e-HealthExpert.org - Primum non nocere

The National Science Foundation is profiling cardiac stent research being done by collaborators from University of Houston and University of Zagreb in Croatia. They're using mathematical computer models to optimize for different characteristics that stents exhibit, helping to design new stents and help simulate ones that are on the drawing board. Together with her collaborator, Josip Tambaca of the University of Zagreb in Croatia, and her doctoral student, Mate Kosor, Canic wrote a much simpler program that approximates stents as meshes of one-dimensional rods. This program let the researchers achieve the same result using just 400 nodes. Using their simplified model, the researchers have examined the designs of several stents on the market to see which structures seem to be best for specific blood vessels or procedures. For instance, they found that stents with an "open design"--where every other horizontal rod is taken out--bend easily, which makes them good to put in curvy coronary arteries. Canic and Tambaca have also used the model to design a stent with mechanical properties specifically tailored to an experimental heart-valve replacement procedure. She found that this specialized stent works best for the procedure when it's stiff in the middle and less stiff at the ends. In addition, she has found that combining "bendiness" with radial stiffness--where you can bend the stent into a U shape, but you can't squeeze the tube shut--produces a stent with less chance of buckling than those that are currently in use. Today, Canic is helping a team at the Texas Heart Institute study an unusual source for stent coating: ear cartilage. The team believes this easy-to-harvest tissue will make stents more biocompatible, though they don't yet know how ear cartilage cells grow or behave in environments like human blood vessels. Canic is using her computer programs, developed together with Tsorng-Whay Pan, Roland Glowinski and students, to simulate how blood interacts with the stent-coating cartilage cells and how the cells stick (or don't) to the stent surface. She plugs in different fluid thicknesses and shear forces of blood flowing over the stent to see what might encourage the cartilage on freshly coated stents to stabilize quickly. The models have helped her collaborators learn the best conditions to test in follow-up experiments as they search for ways to pre-treat stents before doctors implant them. Full story: Scientists Use Math to Build Better Stents...... Michael

To kick off the new school year Epocrates is giving all U.S. medical students a free copy of its popular Epocrates Essentials suite which typically costs $159. Today is the last day of the offer so do it now before the clock strikes midnight and you turn into a pumpkin. Compared to the Epocrates Rx, which has always been free, this version includes an infectious disease treatment guide, alternative (herbal) medicines, disease monographs and diagnostic and laboratory tests. This version of Epocrates is available for the iPhone/iPod touch, Palm, Blackberry, and Windows Mobile. Link: Free Epocrates Essentials for Med Students... Product page: Epocrates Essentials... Michael

InSightec out of Tirat Carmel, Israel is reporting that its ExAblate MRI guided focused ultrasound system has been used for the first time to treat prostate cancer. ExAblate is already being used around the world for treatment of uterine fibroids and bone metastases (except in U.S. where FDA is yet to approve it for that indication). In this latest study seven patients in Russia and Singapore with localized low-risk prostate cancer have undergone treatment. “Unfortunately current treatment alternatives are accompanied by relatively high levels of adverse events which significantly impact the quality of life of prostate cancer patients. The most common are incontinence and impotence”, says Dr. Kobi Vortman, President and CEO of InSightec. “Due to the introduction of PSA screening tests, prostate cancer is diagnosed at an earlier age thereby increasing the necessity for a treatment option that minimizes adverse events. The ExAblate prostate system has been designed to provide effective treatments while minimizing the debilitating side-effects caused by damage to functional areas of the prostate and neurovascular bundles, thus the system is expected to enable patients to return to normal life within a day or two while maintaining their quality of life.” The ExAblate system, which has been in clinical use for the treatment of uterine fibroids globally and bone metastases outside of the US, is an Image Guided, Non-invasive, Robotic Acoustic Surgery system integrating real time magnetic resonance imaging to visualize the tumor, surrounding tissue and the energy delivery path together with high intensity focused ultrasound beam which is delivered with millimeter precision to destroy the cancerous tumor without damaging surrounding tissue, which is the cause of most complications. The use of real-time 3D MR thermometry provides accurate closed-loop monitoring of the treatment outcome and ability to adjust the treatment according to specific patient physiology, in real time. Press release: ExAblate® MR guided Focused Ultrasound System is being used for the first time for Non-invasive Treatment of Prostate Cancer ... Flashbacks: Brain Surgery With MR Guided High Intensity Focused Ultrasound ; FDA Expands Indication for Insightec's Uterine Fibroid System; Noninvasive Palliation of Pain of Bone Mets; ExAblate Making Waves in US; ExAblate 2000 (hat tip: Globes)... Michael

