Endovascular therapy of diseases of the brain-supplying blood vessels has recently sparked new interest. Hundreds of these minimally invasive and often operation-substituting interventions are now being performed annually at neuroradiological centers. The most impressive results in the treatment of intracranial aneurysms are achieved using coil embolization. Endovascular therapy has been lound to…
A study of european scientists reveals that misfolded amyloid beta proteins, generally regarded as the cause for Alzheimer's disease, could also cause glaucoma. The scientists tested several drugs and their effect on the progression of glaucoma - pharmaceuticals usually used to treat Alzheimer's disease had most effect.
Toshiba has developed robotic forceps for use in laparoscopic surgery — a type of minimally invasive surgery that contributes to the patient's quality of life. By using the robotic forceps, the surgeon can lay sutures from any direction without difficulty.
Phosphagenics' TPM uses natural dermal transport mechanisms to deliver a dose of medication through the skin into the bloodstream. Now a Phase 1b transdermal insulin trial was completed successfully.
Medical care for the professional soccer players of the German Bundesliga (Premier League) for obvious reasons has to focus on traumatology. Injuries of the locomotive system occur almost on a daily basis and thus constitute a permanent threat to the potential performance of the valuable players.
What is an “open foramen ovale”? The open foramen ovale medical abbreviation PFO for “patent foramen ovale”) is a usually small, only a few millimeter thick, membrane-covered slit in the septum between the atria of the heart. It is a remnant from human embryonic development that usually closes during the newborn period; however, in 10-25% of newborns a small opening remains that generally…
New treatment for patients suffering from Degenerative Disc Disease: Medtronic's Prestige Cervical Disc is the first artificial disc system for the neck that received approval from the FDA.
Professor Martin Raithel MD* works alongside medical devices manufacturer Bowa on the use of argon plasma coagulation in endoscopy. "The argon unit, in conjunction with the generators of the Bowa ARC range, is working very reliably in different disciplines", he says. "It is opening up new methods in flexible endoscopy with argon-assisted electrosurgery due to its outstanding…
A wearable cardiac telemedicine system based on Bluetooth technology could text the local hospital if a patient is about to have a heart attack, according to a publication of two Indian researchers of the Sathyabama University in Tamil Nadu, who developed the system.
Researchers at A Seattle Children's Hospital Research Institute and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center developed a tumor paint that will help surgeons see where a tumor begins and ends more precisely by illuminating the cancerous cells.
In recent years, Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) has become increasingly important in the treatment of patients with impaired left ventricular contraction. Since this patient group is growing constantly experts estimate that by 2010 about 10 million people in Europe will be suffering from heart failure. Especially the “baby-boomers”, born just after World War II and in 2010 about…
The interest in using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) alongside conventional Western medical care has steadily increased among European physicians; it is no longer unusual, for example, for acupuncture to be suggested by a doctor to help fight tobacco addiction, or to ease a persistent musculoskeletal problem.
“Exelon Patch”, developed by Novartis is the first skin patch to treat patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease. The new therapy that has already been approved by the FDA, is said to be more compliant for it causes less incidents of nausea and vomiting.
For diagnostic and treatment purposes it is often crucial to obtain a clear picture of a patient's nutritional status. Once the body mass index (BMI) has been determined, further steps for a successful therapy can be initiated and the medication dose can be adjusted to underweight, overweight or normal-weight patients.
The well-known Whipple procedure, or pancreaticduodenectomy, recently underwent a transformation due to the skills of Nerijus Kaselis MD, Head of Abdominal and Endoscopic Surgery at Klaipeda District Hospital.
Dräger looks up to 100 years of innovation in ventilation technology worldwide. In 1907 Johann Heinrich Dräger invented the Pulmotor as the first short-term respirator and founded the first Draeger company in the United States.
seca GmhH & co. manufactures a non-calibrated platform scales that can take a maximum capacity of 360 kg.
For the first time in 33 years, wound healing was the focus of a dedicated session at the 33rd annual VEITHsymposium for vascular surgeons in New York (11/06). This underscores the fact that wound healing is heading increasingly towards a speciality that warrants the special attention of dedicated people willing to embrace an interdisciplinary approach to non-healing or complex wounds.
Nutrition-induced obesity is a physical and budgetary problem. For example, in Germany alone, an estimated €20 billion has been spent on obesity related health problems.
The European Medical Technology Industry Association, Eucomed, has launched the third in a series of educational publications on medical technology innovation, focusing on minimally invasive surgery (MIS).
Using the different shaped tips of ARC 350L and TissueSeal or Ligator instruments, made by Bowa, surgeons can permanently seal large veins, arteries or bunched tissue. All of these special tools gained a red dot award for ergonomics and practicality.
Celebrating his 71st birthday this year, Czech chemist Professor Antonin Holy will also be able to celebrate the launch of clinical testing of a drug to treat non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (NHL) and chronic lymphatic leukaemia (CLL) - adding another to his 60+ registered patents.
About a year ago, gastroenterologist Professor Horst Neuhaus began to use a high definition TV (HDTV) system as an aid in the endoscopic procedures carried out at Dusseldorf's Evangelisches Krankenhaus, in the Medical Clinic and Reference Centre for Endoscopy, of which he is head.
By Beate M Stoeckelhuber MD, Associate Professor and Radiology (Interim) Director at the Department of Radiology, Luebeck University, Germany, with Smaragda Kapsimalakou MD, also at Luebeck
Although about 75% of biopsies are negative, the side effects of that invasive procedure, plus the length of time to results, disturbs patients. Now, however, a new technology might be able to differentiate benign and malignant tissue due to an adjunct of a normal breast ultrasound examination.