Friday, November 30, 2007
Japanese Do It Again: A Scary Robotic Intraoral Experience
Filed under: Dentistry
Simroid, a robotic model of a dental patient by Japanese Kokoro Company Ltd., has been spotted at the 2007 International Robot Exhibition in Tokyo, according to Pink Tentacle.
More at Pink Tentacle...
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Friday, November 30, 2007
ARIA Through-Wave Holographic Ultrasound Breast Imaging System
Filed under: Ob/Gyn
, Radiology
, Surgery
Advanced Imaging Technologies, Inc. (AIT) ( Richland, WA) has announced at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) that its ARIA ultrasound breast imaging system is now equipped for image-guided biopsy. The device is the winner of 2007 Frost & Sullivan's Technology Innovation Award for ultrasound devices. In essence, the ARIA imaging system uses the diffractive properties of sound combined with holography (HU) to create highly-detailed, dynamic three-dimensional images of breast tissue. In transmission optical holography an image is obtained using the interference of two coherent acoustic sources, one being the transmitted wave and the other one, a reference wave. The resulting image is a true hologram.
The company believes that its system delivers better sensitivity for detection of masses in women with dense breast tissue. Furthermore, the company claims that ARIA delivers higher spatial and contrast resolution than regular mammography, or a standard ultrasound.
Features, taken from the product page:
Automated image acquisition of volumetric data sets User-friendly interface Real time image review Standardized, multi-planar imaging protocol Cost-effective Workflow efficiencies No special infrastructure requirements Minimal maintenance One day installation for a standard patient examination room Multiple reimbursement opportunities
Product page and videos: ARIA ultrasound breast imaging system ...
Press release: Through-Wave Ultrasound: Effective, Economical and Ideal for Breast Imaging, Biopsy ...
(hat tip: MTB Europe)
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MIT Radar Technology vs Breast CA
Filed under: Oncology
MIT is reporting that the online Nov. 25 issue of the journal Cancer Therapy contains a multi center study showing that microwave energy is a promising method for tumor ablation, and could be used synergistically with chemotherapy for treatment of breast carcinomas. A two channel 915 MHz focused microwave adaptive phased array thermotherapy system, called Microfocus APA-1000 Breast Thermotherapy System, from Celsion Corporation was used in this study. The device is based on technology originally developed at MIT in the 1980s as a tool for missile detection.
MIT explains:
In this study, large tumors treated with a combination of chemotherapy and a focused microwave heat treatment shrunk nearly 50 percent more than tumors treated with chemotherapy alone...fifteen patients received two microwave heat treatments, known as thermotherapy, along with four rounds of chemotherapy before surgery. The goal was to shrink tumors sufficiently to enable a breast-conserving lumpectomy procedure instead of the expected, and more invasive, mastectomy. Surgeons concluded that fourteen of the tumors shrunk enough for this to be possible.
In 1990, Dr. Alan J. Fenn, a senior staff member at MIT's Lincoln Laboratory, adapted the thermotherapy treatment from a system that used focused microwaves to detect missiles and block out interfering enemy signals.
"It's a very simple idea that can be applied to the treatment of many different cancers, including breast cancer," Fenn said.
The microwaves, delivered by two applicators placed near the breast, kill the cancerous tissue while preserving normal breast tissue by targeting tumor cells that contain high amounts of both water and ions, Fenn explained. When the microwave energy passes through the tumor, the water molecules begin to vibrate and generate heat through friction. This process eventually elevates the cancer cells to a "high fever" of at least 108 degrees Fahrenheit in most cases, killing them.
"The treatment is well tolerated," said Dr. Mary Beth Tomaselli, medical director at Comprehensive Breast Center in Coral Springs, Fla., and a surgeon who was also a co-investigator in the study. "The patients who have gone through it had minimal side effects and positive results."
This is the fourth clinical trial of the therapy since 1999. In a Phase-I safety trial using microwave heat alone, researchers found that both small and large breast tumors could be decreased in size between 30 and 60 percent. In a Phase-II dose-escalation trial for small tumors, scientists increased the amount of heat until 100 percent of the tumor cells were killed, prior to the patients' receiving a lumpectomy.
Next, researchers treated similar early-stage tumors and noticed that after the surgical removal, none of the patients had tumor cells remaining at the edge of the incision. This is important because additional breast surgery and/or radiation therapy are often recommended for patients that have cancer cells close to the edge of the lumpectomy surgical margin.
