with Covid-19

How to work in the lab (while staying at home)

Inspired by remotely controlled surgical robots, professor and Vici laureate Jaime Gómez Rivas turned the corona crisis into an opportunity. He started to transform his lab into a remotely controlled experimental facility. And with success: the first paper based on entirely remote measurements is about to be published. ‘As soon as the lockdown began in March, I sat down and had a chat with my…

Article • Senhance® Surgical Robotic System

„Robotic systems are the future of medicine“

In April 2017, St. Marien Hospital in Siegen, Germany, made robotic history: it was the first hospital in Germany to introduce the Transenterix surgical robotic system. Since then, more than 450 surgeries were performed with the Senhance® surgical robotic system and the expertise of Professor Dr Dietmar Stephan, Head of Minimally Invasive Surgery, is in high demand – worldwide.

News • Success in Düsseldorf

virtual.Medica receives international resonance

For the first time in the history of MEDICA, the world-leading medical trade fair, and the industry’s number one platform for the suppliers of the medical technology industry, COMPAMED, held from 16 to 19 November 2020, took place entirely online due to the pandemic - but still won over their audiences due to their high degree of international resonance in this format too, as virtual.MEDICA and…

News • The countdown is on

virtual.MEDICA starts off with full programme and innovations

For the first time in their history, the world-leading medical trade fair MEDICA and the international number one event for the medical manufacturing supply market, COMPAMED, will be held entirely online as virtual.MEDICA and virtual.COMPAMED from Monday, with around 1,400 exhibitors hailing from 56 countries. Throughout the four days of the trade fair (16 – 19 November 2020), international…

News • spotlight at virtual.MEDICA

Digital health is on the rise due to COVID-19

MEDICA in Düsseldorf is a world-leading platform for the medical technology business and the healthcare industry and has always been one of the places to be for the entire sector as it covers current digital health trends, innovative products and services for linking all of the major stakeholders in medical care. Consequently, digital health is a mainstay of virtual.MEDICA, which, due to the…

Article • One year as Senhance reference centre

Robotic system supports surgeons and increases patient safety

In August 2019, the Evangelische Krankenhaus Wesel (EVK) was the first hospital in the Lower Rhine region in Germany to invest in a robotic system for abdominal surgery. In the beginning, the Senhance® Surgical Robotic System, developed by TransEnterix, was used for minimally invasive interventions in general surgery but today its field of application has widened considerably. The EVK team is…

Article • Cutting-edge

Taiwan companies present latest equipment advances

The healthcare system of Taiwan, renowned for its ability to tackle challenges, has held up very well during the COVID-19 pandemic. To underline the nation’s role as a healthcare innovator, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) presented several of the most promising companies and their products in an exclusive webinar. The event showcased cutting-edge technologies as well as…

News • Taiwan Excellence Shed Lights on Innovative Medical Solutions

Join us for the Smart Medical Webinar August 19th, 2020 10:00 a.m.

Over the past decade, medicine and technology have needed to join hands to help change people's lives. Today, the healthcare and medical industry has become a huge business worth more than US$158 billion in applications of medical IOT.

Video • Smart surface

Artificial skin heals wounds and makes robots sweat

Imagine a dressing that releases antibiotics on demand and absorbs excessive wound exudate at the same time. Researchers at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) hope to achieve just that, by developing a smart coating that actively releases and absorbs multiple fluids, triggered by a radio signal. This material is not only beneficial for the healthcare industry, it is also very promising in…

News • Pipettes

Robot automates COVID-19 testing

A Danish pipetting robot is automating Covid testing processes in hospitals around Europe. The robot, called flowbot ONE, significantly reduces the time it takes for laboratories to produce results for patients to tell them whether they are infected with Covid-19.

Article • Disinfection

Robots help fight hospital infections

In the hustle and bustle of a hospital, properly disinfecting all surfaces in a patient room can be a challenging and time-consuming task. Now, in times of the coronavirus pandemic, it can also be life-threatening. To minimize the risk for their staff, hospitals are utilizing disinfection robots to sanitize surfaces and rooms.

