Medgadget

FiatLux Visualize Free Is Now Free for All

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:11:12 -0800

Medical visualization software company FiatLux Imaging, Inc., from Redmond, WA, has announced that it is making available for download its FiatLux Visualize™ Free application. The software, designed to run on any computer with Windows, is a 2D/3D DICOM viewer for CT and MRI medical data.

To learn more about the software, check out the press release, product page, or video clips embedded below.

Shareable Ink Turns Paper Forms Into Digital Entry System

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:42:06 -0800

At TEDMED last week we spoke with Dr. Vernon Huang from Shareable Ink, a company that provides a digital solution for physician practices that prefer to stay with paper. We were a bit skeptical at first, having seen other "digital pens", but Shareable Ink is impressively simple, ingenious, and intuitive to use.

Link: Shareable Ink ...

GE's Decision Support Software Aims to Bring Efficiency, Safety to Clinical Wards

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:54:52 -0800

General Electric is previewing a new clinical decision support software developed with the help of Intermountain Healthcare hospital system from Salt Lake City, UT. Using years of Intermountain's clinical data from real world situations, the software is designed to monitor dozens of patients, display live data about them, and raise alerts when certain criteria are met. The package would sit on top of an already installed electronic medical record system and would use historical data about each patient to create appropriate alerts and warnings. According to GE, the pilot software will be launched at Intermountain in November and GE will unveil the full solution at the March meeting of the Healthcare Information Management and Systems Society (HIMSS).

Here's Dr. Graham Hughes, Chief Medical Officer & Vice President of Product Strategy for GE demoing the software:

Here's more from our visit yesterday to GE's healthymagination technology showcase in New York:

New Atom Tablets Coming to A Hospital Near You

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:18:54 -0800

TabletKiosk (Torrance, CA) has released three new ultra portable tablet PCs that should find themselves comfortable in a clinical environment. All three are based on the cool running Intel Atom processor, which means lower power consumption and no need for a ventilation port.

Features from the company press release:

eo™ a7330D Ultra-Mobile PC
This newest member of TabletKiosk's family of eo Ultra-Mobile PCs is the first 7-inch tablet to feature an auto-switching dual mode active digitizer / resistive touch screen panel developed by Wacom®, the pioneering leader in pen technology. Business professionals in hospitality, home automation and industrial control systems are also excited about other features of the eo a7330D including its dual, hot swappable battery packs; integrated wireless connectivity; a “fit-in-your-hand” design; and a revolutionary new modular expansion system. By attaching one of the interchangeable expansion modules, the functionality of the device can be customized for specific business applications including scanning bar codes, swiping credit cards and even connecting to enhanced 3G/3.5G wireless wide area networks. Based on high-speed USB Bus technology, the modules are hot swappable and can be removed or switched out without powering down the system.

eo a7330D is powered by the Intel® Atom™ Z530P processor and comes standard with 1.0 GB RAM, 1.8" 80 GB HDD (SSD drives optional), sunlight viewable screen, dual hot swappable batteries, built-in wireless capabilities including GPS, 802.11a/b/g/n Dual Channel WiFi and Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR, and the auto-switching dual mode digitizer/touch screen for highly accurate handwriting recognition and finger touch control.

eo TufTab® a7230XD Rugged Ultra-Mobile PC

The new eo TufTab a7230XD is a rugged Ultra-Mobile PC that surpasses MIL-SPEC-810F specifications and is rated IP54 to provide a lightweight and durable solution for on-the-go professionals working in harsher than normal environments. Featuring the same auto-switching active digitizer / passive touch screen as the eo a7330D, this revolutionary device is ably suited for outdoor fieldwork, data collection, warehousing, mobile point of sale and other work functions which endure extreme handling.

Also powered by the Intel® Atom™ Z530P processor, the eo TufTab a7230XD comes standard with 1.0GB RAM, 80GB HDD (SSD optional), 802.11a/b/g/n Dual Channel WiFi, 2.0Mpixel Still/Video camera with auto focus, dual hot swappable batteries, integrated RFID reader, built-in 1D/2D barcode scanner, 1.0Gb Ethernet, RS-232 Serial port, Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR, and TPM v1.2. Built-in 3G/3.5G WWAN module is optional.
Sahara NetSlate™ a230T

The latest addition to the Sahara Slate PC® line of 12.1-inch slate-style Tablet PCs is the Sahara NetSlate a230T. This new, entry-level touch screen tablet is more affordable option for on-the-go professionals and companies looking for a true slate-style tablet solution, but not necessarily with the enhanced feature-set or processing power of the existing Sahara Slate PC® i400 series of Tablet PCs.