Of note, Celsion Corporation is actively working on developing its propriety ThermoDox™ chemotherapy agent, a heat activated liposomal encapsulation of doxorubicin, a drug currently in Phase I studies for liver cancer and loco-regionally advanced recurrent breast cancer. The drug used in the trial was anthracycline.
MIT radar technology fights breast cancer ...
The study: Study of preoperative focused microwave phased array thermotherapy in combination with neoadjuvant anthracycline-based chemotherapy for large breast carcinomas (.pdf) Cancer Therapy Vol 5, 401-408, 2007
Product page: ThermoDox™ ...
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Thursday, November 29, 2007
Ins and Outs
Filed under:
Related: Health Blog Interview: CEO, Red Wine in a Pill, Inc. ...
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Point-of-Care Device for Pathogen Detection
Filed under: Emergency Medicine
, Medicine
, Military Medicine
, Surgery
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), part of the National Institutes of Health, is throwing $8.5 million of our (and your) hard-earned money to establish the UC Davis-Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Center for Point-Of-Care Technologies to speed the detection of bloodstream infections.
Here's what the partnership is planning to accomplish:
The grant... will fund the development of two prototype instruments that simultaneously detect five bacterial and fungal pathogens. The grant also funds evaluations of other exploratory diagnostic technologies intended to prepare the nation for future disasters."The goal of our center is to improve the accessibility, portability and field robustness of POC instruments for critical-emergency-disaster care in community hospitals, rural areas and disaster response sites," said Gerald Kost, professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and director of the POCT-CTR at UC Davis Health System.
Events during Hurricane Katrina demonstrated the basic feasibility of POCT, but follow-up laboratory experiments showed that current equipment is not adequate for field use, said Kost, the grant's principal investigator.
"We need rapid diagnostics and rugged instruments for use in disasters," Kost said. "Rescues were slowed during Katrina because hospitals were out of commission. Doctors didn't have adequate tools needed to make fast diagnoses; treatment was delayed. Instruments could not stand the environmental stresses."
"Research is needed to develop field-worthy, battery-operated devices robust enough to withstand extreme ranges of humidity, temperature and altitude encountered during rescue operations," Kost said. "Reagents, test strips and quality-control materials must withstand the same harsh conditions, because it is difficult or impractical to transport materials in environmentally controlled containers that are either refrigerated or heated."
The diagnostic instruments to be developed will be easy to use with minimal training and rugged, so they can be deployed in challenging environments, said LLNL chemist Ben Hindson, who with chemical engineer John Dzenitis, is directing the grant work at the Laboratory...
Under the grant, the LLNL-UC Davis research team will develop two prototype detection instruments -- one for hospital settings and one that is field portable...
The LLNL Pathogen Informatics Group, with assistance from UC Davis researchers, will use its capabilities to design unique DNA signatures or assays for use with the new instruments. The five pathogens for which unique identification signatures will be developed under the grant are:
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)...
Pseudomonas aeruginosa ...
Escherichia coli ...
Streptococcus pneumoniae ...
Candida ... As envisioned, blood samples would be loaded into the LLNL-UC Davis instruments, which would automatically handle all of the processing steps.
Instead of relying on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, the instruments will use a new DNA amplification method called loop mediated amplification (LAMP).
The LAMP method uses a portion of the Bacillus stearothermophilus DNA polymerase protein, an enzyme that splits the double strand of DNA and allows it to be copied at a single temperature (63 degrees Celsius or 145 degrees Fahrenheit), rather than using multiple cycles of heating and cooling, as PCR requires.
Initially, using a blood sample from one person, the instruments will run a simultaneous test for all five pathogens within one hour. Eventually, the team hopes to outfit the instruments with the capability to run tests for all five pathogens within an hour for several people at the same time, Hindson said.
Several LLNL-developed biodetection technologies, such as the Autonomous Pathogen Detection System, that are designed to protect against bioterrorism, will provide some of the foundational technologies for these new POC instruments.
Or put more simply, the government is now in the business of developing medical devices. By the way, did you notice any lack of innovation from the private sector? We certainly did not.
Press release: NIH establishes UC Davis-LLNL Center for Point-Of-Care Technologies to speed detection of bloodstream infections ...
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3D Mammography Improves Cancer Detection
Filed under: Ob/Gyn
, Radiology
, Surgery
In the latest study, Emory University investigators discovered that stereoscopic digital mammography, a novel experimental imaging modality, "allows clinicians to detect more lesions and could significantly reduce the number of women who are recalled for additional tests following routine screening mammography." The findings of the study--a reduction by 49% of false-positive results--were just presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.