Medtronic has launched the new CE marked Resolute Integrity drug eluting stent for the European market. The device is meant to provide easier navigation through vasculature thanks to implementation of "continuous sinusoid technology." Based on the engineering advance of continuous sinusoid technology, the Resolute Integrity Stent System has been shown in bench testing and in blinded in vivo physician assessment studies to be significantly more deliverable than the current market-leading alternatives. Coupled with the MicroTrac delivery system, continuous sinusoid technology improves deliverability without compromising other important stent design characteristics like radial strength. It also improves the stent’s conformability – the ability of the stent to conform to the natural shape of the vessel and maintain apposition to the vessel wall after inflation with the balloon catheter. The Resolute Integrity drug-eluting stent (DES) combines continuous sinusoid technology with two key elements of the original Resolute DES: the cytostatic antiproliferative drug zotarolimus and the highly biocompatible BioLinx polymer. Press release: Medtronic Launches Resolute Integrity Drug-Eluting Stent In Europe ...... Michael

Lenovo asked Medgadget to test and review the company's latest computer called Multi-Touch m90z ThinkCentre, an all-in-one model that Lenovo designed for medical professionals, amongst others. This model is a desktop built into a 23 inch touch-screen monitor. Options on the model vary from 2 to 4 GB of RAM, a 320 or 500 GB hard drive, and numerous processor options (tested on an impressive Intel Core i5-650 running at 3.2 GHz). Though not DICOM compliant, the color-rich 1080p HD LCD monitor is topped with a glossy overlay that allows for easy disinfection wipe-downs. The touchscreen technology in the m90z is different than in common touch operated devices because it's actually using little cameras built into the bezel to see where your fingers come in contact with the screen. Because this does not rely on measuring electrical impedance or the force applied to the screen, you can use gloved fingers, backs of pens, and even hemostat tips if necessary to control what's on the screen. Keep in mind that Windows 7 itself isn't particularly great for touch operation, but medical applications designed for touch control are able to take advantage of this screen's excellent sensitivity. Due to the touch screen, Lenovo designed the model to sit at an angle (either 15 or 45 degrees) in order to prevent tip-over. Some users may prefer a more standard zero degree viewing angle which could be achieved through either a wall mount or the use of the Extend Arm accessory. The model might topple if a user pushed hard enough at the screen when the Extend Arm is extended up to its maximum though, so watch out. Testing indicated that passwords for some security enabled sites and programs could not be entered through the touch screen, a security feature and occasional annoyance. As a result of the inability to perform some security enabled functionality through the screen, it is essential that a keyboard is maintained. We would suggest that Lenovo add a groove or bracket to the top of the unit that would allow for a keyboard to rest if the unit has been wall mounted. A wireless keyboard is an optional accessory. There's a built-in webcam, but in a nice touch Lenovo also added a security-enhancing manual shutter that closes the eye of the camera and turns off the mic. This feature can ensure that the web cam is not-operational, eliminating... Michael