Article • More power for interventionists

Combining image-guided diagnosis and robot-assisted treatment

Siemens Healthineers AG took a big step last October. To incorporate treatment along an entire clinical path, the firm acquired Corindus Vascular Robotics, Inc., to combine image-guided diagnosis with robot-assisted surgery. A couple of months later, the Corindus endovascular robotic system CorPath GRX was used to implant a vascular stent into an obstructed coronary artery – the first use of…

Article • Lab technician shortage

Addressing the critical lack of skilled lab workers

The UK and Europe are facing a serious lab skills shortage over the next decade with medical laboratories among the worst affected. An ageing population and skilled operators retiring without being replaced by a new generation of lab technicians is at the core of a critical lack of skilled lab workers, with it taking 5-10 years for a technician to become fully competent and an expert in their…

News • Assistance in lymphedema treatment

New microsurgery robot shows promise

Supermicrosurgery – operations on vessels ranging from 0.3 to 0.8 millimeters – is limited by the dexterity of the surgeon’s hands. To bypass this limitation, robots can assist in the surgical process. One such robot is MUSA – the world’s first robotic platform for supermicrosurgery, which was co-developed by researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) and the TU/e…

News • Research award shortlist

Soft cardio-robot and 'Google Maps' of the heart face Big Beat Challenge

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) announced its shortlist of four research projects competing for a single £30 million award. The charity says it is one of many radical new approaches needed to address a frightening mismatch in research funding compared with the burden of heart and circulatory diseases. With the World Health Organization forecasting an increase in cardiovascular deaths…

A new era in minimally invasive robotic surgery

The Protestant Hospital Wesel (EVK Wesel) is one of two reference centres in Germany and one of 25 worldwide for the Senhance Surgical Robotic System from Transenterix. ‘We wanted to be the first in the Lower Rhine region to go to market with a robotic system as we believe that this type of digital surgical assistance represents the future,’ explains Rainer Rabsahl, CEO of the 356-bed…

Article • Significant improvement in cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation

Surgical robots must also be hygienic

Modern healthcare without hand hygiene? Inconceivable – particularly in the operating room (OR). But what happens when it is not the surgeon who handles the scalpel, but a robot? Robotic surgery, just like surgery performed by humans, always carries a risk of microbial transmission to the patient, says Professor Johannes K-M Knobloch of University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE). A specialist…

Article • TAITRA at Medica 2019

A vision of Taiwan innovation

A popular proverb in Mandarin goes ‘Hearing something a hundred times is not as good as seeing it once’ (百聞不如一見). Visiting the Taiwan pavilion at this year’s Medica, it’s clear to see that the Bureau of Foreign Trade (MOEA) from Taiwan, together with the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and its foster companies, have taken this sentiment to heart.

Fully-automated DPD deficiency testing

Each year almost 80,000 new patients in France alone receive fluoropyrimidines, a group of anti-cancer drugs including 5-FU which is normally administered intravenously to treat digestive, breast and head and neck cancer. However, fluoropyrimidines-based chemotherapies can cause severe toxicities (incidence at around 20%) and sometimes lethal toxicity (incidence between 0.1 and 1%) with part of…

Five Healthy Living finalists selected

Augsburg, Bavaria – Five teams of robotics specialists are finalists in the KUKA Innovation Award 2019 competition. Established in 2014, the Award focuses on medical robotics for the first time, Dr Rainer Bischoff, Vice President Corporate Research at KUKA, one of the judges of the award, explained. Around thirty talented robotics teams from all over the world submitted their concepts and an…

Article • 'ScoliBot' offers superhuman precision

New robots improve spinal straightening

ScoliBot, a new robotic system, could perform spinal surgery to a higher degree of accuracy than human counterparts. Devised by a team from Nottingham Trent University (NTU), the system has two robotic arms that semi-autonomously drill holes in individual vertebrae in procedures to straighten the spines of patients with conditions such as scoliosis or kyphosis. Leading the project, Professor…

Taiwanese excellence on display at Medica

From Augmented Reality to Robotics, and all exciting technologies in between, the Taiwanese companies present at Medica always manage to impress visitors with health tech innovations. 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 elite healthcare companies put on display their…

Meet 'Robert', your robotic physiotherapist

Scenario: A physiotherapist arrives in a ward pushing a new device towards a patient in bed. There, she introduces rehabilitation robot Robert and points to its multi-jointed arm. She places a cuff around the patient’s lower leg to link it to Robert’s arm and presses the start button; Robert raises the leg slightly. Manually, the physiotherapist performs movements, which Robert memorises to…

Article • Man and machine

Robotic surgery is expanding

Standardisation of robotic surgery procedures is seeing increased usage and improved outcomes for patients and could also play a role in helping with the overall well-being of surgeons in terms of, for example, ergonomic benefits that could reduce repetitive strain injury (RSI) and back conditions. Richard Kerr from the Royal College of Surgeons (England) recently chaired the RCS Commission on…

Article • Good for some, not all

Robotic surgery: Myths and misconceptions

The first use of a robot-supported surgical intervention was reported in 1985, when the robot arm PUMA 560 placed a needle for a cerebral biopsy using CT guidance. Since then, strong growth in the market for robotic surgery has occurred, due to an increasing automation demand in the healthcare as a whole and greater concentration on minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for faster recovery.…