Stereoscopic Digital Mammography (SDM) was developed by BBN Technologies from Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Here's what the company says about its device:
The current standard method to screen for breast cancer is x-ray mammography. In a standard mammographic screening exam, radiologists view the breast in the form of two orthogonal 2D images, which severely limits their ability to derive information about the three-dimensional layout of the breast tissue. Specific limitations in lesion detection with standard mammography include:A true lesion often remains undetected when masked in the 2D images by overlying or underlying normal tissue, leading to false negative examinations.
Overlapping of normal tissue at different depths within the breast, which in the 2D projected image may mimic a true focal lesion, lead to false positive detections.
Information regarding the volumetric structure of the breast that can be derived from the pair of 2D images is very limited and often omits information that can be important in detecting suspicious lesions. With BBN's patented Stereoscopic Digital Radiography system, the radiologist sees the breast in stereo providing a direct, intuitive, in-depth view of the internal structure of the breast. The stereoscopic display workstation developed by BBN consists of a high-resolution grayscale stereo display developed by Planar Systems Inc in collaboration with BBN, and a BBN-developed software application that permits the radiologist to control many aspects of the displayed stereo image.
By providing an in-depth view of the breast, stereo mammography substantially reduces the limitations of standard mammography:
Masking of subtle lesions is reduced by their separation in depth from surrounding normal tissue.
False positive detections are reduced because layers of normal tissue are directly seen to lie at different depths in the breast and don't superimpose to resemble a lesion.
The internal structure of the breast is directly appreciated in depth.
Product page: Stereoscopic Digital Radiography system ...
Emory press release: New Mammography Technology Improves Cancer Detection ...
BBN press release: False-Positive Reports of Breast Lesions Reduced by 49 percent in Clinical Trial ...
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GE Previews New CT Technology at RSNA
Filed under: Radiology
At the RSNA in Chicago this week, GE Healthcare is showing off technology that will soon find its way into a production CT scanner. Promising greater resolution and lower exposure dosage thanks to a new detector material, and judging by what's being released by the competition, it looks like GE has decided to take a different research approach from the others, perhaps choosing not to compete on slice numbers and focusing more on detection.
In this case, said Gene Saragnese, GE's vice president of molecular imaging and computed tomography, researchers have found a way to boost image clarity while reducing the dose of X-ray radiation a patient experiences.The key to this magic lies in a new material the company has developed that serves as a detector of the X-rays after they pass through a patient's organs.
GE describes its gemstone detector as a "4,600-karat megagarnet," but it is a synthetic creation rather than a decorative gem.
"It's the first new detector material in 20 years," said Saragnese. "We anticipate it will mean a 50 percent radiation dose reduction for patients."
The new scanner is a work in progress that has yet to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration, Saragnese said, but the company hopes it will whet the appetites of the docs and technicians kicking the tires at McCormick Place.
More at Chicago Tribune...
Details of the technology at Medical Physics...
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"Curb Your Enthusiasm" As Clinical Tool
Filed under: Psychiatry
, not funny
The New Yorker has a short article on psychiatrists showing television sitcoms to schizophrenic patients, and then discussing with them the awkward social situations that are often displayed. There is some evidence that patients can more easily relate to situations they see on television. David Roberts, a second-year clinical-psychology student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was fishing for the finest source of social ineptness available on television, and discovered Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm, a show highly admired around here.
From the article:
So Roberts began showing TV clips during therapy sessions. Soon he had narrowed his selections down to one show: television's purest expression of social dysfunction, "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Roberts considers Larry David to be the perfect proxy for a schizophrenic person. "On his way into his dentist's office, he holds the door open for a woman, and, as a result, she's seen first," he said. "He stews, he fumes, he explodes. He's breaking the social rules that folks with schizophrenia often break." He went on, "Or the one where Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen invite Larry and his wife to a concert: the night arrives, they don't call, Larry assumes they don't like him, then it turns out he got the date wrong. It's a classic example of a major social cognitive error-jumping to conclusions-that schizophrenic patients are prone to." As the patients watched David flub situation after situation, they laughed, and they willingly discussed with Roberts how they might behave in the same circumstances. "That bald man made a mountain out of a molehill!" one woman called out during a session...Larry David, reached on the telephone in California, said that he hadn't realized how deeply the awkwardness on his show would affect people. "It just deals with how you're supposed to behave," he said. "A lot of the time, it's just me expressing myself freely. I knew that my own mental health was problematic, but should I be worried? I mean, I blow up, too! Is this something undiagnosed? Do I need to see a clinical psychologist?"
