Fifty years ago Henry Gibbon introduced a vital tool for cardiac surgery - the heart-lung machine. While pioneering efforts were made in the first half of the 20th century, this equipment enabled reproducible operations for either congenital or acquired heart disease in many patients.
For those without practised skills in using automatic external defibrillation (AED) and basic life support procedures, the prospect of coping with a case of sudden cardiac arrest is awesome.
Another new system introduced at Bad Reichenhall's city hospital, allows nurses to talk with patients and ascertain whether their calls are due to an emergency or for a non-urgent request.
The earlier a cardiac infarction is detected the better the patient's chances of survival. However, because tests for cardiac infarction check for protein molecules that are released from heart muscle during cell necrosis, and these enter the blood very slowly, it can take three hours to gain a reliable result.
Lufthansa - the first airline company to offer high-speed broadband internet connection for data transmission - has used the trial phase of its new in-flight internet service, Lufthansa FlyNet, to test telemedicine potential on board.