The Sahara NetSlate a230T shares the same body design and form factor of its i400 series siblings, but is powered by the Intel® Atom™ N270 processor and comes standard with 1.0GB RAM (upgradeable to 2.0GB) a 120GB HDD (SSD optional), 802.11a/b/g/n Dual Channel WiFi, Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR and an optional built-in 3G/3.5G WWAN module.

Press release: TabletKiosk Expands its Tablet PC Product Line with a Trio of New Systems Based on the Intel Atom Processor...

Product pages: Sahara NetSlate a230T; eo a7330D and eo TufTab a7230XD...

Some thoughts about the announcement from The Medical Quack...

Web-Based Carestream Cardiology PACS Launched; Features Workstation Interoperability

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:00:06 -0800

Carestream Health out of Rochester, NY is releasing a new web based cardiology PACS. Using one unified platform, clinicians can review historical and current images and videos side by side, create reports for echos, cardiac catheterizations and nuclear cardiology procedures. ECG data management is also included with the ability to interface to different manufacturers' ECG machines.

Structured reporting templates for all cardiovascular applications (cath, echo, vascular and nuclear) with point-and-click access to pre-defined statements along with digital signatures. Formatting is user-customizable and reports can be distributed using HL7, email, automatic print or fax transmissions.

Comprehensive measurement tools for echocardiography applications, including the ability to import measurements taken at the modality. The platform also delivers specialized echocardiography features, including automatic quad screen display for stress echo exams, automatic DICOM calibration and the ability to view imported exams and documents from third-party systems.

An ECG management solution that includes a time-saving worklist and the ability to integrate to multi-vendor ECG carts.

Catheterization reporting tools such as coronary tree annotations for stenosis, stent and graft locations to eliminate dictation and provide a single tool for reporting of echo, cardiac cath and nuclear cardiology.

Nuclear cardiology features, including web-based gated SPECT wall motion review, a 3D cine and localizer tool, as well as viewing and reporting tools.

Press release: Carestream Health Launches New Web-Based Cardiology PACS...

Product page: CARESTREAM Cardiology PACS...

CARESTREAM Cardiology PACS brochure (.pdf)...

The Love Affair with Epocrates' iPhone Applications, and The New OTC Module

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:59:48 -0800

We love medical iPhone applications, but now we're getting the word that we aren't the only ones. Computing Journal is reporting that Epocrates, Inc. has announced that more than 100,000 physicians are using company's iPhone software in their clinical practices. The company further claims that this user load puts Epocrates among the elite top five percent of iPhone developers whose products are used for more than a month after the download.

“With a decade to refine our clinical content and mobile applications, we have established Epocrates as the most frequently used guide at the point of care with physicians using it more than six times per day,” said Jeff Tangney, president and chief operating officer for Epocrates. “The iPhone platform has been a terrific vehicle for us to continue to innovate, introducing new features physicians have fully integrated into their workflow.”

We can only hope this leads to more exciting medical applications for mobile computing not only from Epocrates, but all medical software publishers.

Coincidentally, Epocrates just released an application for the iPhone, Blackberry, Palm, and Windows Mobile that provides detailed information on over-the-counter medications. Here's a video demonstrating the app:

Product page: Epocrates over-the-counter drug module...

Computing Journal: 100,000 Physicians Actively Use Epocrates on the iPhone...

Epocrates: Mobile Products...

Flashback: Epocrates Essentials Now on iPhone...

Electronic Medical Record System Powered by Microsoft Office

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:03:43 -0800

On his blog, Bill Crounse, MD of Microsoft Health is profiling the work of a company that used Microsoft Office applications to create a fully functional EMR system. gloStream Inc. of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan figured that instead of creating a new interface, the company would use something that a lot of people are already comfortable with.

More from Microsoft's Dr. Bill Crounse...

Product page: gloEMR 4.0...

Here's a presentation of the gloEMR 4.0:

Google Health Can Finally Store Your Medical Files

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 00:00:01 -0800

Google Health recently pushed out an often asked for feature, the ability to store files and documents in a user's PHR account. This includes images, .pdfs, and even audio and video files. The standard allotted file storage for each user is a generous 100MB (though each file needs to be under 4MB), enough to hold quite a few X-ray images, lab reports, and doctor's notes.