Many drugs that would benefit from transdermal delivery are either made of molecules too large to penetrate the skin or are hydrophilic and so don't absorb very well. To overcome these limitations, Purdue University scientists have created a pump to literally push drugs through microneedles of 20 micron diameter. The pump requires no batteries and is activated by pushing your finger against it for about twenty seconds. The pump contains a liquid that boils at body temperature so that the heat from a finger's touch causes it to rapidly turn to a vapor, exerting enough pressure to force drugs through the microneedles. The liquid is contained in a pouch separated from the drug by a thin membrane made of a rubberlike polymer, called polydimethylsiloxane, which is used as diaphragms in pumps. Researchers have filed an application for a provisional patent on the device. Ziaie has tested prototypes with liquids called fluorocarbons, which are used as refrigerants and also in semiconductor manufacturing. Press release: New pump created for microneedle drug-delivery patch... Michael

Moving MRI images of the heart and other organs are nothing new. However, up until now these were always reconstructed afterwards by combining signals and images from the same cardiac phase acquired during breath-holding into the resulting images. Researchers at the Max Planck in Göttingen have now proven it is possible to acquire images in real-time with up to fifty frames per second. Previously it was only possible to acquire images at a maximum rate of about one per second. They have used a combination of fast low angle shot (FLASH) gradient-echo imaging sequences, radial encoding and an iterative image reconstruction by regularized nonlinear inversion to greatly speed up imaging acquisition. The main improvement lays in the iterative reconstruction which has previously been used for reducing CT radiation dose, but has now shown to be very useful in MRI as well. For example, the images of a cross-section of the heart shown above were acquired at 33 milliseconds per image giving a framerate of 30 images per second, with an in-plane resolution of 1.5 millimeters and a slice thickness of 8 millimeters. Linked in the press release is a video of the beating heart and an impressive movie of movements during speech production. The possibility to do real-time dynamic imaging opens up a lot of new opportunities for MR imaging, including, for example, swallowing studies, cardiac and abdominal imaging without breath-holding and interventional procedures using MRI. In principle this technique is possible to implement on most current scanners, however the main limitation is the amount of computing power required to perform the real-time reconstruction. Currently one minute of images requires half an hour to process. However, the authors expect improvements in the image reconstruction algorithms for parallelized GPU's and other improvements to reduce reconstruction time and improve image quality. The results are published online in the journal NMR in Biomedicine. Make sure to check out this jaw dropping video: Press release: Going live to the beating heart... Article abstract: Real-time MRI at a resolution of 20 ms...... Wouter Stomp

Exmovere out of McLean, Virginia claims to have developed baby clothing that can monitor heart rate, "emotional state", and level of activity, and relay that information wirelessly to a computer or cell phone. Paranoid parents will be able to keep a virtual eye on their kids 24/7, and maybe worries about SIDS and infant sleep apnea can be diminished. An initial production of 1,000 units will be made available in 2011 to select customers. Company CEO David Bychkov announced that "Each Exmobaby onesie will come with a baby-safe, rechargeable Zigbee wireless transceiver that snaps into a pouch. From there, the data is transmitted to a nearby PC or cell phone in order to keep parents and other caregivers informed of a baby's status. This continuous monitoring in real time will allow for an 'emotional umbilical cord' between mother and child." Exmobaby parents will be able to see icons representing their baby's heartbeat, emotional state and activity level on their cell phones. This is especially important for first-time mothers re-entering the work force, parents concerned about the vigilance of their babysitter, and childcare centers juggling the needs of multiple children. Exmobaby will also become one of the first mainstream consumer products utilizing the Zigbee wireless standard. Zigbee is a standard using a WHAN (wireless home area network) and is targeted at radio frequency applications requiring lower data rate, longer battery life and network security. This is particularly well-suited for Exmobaby moms as it is cost-effective, reliable and compatible with a wide range of USB and mini SD-slot dongle devices, such as cell phones. In early 2011, Exmovere will begin its limited edition marketing campaign where it will release only 1,000 Exmobaby pajama kits, available in blue or pink, to select buyers from a waiting list. Included with these kits will be an Exmobaby garment set, one Zigbee transceiver, PC and cell phone monitoring software and six months of online service. Press release: With an Eye to New Moms, Exmovere Unveils Biosensor Pajamas for Babies... Michael