More in The New Yorker...
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Wednesday, November 28, 2007
St. Jude Medical Scores with the FDA on Valves with Anti-Calcification Technology
Filed under: Cardiac Surgery
Newly approved Epic™ stented tissue valves from St. Jude Medical, Inc. are identical in design to the super popular Biocor™ valves, but they also feature Linx™ antimineralization technology.
From the press release:
Like the company's Biocor Valve with the FlexFit™ Stent, the Epic Valve features the industry's lowest overall valve height, enhancing implantability. In the mitral position, the valve's low profile reduces the risk of obstructing blood flow into the aorta. In the aortic position, it may provide optimal coronary ostia clearance and reduce the risk of aortic wall protrusion. The new valve will be available in aortic [side image --ed.], aortic supra [upper image --ed.] and mitral models.
More about the anticalcification technology:
At the leading edge of heart valve technology, St. Jude Medical incorporates an innovative anticalcification process into the SJM Epic valve. Developed and patented by Robert Levy, MD, Linx technology works to provide a shield against calcification.
Research suggests that glutaraldehyde, calcium, and phospholipids play important roles in the calcification of bioprosthetic valves. Linx technology acts in multiple ways to combat the calcification process. This technology involves ethanol treatment of glutaraldehyde fixed valves. It has been shown extremely effective in preventing leaflet calcification in sheep mitral valve replacement models and rat subdermal studies.
Unlike any other current anticalcification technology, innovative Linx technology is believed to have multiple effects on cusp tissue, providing a powerful shield against valve mineralization. The action of Linx technology:
Reduces glutaraldehyde toxicity associated with calcification
Removes 99% of the cholesterol and 94% of the phospholipids, which are potential binding sites associated with tissue calcification
Greatly reduces the subsequent uptake of lipids in vitro
Results in stable changes to the collagen triple helix, as evidenced through infrared spectroscopy
Product page: SJM Epic™ Valve ...
Press release: St. Jude Medical Announces FDA Approval of Epic Stented Tissue Valve with Anti-Calcification Technology ...
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Growth Hormone Injection in 3 Steps with easypod™
Filed under: Pediatrics
Here's an interesting device that has slipped through our cracks about two weeks ago. The easypod™ growth hormone (GH) delivery device has now been approved by the FDA, according to Merck Serono S.A., a division of the Swiss company Merck KGaA.
The electronic device is designed to simplify and ease the injection of somatropin of rDNA origin:
In developing easypod™, patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals were surveyed for input on how to improve upon delivery systems for growth hormone therapy. The device was designed to help patients administer a subcutaneous daily injection, reliably and in just three simple key steps. A key feature of easypod™is preset dosing, which means that patients no longer have to set their dose every day. It also tracks the number of doses administered, allowing physicians to monitor patient adherence to therapy.easypod™ is intended for use with Saizen® click.easy cartridges after training from a healthcare provider. Although infrequent, injection site reactions can occur. easypod™ and Saizen® click.easy are available by prescription only.
Product page: easypod™ ...
The product brohure (.pdf)...
The press release is here...
(hat tip: MTB Europe)
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BioScapes 2007 Winners Announced
Filed under: in the news...
Olympus is honoring the best in life science imaging at this year's BioScapes competition. The winner is Dr. Jean Livet for his Brainbow technique that was recently featured on these pages.
The "Brainbow" technique, recently developed in Dr. Jeff Lichtman's laboratory at Harvard, is a method that allows scientists to see more clearly how neurons connect with each other through the complex and intertwined pathways of the nervous system. Each neuron is colored by a distinct combination of red, yellow and cyan fluorescent proteins. Similar to how an RGB television set works, the technique allows the three colors to combine in different cells to produce a wide variety of resulting hues. By using color to trace each neuron's individual path and connections, scientists hope eventually to build detailed maps that will help them understand how the brain works. Livet's picture is a montage of images showing large caliber axons of the auditory pathway and their characteristic calyx-like ends."This winning image reflects the awesome intricacy and beauty of the natural world and it shows how much science and fine art can echo one another," said Stephen Tang, PhD, Group Vice President and General Manager, Life Science, for Olympus America. "But the most exciting thing about these images is the vital stories they tell about our quest to cure disease and enhance life. These extraordinary images are visual records of our current understanding of neurological disorders, cancer, plant science, developmental biology and much more."