In the Official Google Blog post, Google not only announced the feature, a one might say, essential addition to any Personal Health Record system, but they've gone a step further and encouraged its use by promoting advance directives.

Confusion about advance directives, the documents that tells medical professionals which sort of life saving or sustaining measures you'd like taken if you're unable to communicate your preferences, often causes problems in near end-of-life situations. Many times, directives are either non-existent, not current, not correctly completed, or not shared with family members. Naturally, when controversy over a medical directive rears its head, the conservative option, full treatment, is generally taken. Advance directives take the guesswork out of what the patient might want, be it all possible treatments, or only comfort and pain control, and can allow for more peaceful end of life. To ease the process of putting together an advance directive, Google has partnered with Caring Connections, that offers them for free, downloadable for all 50 states.

We got in touch with Julie Wilner, R.N., and Program Manager for Google Health to ask about why Google Health chose to highlight advanced directives. She noted that advance directives are "documents that are integral for families who are dealing with terminal illnesses or difficult end-of-life situations. Not having a signed and readily available Advance Directive can cause problems for families and medical professionals who are trying to navigate difficult times." Also, she pointed out that, "a lot of people in these situations assume you need a lawyer to create an advanced directive, when in fact, you can do so freely and easily online. Because Google Health allows users to upload scanned documents, it's easy to store these types of forms in one place and share them with family members and caregivers. We partnered with Caring Connections to point our users to an easy to use resource for creating advance directives and storing them in Google Health."

Link: Official Google Blog...

Product: Google Health...

Cisco and UnitedHealth Join in Telemedicine Effort

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:39:36 -0800

At a DC press conference, Cisco and UnitedHealth announced Connected Care, a joint effort to create a national telemedicine network aimed, at least at first, at serving rural, difficult to access, and underserved patient populations. The technology, consisting mostly of a secure and high quality video/audio link between a telemedicine center and a doctor's office, would likely be supplemented by on-site nurses and equipment that would provide doctors visual and auditory information about basic vital signs, allowing them to listen to heartbeats, lung sounds, etc., all miles away from the patient. The network itself will be open, and Cisco is hoping to create an environment where third party technologies can integrate into the remote clinic and provide doctors and patients with a better experience. The companies just finished a pilot with a bunch of Cisco employees, who reportedly had a positive experience. Six Connected Care programs are currently in development to beta test the concept.

All you men out there better get ready to turn your head, cough, and hold a video camera to your groin.

From the Cisco press release:

Cisco HealthPresence will be one of the principal technologies enabling Connected Care, using video, audio and medical information to create an experience remarkably similar to an in-person visit with a doctor.
To mark the announcement, the companies unveiled today on Capitol Hill the UnitedHealth Group Connected Care mobile clinic – an 18-wheel clinic showcasing the technology and connectivity available through the network.

"In developing advanced telemedicine technologies, we're unlocking new possibilities for how patients can interact with doctors and medical staff. The in-person visit with a doctor is no longer the sole 'gold standard' method for delivering high-quality health care services," said Dr. Kaveh Safavi, vice president Global Healthcare Practice, Cisco Systems, Inc. "Instead, we've now introduced a new care at-a-distance health care delivery model that better connects people, information and processes into one continuum of care. This new technology-enabled delivery model will improve productivity and efficiency in health care while at the same time minimizing costs for access to quality care services."

Press Release: UnitedHealthGroup, Cisco Launch Connected Care, First National Telehealth Network to Expand Health Care Access...

Link: Connected Care...

3D Interactive Imaging With an Intuitive Video Game Interface

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:04:37 -0800

The Des Moines Register is reporting on a volumetric visualization software package developed at the Iowa State's Virtual Reality Applications Center. The BodyViz application, now distributed by Visual Medical Solutions, LLC. of Ames, IA, processes MR and CT scan data into 3D representation and allows the user to navigate through by using a laptop and a standard Microsoft Xbox controller.

Features from the product page:

A user, with an Xbox 360 controller, can rotate, pan, zoom or fly-thru a patient's virtual anatomy. They can create "clipping" or "slicing" planes and move the planes in and out to see the internal structure of the patient. They can also choose from a variety of colors to enhance organs and features of the data. A user can choose what tissue densities they wish to view such as harder tissues (bone, muscle) or softer tissue (fat, skin). Using actual patient data, virtual trocars can be placed in the 3D MRI, CT scan visualizaton to enhance surgical planning. In addition, surgical instrument "paths" can be created on the fly and a user can fly through these paths interactively.

Product page: BodyViz...

More details from Des Moines Register...