Welch Allyn, in an attempt to improve patient monitoring and record keeping, has unveiled the Connex Electronic Vitals Documentation System. The system revolves around the Connex Vital Signs Monitor 6000 designed in collaboration with frog design, a San Francisco-based product development firm. The Connex system automatically records data coming from various patient monitors and sends it to the Electronic Medical Record for long term storage. Additionally, it displays relevant information and can raise an alarm if trigger parameters are met. To give you a taste of how this system came to be, frog design has an overview on the company's blog outlining the design process. The Connex VSM (CVSM) is a full-color, touch screen device that acts as three devices in one—providing comprehensive patient documentation on a single display. This documentation includes automatic measurements such as heart rate, blood pressure, temperature and pulse oximetry; manual parameters such as respiration, height, weight and pain level; and modifiers such as body position, O2 therapy details and others. The CVSM also gives the clinician the ability to control alarms, patient data and monitoring in a customized manner for each patient, and they can document this data right on the device—eliminating the need to locate a PC and transcribe it later. The CVSM also enables two-way wireless communication from the bedside. It associates ID numbers to names to help clinicians properly identify patients and allows them to customize which ID fields are required and how they're displayed, including simultaneous display of multiple forms of ID. The wireless technology is built right into the system allowing the monitor to act as a true mobile device, and it works with current wireless networks to deliver up-to-date patient demographics. Press release: Welch Allyn Unveils Cure for Vital Sign Documentation Errors at the Point of Care... frog design: How to Build a Better Vital Signs Monitor...... Michael

Reader's Digest recently published an essay by Shannon Brownlee and Jeanne Lenzer about medical device dangers that manufacturers know about but don't properly publicize. In the end, the article calls for a registry of all medical devices in the US so all defects and problems can be tracked, something like the aviation industry's FAA database. Short of a registry, experts want to: * Require all cases in which a patient is seriously hurt by a Class III device to be reported to the FDA, not just those that the company decides are due to its product. * Create an independent panel to routinely monitor the MAUDE data-base -- and give the panel access to company data when there appears to be a problem with a device. * Stop payments, often called kickbacks, from device makers to physicians and hospitals in exchange for using the company's device. A Medgadget alumnus, now employed in the implantable medical device industry, wrote in with the following comment: As a guy employed by a medical device company I think It's a relatively fair shake, at least as well as you could hope for from Reader's Digest. Crafting a system to opening and accurately monitor medical device safety would be functionally impossible. We (device mfgs) are required to do root cause analysis on any adverse events already, but like the article says, we tend to keep it internal as long as possible. This means a team of engineers works their ass off to get to the bottom of things and writes up a report that is reviewed and signed off by management. Unfortunately, that takes time, and inside our corporate walls we have access to only the most basic clinical info on the patient (meds, other conditions, etc...but no direct access to "the scene of the crime"). On the clinical side, the MD's are welcome to come to whatever conclusion s/he feels like. Based on my experience in ortho, I've never seen a surgeon chalk up a complication to their own butterfingers (even when that's the case). The culture of MDs is to never admit weakness/guilt/failure/errors/lack of knowledge. I'm not saying there aren't reasons for this (patient/staff confidence, liability), but it's a reality. You'll never, ever hear a surgeon say "Yep, I messed that up". ...whereas the culture in engineering is the opposite. Improving on failures is our stock and trade. Thus, in an engineering root... Dan Buckland

Robotic surgery is nothing new, but after the surgeon has been pushed away from the OR table, you are still left with the gasman. In one of the first efforts to make teleanesthesia a reality (apart from several telemonitoring efforts), researchers from the University of Florida demonstrate the possibility of a robotically assisted simulated nerve block placement under ultrasound guidance in this month's issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia. They used the well known da Vinci surgical robot to perform the procedure. The ultrasound head still had to be manually positioned and the subject was only a phantom, but the procedure was successful. The high price and the need to still have a physician present in case of complications mean that you are not likely to see this happen in practice anytime soon, but it is an interesting technical advancement nevertheless. That leaves us speculating what will be the next procedure to be performed remotely, how about some robotic intubation? Press release: Surgical Robot Could Be Used for Long-Distance Regional Anesthesia... Article: Robot-Assisted Regional Anesthesia: A Simulated Demonstration... Flashback: McSleepy: Automated Anesthesia System... Wouter Stomp

