Philips received FDA approval and is bringing to U.S. market the Ingenia 3 Tesla MRI. The system is the first MRI to feature digital signal acquisition right at the coil, avoiding the noise that’s typically introduced when transferring an analog signal to an outside unit for digitizing. Additionally, a 70cm bore and matching table can handle patients up to 550 pounds (250Kg).
Press release: Philips to take orders for the Ingenia MRI system in the United States…
Product page: Ingenia 3.0T…
Flashback: Philips Launches Ingenia Digital Broadband MRI
Critical Care Archives
Philips Ingenia Digital Broadband MRI Coming to US
Second Option Defibrillator Electrode Pads to Help Save More Lives
Rice University bioengineering students have developed a modified set of external defibrillator pads that can provide an additional option for cardioverting the heart. Three electrodes are embedded between two pads and a switch selects which path for the current to take. By following simple user instructions, bystanders can easily provide a second option that’s not available in current defibrillators. The system, which was created to transparently improve the efforts of untrained public responders, can be adapted to existing defibs.
The potential for their project was clear from the beginning. “We did some calculations that suggested we could save at least 13,000 lives per year,” Otto said. “Cardiac defibrillation is very time-sensitive. Thirty seconds can be the difference between life and death in a lot of situations. The time it takes to flip the switch is negligible compared with the time it takes to remove the pads, shave and prep a new area on the body, reapply the pads and administer another shock. And a layman might not even know to try a second position.”
SpectraShield Respirator Blocks Dust, Bacteria, Wins FDA Approval
The FDA has cleared Nexera Medical‘s (Richmond, British Columbia) SpectraShield 9500 surgical respirator, a face mask the outside of which has been shown to kill three types of bacteria (Streptococcus pyogenes, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Haemophilus influenzae). The device is also a certified N95 respirator, blocking at least 95% of dust particles.
From the product page:
ContextVision Announces New US PLUSView Image Enhancement Suites
ContextVision AB (Stockholm, Sweden) has just announced its new US PLUSView line of ultrasound image enhancement suites, which the company claims will provide improved image enhancement over previous solutions. In addition to its superior speckle reduction and edge enhancement features, US PLUSView allows for deeper penetration. ContextVision claims this will facilitate better ultrasound imaging of overweight patients, which has traditionally been problematic for doctors. The US PLUSView line is based on ContextVision’s GOP technology, which has received FDA 510(k) clearance.
From the product page:
Cardiac Surgery / Critical Care / Emergency Medicine / Military Medicine / Surgery / Thoracic Surgery
PleuraFlow for Clearing Chest Tubes Wins Prestigious Design Award
PleuraFlow, a device we reported receiving FDA approval last December, won a 2011 Medical Design Excellence Award. The device from Bend, Oregon’s Clear Catheter Systems clears chest tubes of clogging material using a magnetic guidewire. Of note, the technology was designed with help from Carbon Design Group of Seattle, Washington.
The PleuraFlow is a novel chest tube clearance accessory developed to maintain chest tube patency after heart and lung surgery. Clogging of a chest tube with a clot in the setting of continued postoperative drainage can contribute to impaired patient outcomes and even death. Nurses often have to improvise to keep the tubes open by tapping, squeezing, and milking the tubes in an attempt to clear the clots in the post operative setting. This can be frustrating and time consuming and is not always successful. Chest tube clearance with the PleuraFlow is achieved by advancing the specially designed clearance member back and forth within the chest tube under sterile conditions, breaking down and pulling clots back out of the tube, thereby leaving the inner portion of the chest tube clear of any obstructing material.
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Extracorporeal CytoSorb Cytokines Filter Gets European Approval
CytoSorbents from Monmouth Junction, New Jersey has received European regulatory approval for its CytoSorb cytokine filter. The company hopes that its extracorporeal device might one day become a treatment option in critical patients whose cytokine levels are elevated, such as in cases of sepsis, ARDS, burns, etc.
From the announcement:
Ornim’s Non-Invasive Continuous Blood Flow Monitoring Approved in U.S.
Ornim, headquartered in Santa Clarita, CA, has received FDA clearance for the firm’s CerOx 3210F system to be used to monitor blood flow through tissue in adult patients. This clearance is on top of the one received in 2008 for hemoglobin oxygen saturation monitoring in the brain and skeletal muscles. According to the company, the light based system is the only non-invasive and continuous blood flow monitor available.
From the technology page:
respiR8 Breathing Rate Monitor Wins European Clearance
Anaxsys Technology out of Surrey, UK received the European CE Mark of approval for its respiR8 continuous breathing rate monitor. The device works by detecting moisture that accumulates with each breath on a sensor inside a patient’s oxygen mask.
From the product page:
Live Patient ECG’s from GE’s MUSE Cardiology on Your iOS Device
Getting called in to check on a patient while spending time with the family is a regular part of life for cardiologists. It’s also important for the patient to get a quick diagnosis of ECG readings, which is why GE Healthcare has partnered with Airstrip Technologies to link GE’s MUSE Cardiology Information System with Airstrip’s Cardiology app for iPhones and iPads. Using the system, physicians can look at live patient tracings whether they’re on a different hospital floor or playing softball with the kids.
Remote ECG measurements are challenging because changes as small as 0.5 millimeters can indicate the presence of a serious or emergency heart condition. AirStrip Cardiology’s high resolution can detect such small differences through completely interactive iPad or iPhone views. Unlike traditional remote diagnostics, zooming in on waveforms does not affect visual clarity. With AirStrip Cardiology, clinical information is available from 12- and 15-lead ECGs, supporting high precision levels. Clinicians can view current data and historical tests conducted up to one year ago, in ten-second increments.