News • 'Pepe' for pupils' hygiene

Handwashing robot helps schoolkids break bad habits

A robot which encourages kids to wash their hands has helped pupils at a remote Indian primary school take a fresh approach to hygiene. The hand-shaped robot, dubbed ‘Pepe’, is the product of a collaboration between researchers from the University of Glasgow in Scotland and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University in India. Pepe was mounted to the wall above a handwashing station at the Wayanad…

News • Statement from ESR and major North American radiology organisations

On the ethics of AI in radiology

Experts in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in radiology, from many of the world’s leading radiology, medical physics and imaging informatics groups, published an aspirational statement to guide the development of AI in radiology. The multi-society statement focuses on three major areas: data, algorithms and practice. Simultaneously published in the Journal of the American College of…

News • New ideas

MEDICA becomes number one trade fair for health start-ups

Healthcare is going digital worldwide at an incredibly rapid pace. More and more applications for prevention, diagnostics and therapy are being made into apps (with matching hardware) for smartphones and tablets or are even available as wearables for direct use on the body. Digitalisation is also striding forward in Germany, where doctors, therapists and patients still take a fairly analogue…

Article • Personalized medicine

Exploring the potential of High-Content Screening

The key challenges and opportunities surrounding High-Content Screening have been outlined in a presentation to leading scientists and technologists at a major lab conference. Speaking at the recent SLASEurope 2019 event in Barcelona, Professor Matthias Nees from the Institute of Biomedicine in the Department of Biology at the University of Turku, Finland, outlined the potential of High-Content…

Article • A look into the crystal ball

Experts debate predictive potential of AI

‘Hello, John? You are about to suffer a heart attack – please come to the hospital immediately!’ Will we, one day, be collected by emergency doctors even before we’re ill? If it was up to some AI experts at Medica, this could be the case – soon. Some obstacles must yet be overcome to achieve perfect AI predictions. Yet, during Medica, some IT experts ventured to gaze into a crystal ball.

News • Prototype

This new, cheaper endoscope could redefine cancer screening

Engineers have developed a prototype endoscope which they say could cut the cost of manufacture from £80,000 to just £40. The redesigned device has the potential to revolutionise cancer screening in low-to-middle income countries where the cost of equipment makes screening prohibitively expensive. The endoscope is designed to see inside the upper part of the digestive tract for signs of…

News • Trade fair

MEDICA 2019 focuses on future topics and growth markets

As a result of the final phase of exhibitor registrations for the world’s leading medical trade fare MEDICA 2019 in Düsseldorf (running between 18 and 21 November), one thing is already apparent: Exhibitors have a positive view of the updated allocation of subjects to the trade fair halls and are aligning their participation to the new structure with regard to target group orientation and…

Article • Innovation

Taiwan at Medica 2018: virtual solutions for real problems

Jhy-Wey Shieh sees the link between Taiwan and Germany as obvious: ‘The word “trade” – of central importance for Medica – starts with “t” for Taiwan and contains “de” for Germany – there is no better way to put it.’ Even though the Taiwanese ambassador’s linguistic journey was not to be taken too seriously, this year’s presentation from the Taiwan External Trade…

Article • AI ethics and responsibilities

A journey into human/machine interactions in healthcare

With Artificial Intelligence (AI) able to deliver diagnostic advances for clinicians and patients, the focus has shifted towards ensuring the technology is used in an ethical and responsible way. As evidence emerges of a gap in research on ethical deployment of AI, Dr Gopal Ramchurn is embarking on a three-year research project that will look at setting parameters for AI usage, with a key aspect…

Article • Updating laboratories

Digital pathology gains a foothold in Hungary

Hungary has one of the worst outcomes when it comes to cancer. Early detection and accurate diagnosis could significantly reduce the costs of oncological treatment. Pathology plays a crucial role in diagnoses, but is crippled by severe shortage and fragmentation. Digital pathology could help overcome those difficulties – and two projects underway seem particularly fit to help, László Fónyad,…

News • World Alzheimer’s Awareness Month

Robot helps with early screening for Alzheimer’s patients

Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports as many as five million Americans had the disease in 2013. They estimate that by 2050, nearly 14 million will have it. Age is the best known risk factor and memory loss is at the forefront of symptoms. Researchers of the Michigan Technological University investigate how technology can…

News • landmark study

Bladder cancer: Robotic surgery is as effective as open surgery

Robotic surgery is as effective as traditional open surgery in treating bladder cancer, according to a news study. 350 patients participated in the nationwide trial, who were randomly assigned to undergo robotic surgery or open surgery to remove cancerous bladders.

