Thursday, July 3, 2008
Cardiac Electrophysiology Goes Robotic and 3D with CoHesion™
Filed under: Cardiology
Hansen Medical of Mountain View, California just received FDA approval to market the company's new CoHesion visualization module for complex electrophysiology (EP) mapping procedures, a technology that bridges St Jude's 3D visualization guidance system EnSite™ with Hansen's 3D robotic navigation system Sensei™. We first reported about Sensei™ robotic system back in January 2007.
This integrated EP solution offers a software interface between the Hansen Medical Sensei(TM) Robotic Catheter system and the EnSite(TM) System advanced mapping software from St. Jude Medical, Inc. Hansen Medical's platform solution offers physicians the ability to instinctively navigate a catheter during the diagnostic phase of a complex cardiac arrhythmia procedure. The new CoHesion module imports the EnSite System's 3D cardiac chamber model with anatomic labeling into the Sensei system's main navigation window, allowing physicians to see the location of Hansen Medical's Artisan(TM) Control Catheters within the heart in 3D.The EnSite System offers state of the art technology for localization and visualization of EP catheters in 3D, and the Sensei system offers 3D remote manipulation of catheters with instinctive control. Previously, two dimensional technologies, such as fluoroscopy or ultrasound were used to assist physicians with guiding catheters inside the heart. Combining the Sensei and EnSite System technologies is intended to provide physicians with 3D visualization that is expected to optimize control over placement of the catheter in specific locations.
St. Jude Medical's EnSite System is an advanced technology for mapping the electrical activity of the heart, and for localizing and visualizing electrophysiology catheters in real-time. The EnSite System creates 3D graphical displays of cardiac anatomy and arrhythmias, and enables catheter navigation without the use of fluoroscopy.
The Sensei system uses computer-based catheter technology to provide stable and predictable control of catheter movement. This innovative technology is designed to provide fine guide catheter control in 3D to enable physicians the ability to access hard-to-reach anatomy, and to maintain stability during interventional procedures. The physician workstation is adaptable to existing EP procedure rooms and can be placed away from the field of direct radiation. The disposable Artisan(TM) Control Catheter is comprised of inner and outer steerable guide catheters that accommodate indicated percutaneous catheters.
Product page: Presenting the CoHesion™ 3D Visualization Module...
Press release: Hansen Medical Announces FDA Clearance for CoHesion(TM) Module...
Flashbacks: The Sensei™ Robotic Catheter System
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Motion C5 Mobile Clinical Assistant Gets New Features
Filed under: Informatics
Motion Computing has just announced that its clinically oriented C5 tablet PC, a computer covered by us on a number of occasions before (see flashbacks below), has just been upgraded and fortified thanks to a new solid state drive (SSD).
Here's more:
The C5 now features integrated mobile broadband and solid state drive (SSD) options to extend its usability to the point of care, regardless of patient location. Additionally, the C5 and F5 now feature improved capacity with standard 80 GB hard disk drives (HDD) at no additional cost.“Motion understands mobile workforces and we are focused on improving productivity across a broad range of environments, from the patient bedside to the construction site,” said Mike Stinson, VP of Marketing at Motion. “Customer feedback is a critical part of improving our tablet PCs, and based on recent input we’re confident that these upgrades will enable our target customers to be more productive, no matter where work takes them.”
With the C5’s optional integrated mobile broadband, mobile clinicians can improve productivity by accessing important patient information, including digital images and patient history details. For many mobile point of care applications, such as those in home healthcare, ongoing connectivity will enable better collaboration with other treating clinicians and reduce travel time by allowing the immediate transfer of documentation after every patient visit, which can reduce processing delays and improve billing cycle times. Additionally, the optional SSD will help further protect the C5 from the occasional bumps and drops experienced by highly mobile professionals.
Press release: Motion's C5 MCA and F5 Semi-Rugged Tablet PC Enhance Mobile Workforce Productivity with Upgrades, New Peripherals...
Product page: C5 Mobile Clinical Assistant Tablet Computers...
Flashbacks: Motion C5: Mobile Clinical Assistant ; DINAMAP to Marry Motion C5 Mobile Tablet; Hands-on with Motion Computing's C5 medical Tablet PC.