SonoSite has received FDA clearance for its LumenVu Catheter Guidance System. SonoSite acquired LumenVu technology by buying the start-up company and the LumenVu system has been available already on the European market. The system is meant to make the insertion of peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC) easier and faster. It uses a fiber optic stylet replacing the normally used guide wire which emits near-infrared light, allowing visualization and real-time tracking of the catheter tip during insertion. Possibly this would eliminate the need for post-placement confirmation X-rays. It is compatible with standard PICC catheters. SonoSite envisions the technology being used for other applications as well and plans to develop a fully integrated line placement imaging solution including ultrasound visualization. Press release: SonoSite Receives FDA Clearance For LumenVu Catheter Guidance System... Product page: LumenVu Catheter Guidance System...... Wouter Stomp

The vertebral augmentation field is getting more crowded, and, supposedly, cheaper. CareFusion has just announced an American launch of its new AVAmax® Vertebral Balloon. In a press release, without naming Medtronic's Kyphon, that is clearly the target, CareFusion is throwing all sorts of verbal assaults and innuendos: The AVAmax Vertebral Balloon represents a competitive breakthrough and is expected to enhance the affordability of spinal fracture procedures. CareFusion's vertebral balloon product and related components cost up to 40 percent less than similar kyphoplasty products on the market today, making the procedure more cost effective and accessible to hospitals and outpatient surgery centers. During the product's limited release period, CareFusion completed approximately 300 case studies with eight in 10 physicians saying they would strongly consider switching to the AVAmax product, according to post-product evaluation surveys. The AVAmax Vertebral Balloon is part of an all-in-one system that includes an eight-gauge or 10-gauge needle, bone cement and delivery instruments for kyphoplasty or vertebroplasty, an alternate procedure to treat compression fractures. The all-in-one system gives doctors the choice and flexibility to perform either procedure at the time of patient care. "The AVAmax Vertebral Balloon is easier to use and more efficiently designed than the system previously available to me," said C. Douglas Edmondson, M.D., FACR, Interventional Radiologist at Medical Center of South Arkansas. "With one more tool in the AVAmax toolbox, I can more selectively tailor spinal interventions with vertebropasty or kyphoplasty with a huge cost savings and no wasted materials." The AVAmax® PLUS vertebral augmentation system, which delivers cement for the procedure, allows the radiologist's hands to be out of the radiation field leading to reduced radiation exposure by clinicians. Press release: CareFusion Announces National Launch of Spinal Fracture Device ... Product page: AVAmax® Vertebral Balloon ...... Michael

Analog Devices, Inc., a developer and manufacturer of MEMS and digital signal processing technologies from Norwood, Mass, has just announced that its high performance iMEMS accelerometer enables Zoll Medical's new palm-sized CPR device to measure the rate and depth of chest compressions administered by rescuers. If you've been living in the woods around Norwood, Mass, and still don't know, PocketCPR, as the product is called, is a $149 assistance device that has a chronometer and a voice output to guide anyone to perform CPR correctly, step-by-step and in real time. And as we have reported before, Zoll Medical also offers its technology via software for the iPhone, that does pretty much the same thing, by using iPhone's built-in accelerometer to perform the measurements. Check out the product video, and all the related links below: Product page: PocketCPR... Press release: Pocket-Sized CPR Rescue Device Enabled by Analog Devices' MEMS Motion Sensing Technology ... More: Zoll Medical, Palm-Sized CPR Device for Sudden Cardiac Arrest... Flashback: iPhone CPR App Analyzes, Helps Improve Chest Compressions... Michael