Other significant images recognized in this year's competition include several of the inner ear that help shed light on the process of hearing; numerous striking photos of cells and the brain; vibrant botanical images; rat and hen tongues; and four other Brainbow images captured by Dr. Livet and his Harvard colleague Tamily Weissman.
Olympus BioScapes winner gallery...
Flashbacks: The Brainbow: A New Kind of Rainbow; 2006 Olympus BioScapes Digital Imaging Competition
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Acuson P50 Portable Ultrasound System from Siemens
Filed under: Anesthesiology
, Cardiac Surgery
, Cardiology
, Critical Care
, Emergency Medicine
, Medicine
, Military Medicine
, Ob/Gyn
, Radiology
, Surgery
, Vascular Surgery
At the Medica conference in Düsseldorf, Siemens unveiled its Acuson P50 portable ultrasound laptop system. Based on the Apple MacBook, the laptop can be used for anything from echocardiography to browsing through YouTube.
The system provides superb image resolution in B mode and in color Doppler mode. It also includes an integrated stress echo function. It can run several cardiology application packages including syngo Velocity Vector Imaging (VVI) and syngo Arterial Health Package (AHP) which can used to determine a patient's vascular age. Together with syngo Auto Left Heart, these applications turn the P50 into an ideal solution which considerably simplifies and accelerates the workflow in echocardiography and vascular diagnosis.The Acuson P50 is a Microsoft Windows-based PC equipped with such additional functions as Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft Office PowerPoint and many other special image viewing programs. The system's flexible architecture provides for excellent ultrasound images and gives users a number of tools for image post-processing, for generating protocols or for accessing the Internet for additional research. During the examination, the physician is able to view other images, look at technical papers or clarify abnormalities before he making a diagnosis. This gives physicians more flexibility during the diagnostic process.
The Acuson P50 weighs slightly more than 5 kilograms and is easily transported in a laptop bag. When not connected to the Internet, it has up to two hours of battery life, making it fully equipped for emergency situations. The P50 is built off of an Apple MacBook laptop with 2 GB RAM, a 160 GB hard disk and a 2.0GHz Intel Dual-Core Pentium M processor.
(hat tip: The Raw Feed)
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GE Bone Density Truck Unveiled
Filed under: Radiology
GE Healthcare is showing off its new bone mineral density testing truck, a mobile flat-terrain unit on lookout for osteoporosis everywhere. The car, being profiled at the RSNA in Chicago this week, is equipped with the GE® Prodigy&trade DXA scanner, a device using DEXA technology (Dual-Energy X-ray Absorbtiometry).
Hit the road quickly with this pre-configured mobile solution Specifically designed to support your GE® Prodigy&trade DXA scanner Rapid delivery - 45-60 days typical Easy to drive - no CDL required Easy to operate - automated support systems Ruggedized for maximum ROI with minimal upkeep Fuel efficient aerodynamic styling - 15-20% improvement Pre-configured exterior graphics packages Unmatched efficiency and comfort for patients, technicians and DPX Full ADA accessibility compliance with hydraulic patient lift (standard on LX and LSX models) ADA compliant architectural handrail ADA compliant isle [sic] width
Mobile Prodigy Aero truck product page...
GE Prodigy bone densitometer product page...
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LEVA® Disposable Subcutaneous Injector from Bang & Olufsen
Filed under: Medicine
Bang & Olufsen's Medicom has just announced an introduction of LEVA® disposable subQ injector that features a skin sensor and an automatic needle retraction for safety:
From the statement released to the press:
As treatment settings are changing, more patients are undertaking self-administrative medication. An increasing number of patients need the assistance of hand-held drug delivery systems, and as the need for injectable medication is anticipated to grow rapidly in the future, the demand for easy to use and safe injection devices will rise (Dubin, C. in Drug Delivery Technology, Sept. 07).Who knows better what the users want than themselves? When creating LEVA®, we asked patients, nurses and doctors about their needs and preferences in order to provide a state of the art injection solution with safety and ease of use in focus. This provides a profound insight of the crucial features for the users and a special attention to how to obtain better patient compliance.
LEVA® has been created with focus on safety, which is reflected in the automatic needle retraction, shielding the needle permanently, and the skin sensor, avoiding unintended dose releases. Furthermore, the inspection window allows for easy dose confirmation both before and after the injection. After use, the device can safely be disposed of, since the needle is shielded inside the device, and the needle is never visible to the user.
