AngioDynamics launched in the U.S. its new DuraFlow 2 chronic hemodialysis catheter that allows for higher blood flow over a longer period of time with less recirculation.

Additionally, the soon to be released DuraFlow 2 VascPak (VP) kit has been redesigned to make them smaller for easier handling and storage.

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Having received European CE Mark approval in September, Cellnovo out of London, UK has launched its diabetes management system that looks like a smartphone system, but is actually an integrated glucometer, wirelessly connected insulin pump, activity monitor, and cell phone-based data transfer system to share readings with family and clinicians.

To kick off the release of the system, Cellnovo launched a usability trial involving type 1 diabetics whose doctors will be able to monitor their blood glucose levels in real time as they’re being measured.

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While speaking at FutureMed, Sean Ahrens explained his frustrations as a patient suffering from Crohn’s disease and his dissatisfaction with conventional treatments for the condition. To deal with the problem and to help others with Crohn’s or colitis, he created Crohnology, a patient-to-patient information sharing platform.

Ahrens explained how the platform fits into the broader context of the “patient revolution,” in which patients are becoming increasingly motivated to become active participants in their healthcare. This revolution is being fueled by mobile tools and social media, he said. And it is becoming necessary, as our healthcare system struggles to deal with rising cost pressures, an uptick in chronic conditions and as doctor–patient interaction becomes increasingly limited.

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Noted journalist and author David Ewing Duncan kicked off the Wednesday session of FutureMed by discussing personalized medicine and his work on the Experimental Man Project. The experiment, which is “ongoing,” is what Duncan described as a “humanized” way to look at personalized medicine, which can be useful in explaining the technology to the masses. He argued that personalized medicine stands in stark contrast to traditional medicine, which is “one-size-fits-all” and tries to fit patients “into a box.”

Pharmaceuticals are one of the most-needed applications of personalized medicine, he said, and the response rates for many drugs are pretty dismal. For instance, antidepressants don’t work for about 40% of people because they aren’t targeted for specific demographics based on genomic data. There is a low response rate to oncology drugs right now, Duncan added, but “we are getting better at targeting the drug to the right physiology.”

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Gizmodo has a fascinating story on an implant, the Biocapsule, developed by NASA to treat astronauts while they are on a space mission. The device, a small rod to be implanted under the skin before take-off, is made out of carbon nanotubes and is filled with cells that release a substance once a certain trigger activates them.

The cells are trapped withing the capsule, while substances are released by diffusion across the capsule wall, which is also the way nutritients can get in. The capsules could be capable of delivering multiple doses over a long period of time. The nanostructures are inert, making them well-tolerated by the body, and the Biocapsules themselves are inexpensive and easy to make.

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Analogic has announced the worldwide launch of three new ultrasound systems from its subsidiary BK Medical, the Pro Focus UltraView 800, the Flex Focus 800, and the Flex Focus 500.

All three models sport the company’s “Quantum Technology” that provides high resolution visualization of the tissues.

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GE has announced investing into an Israeli company called Check-Cap that’s developing swallowable endoscopic capsules for imaging the insides of the GI tract.  Check-Cap seems to be a direct competitor of the better known Given Imaging, also an Israeli firm, that’s been producing its own PillCams for visualizing everything from the esophagus to the small intestine and beyond.

While PillCams use light in the visible spectrum and a traditional image sensor, the Check-Cap delivers low energy X-rays that provide a much different look at the internal anatomy.  Because X-rays penetrate through soft material, food intake shouldn’t be a problem for the device, and all the typical preparation for a GI tract analysis may not have to apply.

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Cardinal Health has made available its Smart-Seal surgical mask that improves both its fit and reduces interior fogging while providing a high level of filtration and resistance to liquids.

From the announcement:

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Ultrasound has been a welcome tool for many years to break up kidney stones, but finding the stones still requires radiograph or CT imaging. Researchers from the University of Washington and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) believe they developed a method of detecting renal calculi using a modified diagnostic ultrasound equipment found in every modern hospital. Moreover, once detected, they are able to apply ultrasound in a controlled way so as to be able to push the stones in a desired direction. This may create a new treatment option, allowing physicians to guide stones toward the kidney exit that are refusing to pass naturally.

Detection of the stones is done thanks to the unexplained “twinkling artifact” phenomena that makes stones sparkle under Doppler ultrasound. Because X-rays are not used in detection, patients and clinicians would be less exposed to radiation, and diagnosis could be done faster and right at the point of care.

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Ever since the Danish bacteriologist Hans Christian Gram developed his eponymous test (the Gram stain) in 1882 to differentiate between types of bacteria, diagnostic tests have been integral to both public and individual health. The ability to rapidly and accurately detect microbes is becoming increasingly important given the emergence of diverse drug resistant strains, such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA; Gram positive bacteria resembling purple grapes), as well as the length of time it currently takes to diagnose and treat certain infections (e.g. Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which cannot be detected via Gram stain but rather an acid-fast stain, has an incredibly slow doubling time which is why it can take weeks to accurately diagnose tuberculosis). In recent years genomic technologies have fortunately opened the doors for faster and more accurate detection of microbes than petri dish cultures and chemical staining can provide. Medgadget had the opportunity to interview two partner companies – PathoGenetix and Sagentia – that are developing a state-of-the-art Genome Sequence Scanning (GSS) technology, which promises to bring rapid microbial detection to the fields of microbial genomics research, food and product safety, and clinical infectious disease testing.

Shiv Gaglani, Medgadget: How many micro-organisms can be detected through the partnership technology?

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