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Laser Opto-Acoustic Imaging Technology from Seno Medical
Filed under: Ob/Gyn
, Oncology
, Radiology
, Surgery
Here's what we know about the opto-acoustic imaging technology from Seno Medical Instruments, Inc., a San Antonio, Texas firm. A recent report on the wires says that there is a new research agreement between Seno Medical and two Canadian universities to study the company's first-ever commercially available opto-acoustic small animal imaging device. It turns out the technology, that utilizes the conversion of laser pulses into acoustic energy once the light hits tissue, can have profound consequences on development of future diagnostic imaging modalities for cancer and beyond.
The company explains its technology:
Laser opto-acoustic imaging technology combines optics and acoustics with a goal of improving the accuracy of the cancer diagnosis without the use of ionizing radiation (x-ray). The process starts by illuminating the breast with laser light of specific wavelengths. Tumors preferentially absorb the light over normal tissue and become slightly heated. A transient thermoelastic expansion causes a tumor to emit a pressure (acoustic) wave. This acoustic wave is then detected by an array of sensors positioned around the periphery of the breast held within the probe.Signals from the sensors are analyzed and assembled into high contrast, high-resolution images that present the lesion in striking color. Because image contrast is related to both blood volume and oxygenation status, lesions may be correlated with benign or malignant histopathology. This is because malignant tumors possess increased microvasculature, but deplete oxygen from the blood at a higher rate than benign growths. Deoxygenated blood results in brighter images in the presence of a shorter wavelength than it does in the presence of a longer wavelength.
This technology has the merit of both the high contrast and spectral specificity of optical imaging and the sensitivity and resolution of ultrasonic imaging. It is more than just a combination of the two methods. The goal is to incorporate laser illumination and ultrasonic detection to achieve very high detection sensitivity.
Laser opto-acoustic imaging may permit the identification of tumors as small as 2 mm and has demonstrated the ability to see submillimeter structures. Early detection is important because biologically advanced tumors are more capable of metastasis.
Technology page @ Seno Medical: Laser Opto-Acoustic Imaging...
Press release: Seno Medical Instruments Launches First-Ever Commercially Available Opto-Acoustic Small Animal Imaging Research System...
Flashbacks: Optoacoustic Technology for Early Cancer Detection
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Metal Layering Technique Leads to Fine Tuned Implants
Filed under: Orthopedic Surgery
German researchers have developed a manufacturing technique that should make individual bone implants cheaper and more effective.
This involves coating a surface with wafer-thin layers of special metal powder. A laser beam heats – or sinters – the powdered metal in the exact places that need to be firm. “It’s like baking a cake,” says Andreas Burblies, spokesman for the Fraunhofer Numerical Simulation of Products, Processes Alliance. Any remaining loose powder is subsequently removed. “The end product is an open-pored element,” explains Burblies. “Each point possesses exactly the right density and thus also a certain stability.” The method allows the engineers to produce particularly lightweight components – customized for each application – that are also extremely robust. In the meantime, the researchers have further enhanced the process to the point where they can actually change the internal structure of the parts after production by means of precision drilling.“We can manufacture and adapt the parts exactly as required,” says Burblies. This makes the technique very attractive to a number of industries, among them the manufacturers of bone implants. It is easy to produce individual implants with an internal structure that resembles the patient’s bone. Metal powders made of biomaterials such as titanium and steel alloys make it possible to reconstruct other bone elements, such as parts of the knee.
Press release from Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Applied Materials Research: Bake, bake, bake a bone ...
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Sand Away Plaque, Keep The Enamel
Filed under: Dentistry
A new and apparently more precise method to assess the abrasion caused by dental products has been developed by Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials scientists.
From the press release:
A leading manufacturer of dental hygiene products asked the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM in Freiburg, one of whose specialties is the analysis and visualization of surface roughness, to help them develop new prophylactic pastes. The effectiveness of a prophylactic paste has so far been measured by how well the granules that it contains are able to smoothen a rough surface. The test is performed by first roughening tooth enamel or denture materials such as ceramics and titanium to a precisely defined value with an aggressive grinding material. But this does not truly reflect reality, as chewing wears out different materials at different rates. The new measuring method developed by the IWM researchers, a kind of chewing simulation, takes this factor into account. As the experts led by Dr. Raimund Jaeger, head of the Biomedical Materials and Implants department, discovered when comparing pastes and subsequently analyzing the surfaces, some pastes polish the surface but also unnecessarily ablate the tooth material, producing slight grooves on the tooth surface. The ideal paste, on the other hand, polishes so lightly that only the roughness is eliminated while the tooth enamel is hardly ground at all. “Obviously, every case is different,” says Jaeger. “Teeth with particularly heavy plaque or discoloration will need a more abrasive paste.” Normally, however, a gentler prophylactic paste will do the job. Thanks to the IWM researchers, the manufacturer has now been able to optimize the formulation.