News • Workflow

Advanced autosampler and liquid handling system improves lab productivity

Laboratories can now automate manual steps and achieve high sample throughput and high productivity with a new autosampler and liquid handling system intended for use in pharmaceutical, contract research, food safety, environmental, clinical research and forensic workflows.

News • Man against machine

AI is better than dermatologists at diagnosing skin cancer

Researchers have shown for the first time that a form of artificial intelligence or machine learning known as a deep learning convolutional neural network (CNN) is better than experienced dermatologists at detecting skin cancer. In a study published in the leading cancer journal Annals of Oncology, researchers in Germany, the USA and France trained a CNN to identify skin cancer by showing it more…

Interview • Clinical practice

LC-MS/MS enters the medical laboratory

Over the last four years, Dr Thomas Stimpfl and his team have integrated mass spectrometry into routine analysis. The analytical technique liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) combines the physical separation capabilities of liquid chromatography (or HPLC) with the mass analytical capabilities of mass spectrometry (MS). LC- and MS procedures were not originally developed for…

Article • A valuable tool for reconstruction

Augmented reality lets surgeons ‘see’ inside limbs

Researchers at Imperial College London (ICL) have shown how the Microsoft HoloLens headset can be used during reconstructive lower limb surgery. Surgeons at London’s St Mary’s Hospital are using the device, a self-contained computer headset that immerses the wearer in ‘mixed reality’, enabling them to interact with holograms visible through the visor.

Article • The InnerEye Project

AI drives analysis of medical images

Some time in the distant future artificial intelligence (AI) systems may displace radiologists and many other medical specialists. However, in a far more realistic future AI tools will assist radiologists by performing very complex functions with medical imaging data that are impossible or unfeasible today, according to a presentation at the RSNA/AAPM Symposium during the Radiological Society of…

Article • CyberKnife technology training

Stereotactic radiotherapy spreads

In Rennes, France, more than 850 patients have already been treated with a top accelerator equipped with a multileaf collimator, the first of its kind in the country. Brittany’s capital Rennes is leading stereotactic radiotherapy practice as Eugène Marquis Cancer Centre gears up to welcome worldwide technicians to train on the latest CyberKnife system, Accuray’s powerful robotic radiosurgery…

Video • The Force is strong

How an amputee controls prosthetic fingers like Luke Skywalker

Luke Skywalker’s bionic hand is a step closer to reality for amputees in this galaxy. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have created an ultrasonic sensor that allows amputees to control each of their prosthetic fingers individually. It provides fine motor hand gestures that aren’t possible with current commercially available devices. The first amputee to use it, a musician…

News • New recorder

This ‘black box’ has an eye on surgeons’ robotic surgery skills

You may know that your surgeon is using the latest minimally invasive technology for your surgery, but how do you know if they’ve mastered it? To help answer that question, researchers at Keck Medicine of USC looked to a custom recording tool similar in concept to a flight recorder on an airplane. When attached to a robotic surgery system during radical prostatectomy procedures, the most common…

News • Recovery

Stroke patient improvement with a brain-computer interface

University of Adelaide researchers have shown that it is possible for stroke patients to improve motor function using special training involving connecting brain signals with a computer.

Article • Radiation protection

Robotic assistants enter remote stenting

Shielding cardiologists from harmful radiation is the goal for two systems capable of navigating the vascular highway.

Article • Evolution of a field

Will software steal the heart of cardiology?

Celebrating 40 years of PCI, cardiologists fret over their future with big data, machine learning and robots.

News • MEDICA 2017

Germany - more than just a 'car nation'

With MEDICA 2017 drawing ever nearer, Joachim Schäfer, Managing Director of Messe Düsseldorf GmbH, sets the stage with the following statement:

News • Exhibition

Medical Fair Thailand 2017 sold out

Medical Fair Thailand 2017 will be its largest edition yet, with booth space fully sold out since May, featuring 700 exhibitors from 45 countries including 18 National Pavilions and country groups on a show floor that has expanded by 20% compared to 2015, at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center. Held biennially, Medical Fair Thailand 2017 confirms its position as Thailand’s most…

News • R-one

Robocath markets its first medical robotic platform

Robocath, a medical robotics start-up that designs and develops innovative solutions for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, announces the conclusion of a new round of fundraising worth €4.7 million. This round was led by M Capital and Normandie Participations. It also involved past investors Go Capital and NCI, who have been supporting the company since 2013.

News • 3D-printed

‘Bionic Skin’ could give robots the sense of touch

Engineering researchers at the University of Minnesota have developed a revolutionary process for 3D printing stretchable electronic sensory devices that could give robots the ability to feel their environment. The discovery is also a major step forward in printing electronics on real human skin.