Viatronix Inc. out of Stony Brook, NY has announced 510(k) FDA clearance for the first virtual colonoscopy CAD system available in the US. Along with the approval, the company has released a new version of the V3D-Colon software that has been used in much of the rest of the world since early 2009. Some details from Viatronix: The optional VeraLook Colon CAD module provides a list of CAD marks which are displayed in a numbered list along with bold colored markers on both 2D and 3D images while navigating through the Viatronix V3D-Colon interface. In a Virtual Colonoscopy, the colon is inflated with carbon dioxide introduced through a small rectal tube. Spiral CT Colonography images are then taken in seconds, yielding one-millimeter resolution in the axial and sub-millimeter resolution in the plane directions with excellent contrast between the colon wall and the lumen. Advanced image segmentation creates a clean 3-D colon reconstruction and computer graphics enable easy navigation through it. V3D comes ready to use as a "turn-key" Virtual Colonoscopy system. No setup or extensive computer knowledge is required, although all users must be trained in the use of V3D. All of the necessary hardware and software needed for interactive virtual diagnosis-based on supplied CT Colonography or MRI images-is contained in V3D. Press release: Viatronix Incorporated announces the latest release of its V3D-ColonR software now offering the first 510(k) approved colon CAD for the U.S. market... (.pdf) Product page: V3D-Colon... Flashback: iCAD VeraLook Automatic Colon Polyp Detector... Michael

With the help of X-ray crystallography, a team of investigators from Penn State were able to peer inside the nucleosome core as it interacts with a chromatin protein Penn State press office explains the significance of such an "atomic view" of how a protein interacts with the histone and DNA components of the nucleosome: As the genetic blueprint of life, DNA must be deciphered or "read," even when densely packed into nucleosomes. The nucleosome is therefore a key target of genetic processes in a cell and a focus of scientific investigations into how normal and diseased cells work. Previous studies at Penn State and other research institutions led to the discovery of chromatin enzymes -- proteins that act to turn specific genes on or off by binding to the nucleosome. Since the three-dimensional structure of the nucleosome was determined 13 years ago, scientists have wondered how chromatin enzymes recognize and act on the nucleosome to regulate gene expression and other processes in a cell. "We needed to visualize how these enzymes are able to read such a complicated structure as the nucleosome," Tan said. [Song Tan is an associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Penn State- --ed.] To tackle this problem, Ravindra D. Makde, a postdoctoral member of the research team led by Tan, grew molecular crystals of the protein RCC1 (regulator of chromosome condensation, a protein critical for proper separation of chromosomes during cell division) bound to the nucleosome, and used X-ray crystallography to determine the atomic structure of the complex. "Our results showed that the RCC1 protein binds to opposite sides of the nucleosome -- similar to pedals positioned on a tricycle wheel." The structure provides atomic details of how an enzyme can recognize both DNA and components of the protein core of the nucleosome. Unexpectedly, the structure also showed how DNA can stretch as it wraps into a nucleosome. Press release: First picture of genetic processes inside cell developed at Penn State... Abstract in Nature: Structure of RCC1 chromatin factor bound to the nucleosome core particle... Michael

If you've ever had a cold, diarrhea, or pink eye you are probably familiar with the adenovirus. This virus has been a subject of research interest for a long time, but due to its massive size (it is the largest non-enveloped virus), its atomic structure has never been mapped... that is until now! Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute finally were able to unlock the secrets of the contagion by applying a tried and true method, x-ray crystallography, but with some more finesse. By utilizing a robotic system and a powerful new x-ray beam, scientists were finally able to map the atomic structure of the biggest virus mapped thus far. Adenovirus is of particular interest to scientists for its possible use in gene therapy. By better understanding the atomic structure, the virus can be better utilized to target specific cells for therapy. Press release: Scripps Research Scientists Unveil Structure of Adenovirus, the Largest High-Resolution Complex Ever Found Abstract in Science: Crystal Structure of Human Adenovirus at 3.5 Å Resolution... jhbarad