Press release: Polished to perfection ...
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Minimize Brain Injury With Spackle-Like Substance for Cells
Filed under: etc.
A new paper published in the Journal of Biological Engineering describes an experiment in which poly-ethylene glycol (PEG) was used to minimize traumatic brain injury in rats.
In the experiment weights were dropped on lab rats' heads (ouch) to cause the brain injury. Some of the rats were treated with PEG shortly after the injury (within 2-6 hours), or received a placebo treatment.
The scientists found that the rats that were given intravenous PEG within 4 hours after brain injury had a better recovery than the less fortunate rats. The material works by helping neurons "seal up" leaky membranes.
If further studies prove to be successful we could soon see PEG being carried in ambulances for immediate use in head trauma victims.
Read more in Nature here...
Image: jesusali
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Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Radial Jaw 4 Biopsy Forceps From Boston Sci
Filed under: GI
Boston Scientific thinks that its endoscopic Radial Jaw 4 Biopsy Forceps, a device introduced back in July 2006, is better than all other similar products on the market. To its effect, the company touts the results of the study by Garth Swanson MD, et al from Rush University Medical Center that found that "jumbo RJ4 biopsy forceps improved tissue sampling in Barrett's Esophagus compared to standard large capacity forceps." The big idea behind the device is that it features a larger bucket and newly designed holes to allow mucus to flow from the tissue sample.
More features from the product page:
New jaw configuration is designed to provide:Large tissue specimens for sample handling, preparation and accurate histological diagnosis Jumbo: More than 1.7 X the Jaw Volume of Radial Jaw 3 Large Capacity Forceps Large Capacity: More than 1.2 X the Jaw Volume of Radial Jaw 3 Large Capacity Forceps Consistent sample retention for precise sample identification Enhanced passability through tortuous anatomy Improved micro-mesh tooth design is engineered for a clean, precise bite
New streamlined catheter is designed to provide the right balance of columnar strength and flexibility for pushability and control during scope passage
New positioning markers are engineered to assist in the insertion and withdrawal of forceps to enhance procedural safety and efficiency
Single-use design to eliminate the risk of transmitting patient-to-patient diseases
Product page: Radial Jaw® 4 Biopsy Forceps ...
Study abstract: The Effect of a New Jumbo Biopsy Forceps on Tissue Acquisition in Barrett's Esophagus (.pdf)
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Novel Molecular Probes Detect Protein-Protein Interaction
Filed under: Genetics
Investigators from MIT are reporting in the online June 27 issue of J. Am. Chem. Soc. a new method to tag intracellular (or in vitro) proteins to allow the study of their interactions.
Here's what the authors note in the study:
One protein partner is fused to Escherichia coli biotin ligase (BirA), while the other protein partner is fused to BirA’s “acceptor peptide” (AP) substrate. If the two proteins interact, BirA will catalyze site-specific biotinylation of AP, which can be detected by streptavidin staining. To minimize nonspecific signals, we engineered the AP sequence to reduce its intrinsic affinity for BirA. The rapamycin-controlled interaction between FKBP and FRB proteins could be detected in vitro and in cells with a signal to background ratio as high as 28. We also extended the method to imaging of the phosphorylation-dependent interaction between Cdc25C phosphatase and 14-3-3ε phosphoserine/threonine binding protein. Protein−protein interaction detection by proximity biotinylation has the advantages of low background, high sensitivity, small AP tag size, and good spatial resolution in cells.
The following is from a statement issued by MIT:
The new technique allows researchers to tag proteins with probes that link together like puzzle pieces if the proteins interact inside a cell. The probes are derived from an enzyme and its peptide substrate. If the probe-linked proteins interact, the enzyme and substrate also interact, which can be easily detected.To create the probes, the researchers used the enzyme biotin ligase and its target, a 12-amino-acid peptide.