Article • Disease Research

Falsified genetic pathways may explain poor results

Spanish researchers are challenging the validity of many past and ongoing clinical trials and stress the importance of working with raw or preprocessed data in genetic information study.

Your future surgery may use an automated, robotic drill

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.

News • Just by thinking

Quadriplegic bridges injury to move again

Bill Kochevar is the first recipient of implanted brain-recording and muscle-stimulating systems reanimates limb that had been stilled for eight years.

News • Faster Throughput

Automation and the Future of Microbiology Laboratories

When it comes to automation, clinical microbiology has for many years lagged behind other laboratory disciplines. Robotics and computer processing revolutionized chemistry and hematology instruments decades ago. Meanwhile, clinical microbiologists continue to open specimen containers by hand and grow bacteria using methods familiar to microbiology’s founding fathers from the 19th century.

News • Market Overview

Endoscopy Devices Market to Reach $40,854 Million, Globally, by 2022

Endoscopy Devices Market Report, published by Allied Market Research, forecasts that the global market is expected to garner $40,854 million by 2022 from $27,273 million in 2015, registering a CAGR of 5.7% during the period 2016 to 2022. The flexible endoscopes are expected to dominate the global endoscopy devices market. North America is projected to continue its lead, accounting for more than…

Article • Hirnübungen I

Neuro MR: What‘s new in brain tumors?

From the extremely new, but not very available, to the somewhat new, very available and highly useful, Walter Kucharczyk will cover the potentials and practicalities in advanced brain tumor imaging.

News • Automation

Faster liquid handling system development for OEM applications

Tecan is making it quicker and easier than ever before for manufacturers to develop instruments for advanced liquid handling applications. The launch of the new Cavro Omni Flex further extends the flexibility and convenience of the company’s popular Cavro Omni Robot by offering more hardware options to complement its precision pipetting, including frames, worktables, power and input/output…

Article • Surgery 4.0

Robots will not see off human specialists

Big Data, automation, and artificial intelligence – no doubt, all these developments will have an impact on surgery. During our interview, Professor Hubertus Feußner, Head of the interdisciplinary research group ‘Minimally invasive interdisciplinary therapy intervention’ at the Technical University Munich, Germany, and Professor Christoph Thümmler, Professor for eHealth at Edinburgh…

Article • Computer intelligence

Cognition-guided surgery – a rocky road

Surgery will change – with all the challenges that developments such as Big Data create there are no two ways about it. However, how deep those changes run remains to be seen. In a rather young field of research, scientists look at the ways all components used during surgery can be interlinked. Professor Beat Müller, co-initiator of the project ‘Cognition-Guided Surgery’, explains results…

Article • Remote robotics

Long distance ultrasound is not so distant

The future of medicine lies at a distance, underlined Professor Michel Claudon, Head of Radiology at the Regional University Hospital, Nancy, France, whose particular interest is ultrasound.

Article • Radical change

Malta takes a closer look at 3-D printing

21st century technology has outpaced our expectations. One such example is the invention of advanced digital manufacturing techniques, better known as 3-D printing. Patients and the medical community are yet to see the full implementation of this technology within healthcare.

Article • Biobank

Frozen samples are scientists’ gold

Our knowledge of causes and mechanisms of current and future diseases is on ice – not the perpetual ice of the polar caps but artificial ice. It is stored in biobanks at -80 to -160 °C.

JADAK: redefining data collection within the healthcare market

From barcode scanning, RFID and medical machine vision to chart recorders, thermal printers and spectroscopy products, JADAK designs and manufactures embedded solutions that help customers solve unique inspection, tracking, scanning and documenting challenges.

Article • Patient care

Robots will never replace human beings

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.

Article • Mobile

Pulling an operating theatre out of a pocket

Dr Jean Nehme, a London-based trainee plastic surgeon, reflects on his own training – a decade spent attending lectures, revising textbooks, passing examinations − but did he actually practise a surgical operation?

Article • Streaming

Doctors and students worldwide participate in robotic surgery

Rectal cancer surgery - using a Da Vinci robot and conducted by Tas Qureshi, Consultant Surgeon and robotic lead at Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust - was beamed live from his operating theatre by satellite to an international conference of specialist doctors, student doctors and to a worldwide audience via multimedia platforms with live audio and twitter feedback.

Article • Reconstructive Surgery

Robots hold a steadying role in microsurgery

Embracing robotic technology in the realms of microsurgery will have significant benefits for patients, clinicians and hospitals. Leading hand and peripheral nerve specialist Professor Philippe Liverneaux believes using robots will not only enhance patient outcomes and improve cosmetic appearance but also bring significant cost benefits to health systems.

