Surgery Archives

Medgadget Interview: EarlySense CEO on Company’s Non-Contact Patient Monitoring

by Gene Ostrovsky on Nov 1, 2011 •

Last week at TEDMED we were excited to check out the EarlySense patient monitors that slip under the mattress and provide a completely contact-free way to continuously measure respiratory and heart rates, as well as to detect overall patient movement. Here’s our interview with CEO of the company Avner Halperin:

Flashbacks: EarlySense Gets FDA Clearance for EverOn Touch Patient Monitoring System; EarlySense’s Contact-Free Patient Monitoring System Gets a Wifi Upgrade; EverOn Central Display Station for Contact Free Monitoring of Multiple Patients

Medgadget Exclusive / Surgery

Medgadget Showcase: Holography Helps Identify Tumors, Organ Anatomy During Surgery

by Gene Ostrovsky on Nov 1, 2011

Here’s another fascinating technology that was presented at TEDMED from Vanderbilt University for “marrying” pre-operative imagery of patient anatomy to the real thing that’s in front of the knife.

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Nanomedicine / Oncology / Surgery

Quantum Sensors, Magnetic Nanoparticles Attractive Possibilities for Breast Cancer Diagnostics

by Shiv Gaglani on Oct 31, 2011
Quantum Sensors, Magnetic Nanoparticles Attractive Possibilities for Breast Cancer Diagnostics

As we near the end of the 2011 Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it is fitting to continue our coverage of new developments related to breast cancer diagnostics and treatments. We recently reported on GE Healthcare‘s newly FDA-approved SenoBright system that promises to greatly improve imaging of breast tissue over traditional mammograms. Though mammographies have tremendously enhanced patient care – in some cases detecting pre-cancerous lesions three years prior to any problems arising – they are not perfect.  Mammograms currently are incapable of distinguishing between benign and malignant lesions and are estimated to miss detecting 10-25 percent of breast cancers.

In the latest issue of Breast Cancer Research, a collaborative team of oncologists and nanotechnology researchers report using targeted magnetic nanoparticles and ultra-sensitive magnetic field sensors to accurately detect relatively small numbers of breast cancer cells. By conjugating iron-oxide nanoparticles (diameter < 30 nm) with antibodies for the aggressive breast cancer cell surface receptor, Her2, the team was able to attach hundreds of magnetic nanoparticles to each individual cancer cell. Then, using superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) sensors, they could differentially distinguish cancerous cells from normal tissue. The authors refer to this as magnetic relaxometry, which they describe as:

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Surgery

Invuity Eigr Illuminated Breast Retractor Brings the Light to the Surgical Field

by Wouter Stomp on Oct 28, 2011
Invuity Eigr Illuminated Breast Retractor Brings the Light to the Surgical Field

Lighting of the operating field can be tricky, with light typically coming from large overhead lights or small headlights, which each have their own disadvantages. Invuity is introducing a new solution for breast surgery, its illuminated breast retractor system. It uses the company’s proprietary Eigr technology, integrating the light with the retractors, so it is always where it should be (inside the incision). This way it can shine the field from several different angles, eliminating shadows, reflections and glare. Especially when the surgical access site is small, this can be a great advantage.

The system is designed for breast mastectomies, lumpectomies, sentinel node biopsies and reconstruction procedures. The system includes several different retractors designed for various surgical approaches. A fiberoptic cable transmits the light, coming from standard surgical light sources, to the distal part of the retractor. Because of this approach, the light-source is cool and the retractor itself can be kept lightweight and low-profile.

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Cardiac Surgery / ENT / Ob/Gyn / Orthopedic Surgery / Surgery / Thoracic Surgery / Vascular Surgery

Air Barrier System Helps Airborne Bacteria Fly Past Surgical Incision Site

by Gene Ostrovsky on Oct 25, 2011
Air Barrier System Helps Airborne Bacteria Fly Past Surgical Incision Site

Via Gizmag we discovered an interesting surgical space ventilation system that moves a continuous stream of purified air across the incision site. The Air Barrier System from Nimbic of Stafford, Texas uses a HEPA filter and delivers a turbulence free flow that creates an invisible barrier for airborne microorganisms.

Features of the Air Barrier from the product page:

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Radiology / Surgery

Hologic Trident Specimen Radiography System Receives FDA Clearance

by Wouter Stomp on Oct 24, 2011
Hologic Trident Specimen Radiography System Receives FDA Clearance

Hologic has received FDA clearance for its Trident specimen radiography system. The mobile radiography system is designed to be used in the OR or biopsy suite, to perform imaging on breast specimens from surgeries or biopsies. Often, these radiographs are acquired on the regular mammography system, however the Trident brings the imaging system right next to the patient, saving valuable time.

From the press release:

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Informatics / Orthopedic Surgery / Radiology / Surgery

Siemens and Synthes Launch Software for Preoperative Planning of Trauma Surgery

by Wouter Stomp on Oct 20, 2011
Siemens and Synthes Launch Software for Preoperative Planning of Trauma Surgery

Siemens and Synthes have recently released a new piece of software that lets trauma surgeons plan their cases by shuffling around pieces of broken bone and overlaying different implant options. PreOPlan, as the software is called, is meant for virtual planning of bone fracture surgeries and osteotomies for bone deformities.

After virtual reduction of a fracture, an implant can be selected which is rendered in 3D on the screen, where its positioning can be planned in two planes, and suited implants can even be bent on screen.

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Ob/Gyn / Radiology / Surgery

GE SenoBright Contrast Enhanced Spectral Mammography Gets FDA 510(k)

by Gene Ostrovsky on Oct 14, 2011
GE SenoBright Contrast Enhanced Spectral Mammography Gets FDA 510(k)

GE‘s SenoBright technology that reconstructs mammography images taken using two different energy ranges of X-rays just obtained FDA approval.  Also known as Contrast Enhanced Spectral Mammography (CESM), the system relies on an injected X-ray contrast agent and two separate but almost simultaneous exposures that together provide enough data to potentially pinpoint otherwise hard to spot tumors.

SenoBright can be installed as an additional option on previously purchased GE Senographe DS and Senographe Essential digital mammography systems.

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Emergency Medicine / Medicine / Radiology / Surgery

Siemens Mobilett Mira Wireless Digital X-ray System Coming to U.S.

by Gene Ostrovsky on Oct 6, 2011
Siemens Mobilett Mira Wireless Digital X-ray System Coming to U.S.

Siemens won FDA clearance for its slick looking Mobilett Mira mobile X-ray system.  It features a wireless detector, turning any patient room into a flexible X-ray suite.

There’s also the option of having the device have a giraffe design for use with kids.

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