Their work is conceptually related to an approach that uses GFPs (green fluorescent proteins), which glow when activated, as probes. Half of each GFP molecule is attached to the proteins of interest, and when the proteins interact, the GFP halves fuse and glow. However, this technique results in many false positives, because the GFP halves seek each other out and bind even when the proteins they are attached to are not interacting, said Ting.
The new probes could be used to study nearly any protein-protein interaction, Ting [Alice Ting, MIT Pfizer-Laubach Career Development Assistant Professor of Chemistry] said. The researchers tested their probes on two signaling proteins involved in suppression of the immune system, and on two proteins that play a role in cell division. They are currently using the probe to image the interaction of proteins involved in synapse growth in live neurons.
Press release: New probe may help untangle cells' signaling pathways ...
Abstract: Protein-Protein Interaction Detection in Vitro and in Cells by Proximity Biotinylation J. Am. Chem. Soc., ASAP Article, 10.1021/ja801445p
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Wearable Muscle Tension Sensors Know More Than What You Feel
Filed under: Neurology
A collaboration of European engineers is working on minuscule muscle tension sensors that can be woven into fabric to provide real-time data taken from a person's state of electrical excitation of the muscles.
From the statement issued by Fraunhofer-Institut für Zuverlässigkeit und Mikrointegration:
[The vest] consists of sensors woven into the fabric that register the electrical excitation of the muscle fibers, and thin conducting metallic fibers that pass the signals to an electronic analysis system. People’s muscle tension changes with their stress level – the greater the stress, the more likely the muscles are to produce a synchronous twitching effect. Though this is barely perceptible, the electrodes register the change. The idea of the sensor vest originated with biomedical scientists at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, who needed an inconspicuous measuring tool for stress studies. Until then, they had affixed electrodes directly to their test subjects’ chests. But this itself induced stress, with the result that the tests delivered very little useful information. The new vest is designed to ensure a more relaxed test environment. The project members are exploring further potential applications such as a special vest for computer games. By selectively tensing the torso muscles, players could use the vest to control figures on the monitor and for instance burst their heroes’ chains and fetters. The vest could also contribute to safety at the workplace – perhaps ensuring that workers do not lift loads that are too heavy for them. And sports coaches could tell from the electronic vest whether athletes have reached their performance limits or still possess energy reserves.”The most important requirement for everyday use is a robust electronic system,” says Torsten Linz of the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM in Berlin, the partner responsible for the “packaging”. The entire electronic system has to be resistant to water and perspiration. The electric conductors must not fray even after repeated laundry cycles, and the sensors must be no larger than buttons to ensure that the garment is comfortable. The IZM researchers have meanwhile developed stable metallic fibers, watertight connections and durable sensor buttons. Their task over the next few months will be to integrate the analysis electronics. The project partners have already demonstrated during field hockey training that the vest really works; it enabled players to choose the ideal moment for striking the ball and to hit it much further than usual.
We could envision such a technology being used for monitoring of chronic neuromuscular disorders, such as myasthenia gravis.
Press release: A vest to measure stress ...
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Killing Bugs With E&M
Filed under: in the news...
At Georgia Tech Research Institute a new device tuned to kill biological contaminants has been created. Using specific phosphors that emit UV light via cathodoluminescence effect, the device kills tiny critters on surfaces and within.
From Georgia Tech:
Using flat panel modules that produce X-rays and ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light simultaneously, the researchers can kill anthrax spores in two to three hours without any lingering effects. The system also has the ability to kill anthrax spores hidden in places like computer keyboards without causing damage."This is certainly an improvement over previous techniques," said Brent Wagner, GTRI principal research scientist and director of its Phosphor Technology Center of Excellence (PTCOE). "The UV-C attacks spores on surfaces and the X-rays penetrate through materials and kill spores in cracks and crevices."
The new decontamination system resembles a coat rack with radiation modules arranged on rings at various heights that face outward to broadcast radiation throughout a room. Since the X-rays and UV-C are lethal at the flux densities used, the system operates unattended and is turned on outside the affected space.
UV-C light in the modules is produced using the optical and electrical phenomenon of cathodoluminescence. Numerous electron beams are generated by arrays of cold cathodes, each acting like the electron gun in a cathode ray tube.
"When an electron beam hits a powder phosphor, it luminesces and emits visible and/or non-visible light," explained Hisham Menkara, a senior research scientist in GTRI’s Electro-Optical Systems Laboratory.