Article • Interventions

Promising tool for abdominal surgery

600,000 robot-assisted surgical interventions were performed in 2015 worldwide, most of them urological procedures, particularly radical prostatectomies.

Article • STAR

Robot outperforms standard surgery techniques

Intelligent robots supervised by surgeons could help remove human error from the operating room. Dr. Peter C. Kim, Vice President and Associate Surgeon-in-Chief at Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation at Children's National Health System (CNSH) in Washington, D.C., and his colleagues designed and programmed “Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot”, or simply STAR, to successfully…

Article • Neurosurgery

Their parts are simply too big

‘An autonomously working robot in the operating theatre will continue to be a vision of the future for a long time to come,’ according to Professor Uwe Spetzger, Clinical Director and Neurosurgery Specialist at Karlsruhe City Hospital. At the same time, he is calling for political support for the development and promotion of these innovative technologies and asking funding bodies to rethink…

News • Mimicking touch

Amputee feels texture with a bionic fingertip

An amputee was able to feel smoothness and roughness in real-time with an artificial fingertip that was surgically connected to nerves in his upper arm. Moreover, the nerves of non-amputees can also be stimulated to feel roughness, without the need of surgery, meaning that prosthetic touch for amputees can now be developed and safely tested on intact individuals.

Next generation O-arm – Surgical Imaging System

The O-arm Surgical Imaging System, has successfully established as the #1 multi-dimensional intraoperative imaging devise in spine surgery. Surgeons all over the world consider the O-arm their system of choice, convinced by image quality, ease of handling and reliability. Recently the next generation of O-arm was introduced to the market. Continuous development and innovation will allow the…

News • Muscle signals

Robotic glove restores hand movements

Patients who have lost their hand functions due to injuries or nerve-related conditions, such as stroke and muscular dystrophy, now have a chance of restoring their hand movements by using a new lightweight and smart rehabilitation device called EsoGlove developed by a research team from the National University of Singapore (NUS).

News • Arab Health 2016

Healthcare Industry Leaders are set to unveil the latest innovations

Arab Health 2016 will provide access to a market of more than 400 million people through its 36 country pavilions and offer a platform for the region’s healthcare providers and buyers to collaborate and present the latest tools and innovations for improved patient care. Companies will seek to bring their innovative solutions and investigating future opportunities and introductions to potential…

Article • Premium

Mindray makes waves in ultrasound

At Medica 2015 Mindray officially unveiled to the world its first premium ultrasound system. And with the new Resona 7 platform, the company steps forward as a major player in this fast-expanding field of medical imaging.

News • MEDICA 2015

JADAK to introduce chart recorder and thermal printer

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…

Scientist designs bio-inspired robotic finger

Most robotic parts used today are rigid, have a limited range of motion and don’t really look lifelike. Inspired by both nature and biology, a scientist from Florida Atlantic University has designed a novel robotic finger that looks and feels like the real thing. In an article recently published in the journal Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, Erik Engeberg, Ph.D., assistant professor in the…

Article • 3D printing

Techniques help surgeons carve new ears

When surgical residents need to practice a complicated procedure to fashion a new ear for children without one, they typically get a bar of soap, carrot or an apple. To treat children with a missing or under-developed ear, experienced surgeons harvest pieces of rib cartilage from the child and carve them into the framework of a new ear. They take only as much of that precious cartilage as they…

Medtronic - O-arm – Mobile Surgical Imaging System

The O-arm has successfully established as a gold standard imaging device for high contrast items in the market. Surgeons, all over the world consider the O-arm their system of choice, convinced by image quality, ease of handling, and reliability.

Navigated Augmented Reality enhances medical applications

The digital world is being enriched by augmented reality (AR), which refers to any type of information offering the user additional help. Mostly, we don’t even notice it; the only external sign being Smart glasses. When new cars are launched we are always surprised by the constantly developing assistance systems they offer – and it’s the same for the growing number of smartphone…

Invigorating Medica Education Conference

With around 140,000 visitors annually, Medica is doubtlessly the showcase for medical manufacturers. Interview: Brigitte Dinkloh

With surgical robot, simular outcomes at higher cost

Johns Hopkins study finds robotic colon surgery just as effective as laparoscopy but more expensive

Raising awareness of in vitro diagnosis values

Labs need to optimise their costs as well as accommodate increasing volumes – and new tests are continuously demanded.

Natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery

A record 1,700 participants from 84 countries confirmed the dimension and international importance of the European Association of Endoscopic Surgery Congress held recently in Vienna, where Hans-Christian Pruszsinsky caught up with Congress President Professor Selman Uranüs, Head of the Section for Surgical Research, Medical University of Graz, for our interview.