Moreover, LEVA® is disposable and designed for subcutaneous injections of fixed doses, which results in a device that requires only a minimum of user steps, this makes the device accessible for a wide spectrum of patients. The ergonomic, non-medical design and the functionalities of the device are fully customisable for individual requirements.
Product page: LEVA® ...
Press release: Launch of LEVA® Autoject ...
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Tuesday, November 27, 2007
New Old Medgadgets at Phisick Medical Antiques
Filed under: the good old days...
Dr Laurie Slater has been busy collecting antique medical device oddities since we last wrote about his collection and accompanying Phisick website a year ago. The site has grown over time and the collection is nothing short of amazing. Of course, it also serves as a counter argument to those that long for the good old days and repeat the "they don't build them like they used to" mantra.
The image above is of an ear trumpet, a hearing aid made using a conch shell. On the right is a breast pump from the mid 1800's that's unusually made from pewter.
Check out the rest of the collection at Phisick Medical Antiques...
Flashback: Phisick Medical Antiques
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Better Displays for Better Diagnostics
Filed under: Radiology
NVIDIA Corporation and Planar Systems, companies that build graphics cards and specialty video displays, have teamed up to develop a high resolution system based on 10-bit grayscale processing. Current displays can only show 256 shades of gray, since each pixel is represented by an 8-bit code, and 2^8 = 256. The companies believe the new technology will aid with analyzing mammography images, and are showing off the system using Planar's Dome Z16 30 inch 10-bit monitor at the ongoing RSNA conference in Chicago.
Instead of developing specialty hardware, NVIDIA and Planar have developed a method of "pixel packing" that allows 10-bit or 12-bit grayscale data to be transmitted from an NVIDIA Quadro® graphics board to a Planar Dome display using a standard DVI cable. Instead of three 8-bit grayscale channels, now two 10- or 12-bit channels are transmitted, providing up to 864 possible shades of gray at more than three times the image contrast of an 8-bit system.The best part of this display solution is that specialty hardware is not required, making it readily available for use with other radiology functions. Instead of developing a specialty graphics board that supports 10- or 12-bit grayscale, NVIDIA has incorporated the pixel packing functionality into its Quadro™ driver, allowing Quadro FX 4600 graphics or higher to support a wide range of grayscale panels from various manufacturers.
Press release: Breast Cancer Detection Achieves Greater Contrast
Press release: Planar Announces World's First 16 Megapixel, 30-Inch Grayscale Medical Display ...
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New Digital Camera from Leica for Live Cell Research
Filed under: Genetics
, Pathology
This new monochrome digital camera from Leica, designed for high-resolution imaging and recording of living cells, molecular processes and fluorescence specimens, will put on fire even the most heavy-hearted pathologists:
Thanks to state-of-the-art CCD technology, the new camera system achieves maximum frame rates of 20 fps for full frame up to more than 100 fps in binning mode. The highly sensitive sensor and active Peltier cooling ensure a high dynamic range even for low light intensities. The Leica DFC360 FX is the ideal solution for excellent results in live cell imaging.The Leica DFC360 FX will convince even the most demanding user with its performance on PC and MAC systems, intuitive Leica Imaging Software LAS and LAS AF and optimal integration into high-end fluorescence systems of Leica Microsystems such as Leica AM TIRF MC or Leica AF6000 LX. Experiments such as z-stack, multi-channel fluorescence with overlay, 3D deconvolution, time-controlled analysis and many other applications are controlled swiftly and effectively. Ultrafast and uncomplicated data transmission is ensured by the Firewire 1394b interface.
The light sensitivity and the frame rate can be further enhanced by binning (over 100 fps with 8x8 binning, for example). Binning and ROI can be used, as can multi-channel experiments with different amplifications, in the fast overlapping mode. The active Peltier cooling minimizes the dark current and guarantees noise-free images even at low light intensities. With shutter speeds of 4µs to 10 minutes and up to tenfold signal amplification, the Leica DFC360 FX offers maximum flexibility. The Leica DFC360 FX proves its full performance potential with ultrafast fluorescence filter wheels, high-precision light sources and perfect sequencer synchronization, satisfying even such demanding applications as Ca++ and FRET experiments.
Press release: Ultrafast, High-Resolution Fluorescence Image Recording ...
Product page: Leica DFC360 FX ...