A small (n=10) Phase 1 study published in Science Translational Medicine this week shows that synthetic corneas performed as well as cadaver harvested corneas over a 24 month followup. From the abstract: The biosynthetic implants remained stably integrated and avascular for 24 months after surgery, without the need for long-term use of the steroid immunosuppression that is required for traditional allotransplantation. Corneal reepithelialization occurred in all patients, although a delay in epithelial closure as a result of the overlying retaining sutures led to early, localized implant thinning and fibrosis in some patients. The tear film was restored, and stromal cells were recruited into the implant in all patients. Nerve regeneration was also observed and touch sensitivity was restored, both to an equal or to a greater degree than is seen with human donor tissue. Vision at 24 months improved from preoperative values in six patients. While there are enough cadaver corneas to go around in the US (some are exported as well) they require immunosuppresion and the rest of the world, for various reasons, does not have as ready a supply. The study was an international effort, with the collagen produced by FibroGen in the US, shaped into corneas by University of Ottawa Eye Institute in Canada, and implanted into patients in Sweden. Abstract in Science Translational Medicine: A Biosynthetic Alternative to Human Donor Tissue for Inducing Corneal Regeneration: 24-Month Follow-Up of a Phase 1 Clinical Study Press release: FibroGen Announces Results of 2-Year Study Demonstrating that Biosynthetic Corneas Formulated with Recombinant Human Type III Collagen Restore Vision and Promote Nerve Regeneration Image credit: BlakJakDavy... Dan Buckland

Researchers at North Carolina State University have created tiny plastic microneedles using which they were able to deliver quantum dots under the skin. Quantum dots are being looked into by scientists for their light affecting properties as potential tools in cancer diagnosis. The new advance may help design quantum dot technology in the fight against skin cancers. The researchers created the plastic microneedles and tested them using pig skin, which has characteristics closely resembling human skin. Using a water-based solution containing quantum dots, the researchers were able to capture images of the quantum dots entering the skin using multiphoton microscopy. These images show the mechanism by which the quantum dots enter the layers of skin, allowing the researchers to verify the effectiveness of the microneedles as a delivery mechanism for quantum dots. The imaging method used in this study, multiphoton microscopy, may have clinical applications for real-time imaging of dyes – such as quantum dots – in the skin. This could contribute to more rapid diagnosis of cancers or other medical problems. The study is also significant because it shows that a laser-based rapid prototyping approach allows for the creation of microneedles of varying lengths and shapes. This will allow physicians to create microneedles that are customized for treatment of a specific condition. Specifically, the microneedles were created using two-photon polymerization, an approach pioneered by NC State and Laser Zentrum Hannover for use in medical device applications. Two-photon polymerization allowed the researchers to create hollow, plastic microneedles with specific design characteristics. Press release: Microneedle, Quantum Dot Study Opens Door To New Clinical Cancer Tools...... Michael

As any medical student well knows, the initial treatment for spontaneous pneumothorax is a placement of a small-bore IV or pigtail catheter into the chest in the 2nd intercostal space at the mid-clavicular line, followed by aspiration of air from the pleural space. When up to 4 liters of air in adults are removed, the lung should re-expand itself. Cambridge Consultants think they can make this old process a little more intelligent by optimizing the pressure and flow rate of the aspiration process, and providing necessary data. The company claims that its new device, dubbed Breathe™, can measure the volume of aspirant and control the negative pressure and flow rate. They hope their technology will give physicians a better idea of the dynamics happening while they work the syringe. Cambridge Consultants is looking for partners to help commercialize the device. Automatic aspiration for PSP increases the dynamism of the treatment process and creates a host of beneficial outcomes. For one, the operator must engage with accurate, real-time data about the volume and pressure in the patient's chest cavity. And in a regulatory environment where data is becoming ever more important, the device's diagnostic capabilities provide useful statistics about the body's environment and its reaction to aspiration. Meanwhile, doctors have a new tool in which they can make more educated decisions about their patients. Furthermore, since researchers have never had such data to work with, new and unforeseen conclusions about PSP may arise from the analysis of automatic aspiration intelligence. Press release: Breathe™ easy: Cambridge Consultants technology adds intelligence and automation to aspiration procedures... Michael