Creating the essential link

While clinical labs and lab IT solutions appear to be able to meet current requirements, biobanking presents a whole new world of challenges to data flows and IT systems. Report: Michael Reiter

EuroMedLab 2013

Milan, Italy – The 20th European Congress of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine certainly lived up to its claim as the EU’s largest event of its kind – 2,407 visitors and 4,786 delegates from 101 countries plus 82 exhibitors fanned out or arranged themselves over the event’s 3,500 square metres, Hanna Politis reports

Denmark’s top-class robot technology

Copenhagen’s Hilleroed Hospital now has the world’s most advanced medical laboratory system, providing full automation from the point of drawing a blood sample to results delivery.

Art meets science

The future will be aesthetic or, put another way, Art meets Science. With this motto, the 43rd Congress of the German Society for Endoscopy and Imaging Procedures e.V., jointly held in Munich with six other specialist associations, demonstrated that aesthetic means the brilliance of images generated by the latest generation of X-ray, CT, MRI and ultrasound equipment.

Ultrasound-MRI fusion advances prostate therapy

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death among men yet remains one of the most frustrating for physicians to find and treat. Merging the strengths of imaging modalities helps, but does not solve all the problems, says John Brosky

Healthcare needs automatic identification data capture

We are used to barcode scanning in supermarkets, our luggage being barcode tagged at airports and much else, yet in healthcare the use of Automatic Identification Data Capture (AI DC) technology – such as barcodes or Radio Frequency Identification (RFI D), is still rather rare, says Christian Hay of GS1* Switzerland.

Healthcare needs automatic identify cation data capture

We are used to barcode scanning in supermarkets, our luggage being barcode tagged at airports and much else, Yet in healthcare the use of Automatic Identify cation Data Capture (AIDC) technology – such as barcodes or Radio Frequency Identify cation (RFID), is still rather rare, says Christian Hay of GS1* Switzerland.

The 2012 American Association of Clinical Chemists convention

During the annual American Association of Clinical Chemists (AAMC) convention and meeting held in July, the giants in the field of medical chemistry, including Siemens, Roche, IL/Werfen, Beckman Coulter, and Abbott, had a huge presence at the trade show, which filled two halls and packed in a hefty crowd. Jacquie Michels reports from Los Angeles, California.

The 129th Congress of the German Society of Surgery

Meeting with EH editor Brigitte Dinkloh, Congress Secretary Professor Alexis Ulrich MD (left), Assistant Medical Director at the Clinic for General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery at the University of Heidelberg, outlined the scientific programme, discussed some impressive advances in surgical procedures, and explained why the gathering bears the slogan Surgery in Partnership.

The 27th Annual EAU Congress

Around for almost 20 years, minimally invasive technologies such as laparoscopy and robot-assisted surgery are popular subjects – and aired again during the 27th EAU Congress held in February at the Palais des Congrès, Paris.

IT is making surgical procedures safer

Image guidance and information management are turning into essential components of operating theatre workflow. Integrating the operating theatre (OT) with the help of IT systems positively affects many aspects of surgery – including its safety.

Robotic walking aids for paraplegics

In the animal kingdom exoskeletons provide stability and protection for many creatures, such as crustaceans and insects. They are also an inspiration for scientists working at the interface of bionics and medical technology to develop fascinating orthopaedic aids, Anja Behringer reports

Philips and Corindus join forces in the field of interventional cardiology

Philips and Corindus Inc. today announced an alliance agreement to add Corindus’ robotic-assisted system for the minimally invasive treatment of obstructed coronary arteries (also known as percutaneous coronary interventions) to Philips’ interventional cardiology solutions.

Where are we - and what lies ahead?

In a European Hospital interview Professor Herman Requardt, Head of Corporate Technology and CEO of Siemens Healthcare Sector, offered his views on current and future healthcare manufacturing needs as well as the market challenge arising from the dynamic economic ascent of other nations.

Keeping up with innovations and standards

The 3rd Central European Congress of Surgery (CECS), held alongside the 5th Croatian Congress of Surgery, drew over 300 participants to Dubrovnik at the end of April – 43 more than the previous gathering.

Benefits of surgery for prostate cancer

According to a major recent study, appearing in the July 27 issue of the "Journal of Clinical Oncology," there is a definite downstaging trend for prostate cancer. The study, which surveyed almost 13,000 American men who had a radical prostatectomy (surgical removal of a cancerous prostate gland) between 1987 and 2005, found that only 12% of them died of the cancer. This is great news, according…

The 27th World Congress of Endourology

Munich, Germany 6 - 10 October

Microbiology lab automation

Full automation has now become the gold standard for clinical laboratories. Without hospital microbiology labs, which according to the Centres for Disease Control deal with 1.7 million infections and 99,000 associated deaths annually in the US alone, the growing threat of community-acquired and nosocomial infections could prove insuperable.