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Xario XG Ultrasound from Toshiba
Filed under: Anesthesiology
, Cardiology
, Critical Care
, Emergency Medicine
, Medicine
, Ob/Gyn
, Radiology
, Surgery
Having recently received FDA approval, Toshiba is displaying its Xario XG Ultrasound system at the RSNA conference in Chicago. Featuring Toshiba's new "4D" image processing technology, which according to Dr. Sara O'Hara, professor of Radiology and director of Ultrasound at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, "gives physicians the ability to review a volumetric image of a patient after they have left the scan room." The system, that also sports an 19 inch monitor, "the smallest probes available on the market," and some fresh software, is capable of the following:
Advanced Dynamic Flow™, which accurately displays blood flow with directional information, even for tiny vessels, and improves diagnoses. ApliPure, which uses real-time spatial and frequency compounding technology to deliver clearer image quality. QuickScan, one touch auto optimization for 2D and Doppler imaging. Trapezoid, which provides wide or expanded field of view imaging.
Unusual video promoting an ultrasound system using Xario the Superhero hinting at a Robert Rodriguez entry into medical device advertising...
Product page...
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RADREX-i X-ray from Toshiba
Filed under: Radiology
More news from the big guns at the RSNA 2007, as Toshiba is profiling its new interventional fluoroscopy system RADREX-i.
Autotracking - a feature that provides tube and detector synchronization for table and wall stand tracking. This feature saves time by eliminating the repetitive need to manually position the X-ray tube and detector. Autocollimation - a feature that automatically selects the correct collimation size for the patient's body part.
This new feature automates the preparation, saving crucial time for the patient and technologist, especially when several X-rays need to be performed.
Autoprogram select - a feature that selects the correct program for each specific X-ray procedure. Instead of manually selecting the program on the generator, the technologist now can rely on Autoprogram to show only those programs needed for a specific examination. Autopark - a feature that raises the X-ray tube out of the way after the exam, giving the patient room to safely sit or stand up following the procedure. 
This robust system also features a 600-pound capacity high-table, a stronger X-ray tube and an 80-kilowatt generator, making it the versatile and cost-effective choice for imaging centers and hospitals that see a variety of patients.
Press release: TOSHIBA PREVIEWS NEW AUTOMATED RADREX-i X-RAY SYSTEM AT RSNA
Japanese RADREX-i Product Page...
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» AquilionONE CT from Toshiba Cleared by FDA (November 27, 2007)
» Ins and Outs (November 26, 2007)
» Remote Drug Activation for Tumor Targeting (November 26, 2007)
» Artis zee from Siemens (November 26, 2007)
» Gold Nanoparticle That Moves Back and Forth Between Water and Oil (November 26, 2007)
» Siemens ACUSON S2000 (November 26, 2007)
» MAMMOMAT Inspiration from Siemens (November 26, 2007)
» Interesting Radiographs on Flickr (November 26, 2007)
» MAGNETOM Verio MRI from Siemens (November 26, 2007)
» New Surgical Instruments from KLS Martin Group (November 26, 2007)
» Germans Deliver Better Baby Scales (November 26, 2007)
» Seaweed-based Scaffold to Shelter Stem Cells (November 21, 2007)
» A Note (November 21, 2007)
» FDA OK's EverOn™ Monitor (November 20, 2007)
» Scientists ID Proteins Key to Brain Function (November 20, 2007)
» Nanowire-based Electronic Nose (November 20, 2007)
» Philips Electronic Drug Delivery Pill (November 20, 2007)
» CureHunter.com Aims to Distill Evidence Based Medicine into 1 Mouse Click (November 20, 2007)
» iMedicor Portal for Medical Professionals (November 20, 2007)
» The Fight Is On for Drug That Lengthens Eyelashes (November 19, 2007)
» Reflectance Pulse Oximetry from SPO Medical (November 19, 2007)
» The RTX Telehealth Monitor (November 19, 2007)