With the Sarnoff phosphors in hand, Wagner and Menkara set off to determine the best UV-C emitting phosphor and optimize its properties for use with X-rays in SMD’s small flat panel display.
To find the best phosphor that emitted light in the UV-C region of the spectrum – wavelengths below 280 nanometers – the emission spectra of each phosphor was measured against the DNA absorption curve. This curve shows the optimal wavelengths to destroy an organism’s DNA.
After investigating many different phosphors, the researchers chose lanthanum phosphate:praseodymium (LaPO4:Pr or LAP:Pr) as the most efficient phosphor, with a power efficiency near 10 percent. Since the UV emission didn’t fall completely under the DNA absorption curve, the relative “killing efficiency” was approximately 50 percent.
In the laboratory, Menkara created the phosphor by mixing precursors lanthanum oxide, hydrogen phosphate and praseodymium fluoride (La2O3, H3PO4 and PrF3, respectively) in a glass beaker with methanol (CH3OH) and ammonium chloride (NH4Cl). Air drying the mixture in a fume hood caused the methanol to completely evaporate.
The resultant cake was crushed into a fine powder, heated in a furnace to a temperature as high as 1250 degrees Celsius for two hours and crushed again.
“To determine the best conditions for producing the highest efficiency phosphor, we tried different precursors and completed the firing under different atmospheric conditions and temperatures,” explained Menkara.
Test results showed that higher temperatures were more efficient and a capped quartz tube was the best container to hold the powder inside the furnace. Wagner and Menkara also found that adding lithium fluoride (LiF) and reducing the praseodymium concentration increased the cathodoluminescent properties of the LAP:Pr phosphor.
With the improved phosphor, laboratory tests conducted by SMD showed that the combined X-ray and UV-C decontamination system could kill anthrax spores.
Press release: Improved Decontamination: Optimized UV-C Phosphor Kills Anthrax Spores in Combination with X-rays ...
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Tiny MRI Machines
Filed under: Diagnostics
, Radiology
A team of researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Technology Engineering (Fraunhofer-Institut für Biomedizinische Technik IBMT) in Sankt Ingbert, Germany along with Magritek, a Kiwi firm, has been developing tiny MRI machines using permanent magnets in a specific alignment. It is not clear yet what the medical implications for this imaging modality would be. We imagine one can view ingrown toe nails with one of these.
The Magnetic Resonance working group at the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Technology Engineering IBMT in Sankt Ingbert has made magnetic resonance imaging mobile. They collaborated with the New Zealand company Magritek to develop small portable devices. Dr. Frank Volke, head of the Magnetic Resonance working group, explains the core technology: "Instead of the large superconducting magnets that have to be cooled with liquid helium and nitrogen, extra-strong permanent magnets are installed in our devices. There is no need for cooling anymore." To make this possible, several permanent magnets are so arranged that the magnetic field lines overlap to form a homogeneous field. In this way, the developers have succeeded in developing small, less expensive, and above all portable magnetic resonance spectrometers that can even be powered by batteries.
Press release: Pocket-sized magnetic resonance imaging ...
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Implantable Heart Monitor May Provide Real Time Cardiac Data
Filed under: Cardiac Surgery
Imperial College London researchers have developed an implantable cardiac monitor that supposedly can detect changes in cardiac contractility, hence can function as a continuous (and also wireless) heart failure monitor.
From the press release:
The sensor is constructed from silicon and vibrates at a rate which varies according to the pressure inside the heart. Once at home, patients would wear a reader, a miniature device that detects these vibrations through radio pulses, and translates them into precise measurements.Patients would be able view their own readings at home via the reader, while doctors could take measurements by dialling up the reader via a mobile phone or by logging onto a secure internet site. The reader could also be set to automatically send alarms to the doctor if a patient’s heart reading reaches critical levels.
Lead researcher, Professor Christofer Toumazou, from Imperial College London’s Institute of Biomedical Engineering, says:
“The heart pressure sensor could transform the lives of people living with chronic heart problems and has the potential to revolutionise heart monitoring. At the touch of a few buttons a family doctor could dial up their patient’s heart history and plot pressure trends to better manage their condition and prevent the progression of heart failure.”
Sir Magdi Yacoub, Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Imperial College London, has trialled the pressure sensor successfully on animal laboratory models.
Press release: Implantable sensor will revolutionise the management of heart disease, say Imperial researchers ...
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