Robotics and upper limb rehabilitation after strokes

In many ways the brain works like a hard disk. If the plug is pulled, important data is damaged and the system has to be rebooted.

Success in using robot-assisted surgery

Robot-assisted surgery can be used to successfully repair abnormal openings between the uterus and the bladder, according to a report by Ashok K. Hemal, M.D., a Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center urologist who is the world's most experienced surgeon in the procedure.

Furthering education in Europe

Training is critical to the further development of urology across Europe, yet urologists recognise there are gaps in this; so much so that the European Society of Urological Technology (ESUT) has restructured with an emphasis on training to meet the demands and challenges ahead. Mark Nicholls reports.

The 1st tele-ultrasound via satellite

The first robotised tele-ultrasound examination has been performed by participants in the European Mobile And Robotised Tele-echography (MARTE) project, in collaboration with Robosoft, specialist in the development and production of service robot systems.

Nautilus LIMS used in Hunt Biobank population study

Hunt Biobank, Norway's biggest research biobank, is using Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc's Nautilus LIMS in its HUNT 3 study, to gather, store, manage, track and retrieve the biological data of approximately 100,000 people from Nord-Trøndelag County.

More reliability in the lab

An innovative robotic sample management system developed by the SME-led PMS project carries out complex sample transport operations rapidly and with a high level of reliability. It includes a new transport system based on magnetic hover railway technologies, a new laboratory information system and a special selective analyser. PMS partners are now predicting a substantial market share for their…

Machine vision technologies

In today's clinical laboratory the technical staff performs quality inspections that are separate and distinct from normal laboratory testing quality control.

21st Century lab automation

Laboratory automation of the 21st century demonstrates, every second, that in the 30 years since labs took their first tentative steps towards automation it has advanced by orders of magnitude - and moved far beyond the ambitions of its progenitors. Driven by the imperatives of greater efficiency, more precision and round-the-clock operation, ever more sophisticated forms of automation are now…

Britain: The big bug buster

The UK's MRSA rates have been declining since 2006 — and this year could be 50% lower than in 2004. This increasing control over dangerous pathogens has not been achieved without considerable hospital staff efforts, relentless public and government pressures on them, and in-house malcontent about the out-sourcing of cleaning work. Given the cost of nosocomial infections to patients, the NHS…

CZECH SURGERY NEWS

Rotational artherectomy - Around 33,000 patients are hospitalised annually due to myocardial infarction, but only five percent actually die, thanks to the various state-of-the-art treatments mastered by Czech physicians.

Advanced Laboratory For In-Orbit Science

Columbus was onboard NASA's Space Shuttle Atlantis when it lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida at 20:45 CET 7 Feb 2008. For this one-way trip to Earth orbit, Columbus is in the expert hands of a crew of seven astronauts, including two members of the European astronaut corps: Leopold Eyharts of France and Hans Schlegel of Germany.

At a glance

Where are the most high-tech start-ups? That`s an easy one: Silicon Valley. But who comes in a close second? Surprisingly: Israel. Further: Israel ranks Number 1 in terms of availability of scientists and engineers and Number 2 in quality of higher education. The result of this impressive track record is a wide range of successful enterprises and products, particularly related to the life…

World premiere at MEDICA

Over 15 million people are affected by strokes annually, and about five million of these (source: WHO 2004) are left with lasting damage.

ICT improves patient safety

Improving patient safety and quality of care is of key importance for European citizens, and both the European Commission and Member States (MS) expect great benefits from new, information and communication technology (ICT)-based healthcare solutions.

Quicker lab reports saves costs

Beckman Coulter developed a new integrated lab systems: The UniCel DxC880i prototype should deliver efficient disease management services.

Romania

In preparation for EU entry, Romania's laboratories are in the process of raising standards.

Robot navigates catheter to correct atrial fibrillation

Italy - A remotely-controlled catheter device guided by magnetic fields provides a safe and practical method for delivering radio frequency ablation treatment in the hearts of patients with atrial fibrillation, according to a new study (Pub: Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 4/4/06).

44th Austrian Surgeons Congress

The Austrian Society for Surgery and associated societies will focus on oncology/MIS,

Wheelchair guidance by facial movements

Visual interfaces facilitate natural and simple interfaces for human-robot interaction. Nowadays there are many applications using these, such as teleconferencing with improved visual sensation, virtual reality systems, lip readers, assistance for mobility assistance for the disabled, etc. The use of head movements and gestures offers a natural way for severely disabled people, who cannot use a…