» Antimicrobial Plastics from HeiQ (November 19, 2007)
» DNA Portraits™ by DNA 11 (November 19, 2007)
» FusionOptic™ Technology from Leica (November 16, 2007)
» Alfred E. Mann and Technosphere Insulin (November 16, 2007)
» New X-ray System from Siemens Features Wireless Image Detector (November 16, 2007)
» Surety™ Needle (November 16, 2007)
» Laser-based Detection of Decompression Sickness (November 16, 2007)
» Lung-on-a-chip Device Is Offering Pathophysiology Insights (November 16, 2007)
» Get Serious and Lose Some Fat with a Remote Monitoring System (November 16, 2007)
» Speech Prosthesis Project: Talking Directly with the Brain (November 16, 2007)
» HealthGrid.US (November 16, 2007)
» System on a Chip for Embedded Medical Devices (November 16, 2007)
» ComforTrac Cervical Home Traction System (November 14, 2007)
» CardiAid Defibrillator (November 14, 2007)
» VaproSure™ Room Sterilizer Fights MRSA Like There Is No Tomorrow (November 14, 2007)
» EMS and Meth Labs (November 14, 2007)
» LIVE:ON - Save Sperm Away for a Brighter Day (November 13, 2007)
» Brain2Robot Project (November 13, 2007)
» EndoCAD: A Real Time Upper GI Reference System (November 13, 2007)
» Magnetocapsules for Future Diagnosis and Treatment (November 13, 2007)
» Tessellation of Brain MRI Images to Help with Surgical Planning (November 13, 2007)
» Non-Invasive Method to Visualize Neurogenesis In Situ (November 13, 2007)
» Put Your Menstrual Flow to Work with C'elle (November 12, 2007)
» ShoePod™ to Get Trials in the US (November 12, 2007)
» Scientists Create Drug-laden Nanoparticles with a Distally Controlled Release (November 12, 2007)
» My iPod, My Cell, My Insulin Pump (November 12, 2007)
» Portable MRI Technology from Aspect Magnet (November 12, 2007)
» Ins and Outs (November 12, 2007)
» We Thank You for the Support! (November 12, 2007)
» Agento™ Endotracheal Tube Promises to Prevent ICU Pneumonias (November 9, 2007)
» Ins and Outs (November 9, 2007)
» hiREC Product Recorder (November 9, 2007)
» The Blind Can See, The Deaf Can Hear... (November 9, 2007)
» The Brainbow: A New Kind of Rainbow (November 8, 2007)
» Nanomed-based Detection of Early Prostate Tumors (November 8, 2007)
» World Community Grid Squeezes Decades of Cancer Research Into Two Years Analysis (November 8, 2007)
» A Strange New Kind of Gift Card (November 8, 2007)
» Virtual Crack That's Not World of Warcraft (November 7, 2007)
» Non-Contact 3D Med Display (November 7, 2007)
» NeuroArm Robot Promises to Revolutionise MRI-guided Neurosurgery (November 7, 2007)
» Breathe Easy MRI Software (November 7, 2007)
» Wheezogram™: Audio Analysis for Monitoring of Asthma (November 7, 2007)
» Scientists Pave Way for Detection and Analysis of Carbon Nanotubes Inside Organisms (November 7, 2007)
» Ins and Outs (November 7, 2007)
» For Mann and Mankind (November 7, 2007)
» NuWav™ USB Ultrasound Probe (November 7, 2007)
» From the Insane Parents Dept: Prenatal Plastic Surgery (November 7, 2007)
» Developing Corneas from Sea Cucumbers (November 6, 2007)
» Miniaturized Wide Angle Ultrasound Probe (November 6, 2007)
» CarieScan™ Takes Aim at X-Rays (November 6, 2007)
» Wilhelm Reich and Orgone Accumulators (November 5, 2007)
» CPRGlove™ Making Inroads (November 5, 2007)
» SonoLysis™ Therapy: Stroke Treatment with Ultrasound (November 5, 2007)
» 3M Introduces "Smart" Braces (November 5, 2007)
» Vote for Us, Pretty Please! (November 5, 2007)
» Ins and Outs (November 5, 2007)
» PatchPump™: PCA in a Button (November 5, 2007)
» How The Heart Ages (November 5, 2007)
» A Sneaky Virus: Scientists Discover Hepatitis C Spreads Directly from Cell to Cell (November 5, 2007)
» eBroadcast: EHR Simplified (November 2, 2007)
» Coming Up: Tactile Video Displays (November 2, 2007)
» Another Nose on a Chip (November 2, 2007)
» USB Heat Pads (November 2, 2007)
» Faces of Battle Exhibition (November 2, 2007)
» Virus Killing Laser System (November 2, 2007)
» Opto-Electronic Tweezers from MIT (November 2, 2007)
» Vote for Us: Would Ya? (November 2, 2007)
» Ins and Outs (November 2, 2007)
» Nature on the Web (November 2, 2007)
» $4 Bamboo Microscope (November 2, 2007)
» A Note (November 1, 2007)
