Medgadget

MEDUMAT Easy CPR, an Emergency Ventilator with a Guiding Voice

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:49:43 -0800

German manufacturer Weinmann Geräte für Medizin GmbH + Co. KG, colloquially known as Weinmann, has created a portable voice-guided ventilator optimized for EMR and military personnel performing cardiopulmonary resuscitations in the field.

When you are carrying out life-saving measures, MEDUMAT Easy CPR operating in CPR mode supplies you with unmistakable spoken instructions and gives you the right timing of chest compressions with the help of its metronome. The ventilator also lets you manually generate a ventilated breath by activating MEDUtrigger on the mask. With the timing of the ventilated breath under your control, MEDUMAT Easy CPR can be integrated perfectly in the CPR process.

Top features of MEDUMAT Easy CPR:

voice prompts and metronome function for support of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

spoken instructions help with detection and resolution of problems

simple and safe selection of settings for controlled ventilation:
-- rotary dial for setting of tidal volume and respiratory frequency
-- switch for setting of ventilation pressure limits (20 mbar/45 mbar)

visual and acoustic alarms (LED, alarm signals and voice prompts)

illuminated ventilation pressure display is ideal for use in the dark

small and light and therefore suitable for use at scene of emergency

Product page: MEDUMAT Easy CPR...

Press release: MEDUMAT Easy CPR, an emergency ventilator with voice response for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, gives First Responders ideal support...

(hat tip: German Healthcare Export Group)

S-CUT Slices Through Clothes, Belts, Zippers for Quick Access to Patient

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:01 -0800

Ivor Kovic, our former editor and an ER doc in Croatia, has been very fond of a new clothes removal tool his ambulance service has been using in the last few months. Ivor says that the S-CUT is faster than any scissors and it can slice just about any normal clothing people wear on a daily basis.

From the product page:

S-CUT replaces scissors, knifes and similar tools. Ordinary fabrics as well as leather belts, zippers and heavy outerwear can be easily cut. All you need is a free edge of the clothes where you can start the cut.

S-CUT is designed for optimal ergonomics and provides an excellent grip. Using scissors in heavy materials will most often require a lot of effort. The S-CUT is used with a pulling action requiring minimal effort.

The circular cutting blade is recessed in order to protect the patient and user from injury. The cutting blade can be easily replaced without the need for any additional tools.

Model S-CUT 06-601 also has a slitting function. This extra feature eliminates the need for a free edge
to start the cut. Simply cut a slit into the material wherever you need it.

Product page: S-CUT ...

GE's Vscan, World's Smallest Portable Ultrasound, Now Available Worldwide

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:56:00 -0800

GE Healthcare is finally releasing the much awaited Vscan pocket sized ultrasound. Many in the industry hope that this device offers a chance for physicians to make a move from stethoscopes to portable imaging devices, bringing advanced visualization to any examination room. The unit weighs one pound and is only 3 inches (7.6 cm) wide and 5.3 inches (13.5 cm) long, offering both standard black and white imaging, as well as colored blood flow doppler. GE is touting Vscan's size and capabilities for cardiologists to transthoracically view myocardium, pericardium, and heart valves, and for primary care physicians, as well as OB, ER, and others, to scan the liver, kidney, aorta and peripheral vessels, babies in the womb, and anything else the transducer can penetrate.

Features from the product FAQ:

An online portal provides Vscan users with training tools for the product and basic clinical
applications with sections about imaging technique, anatomy and trouble shooting

Intuitive user interface that can be controlled using the thumb

Intelligent workflow enhancements

Battery charger station and battery life of one hour scanning - good for up to 30 patients based on
average of 2 minutes per scan

Voice annotation

USB docking station

Link to a PC for organization and export of data

Gateway software with services tools and remote diagnostics

Here's our video from a GE event introducing the Vscan:

Press release: GE Healthcare Introduces Vscan™ Pocket-sized Visualization Tool for Point-of-care Imaging

Product page: Vscan ...

Flashbacks: A Closer Look at GE's Vscan Pocket Ultrasound ; More Details About The New GE Vscan Ultrasound System; GE's New Ultra Small Ultrasound May Become as Ubiquitous as Stethoscope

In Emergency, S-SCORT S3 Delivers Scoop, Suction, Sump

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 13:36:24 -0800

When emergency strikes and patient's airway fills up with a massive amount of gastric content, the regular Yankauer suction tip just can't handle the job. So to overcome the limitations, veteran firefighter and paramedic Jeff Rehman developed S-SCORT S3, a new oropharyngeal evacuation tool. Marketed by SSCOR, Inc., Sun Valley, CA firm, the device is described as a "rigid yet flexible large bore suction tip with a concave 'scooping' surface which allows for removal of solids and other material that will not travel through a large bore suction tube."

To learn about the device check out the following video released by SSCOR:

Product page: S3...

Product brochure (.pdf)...

(hat tip: The Denver Post)

UniTam for Intraosseous Administration of Tamiasyn

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:05 -0800

Here's an interesting new idea for an intraosseous Tamiasyn™ gun from designer Aimee Franco. VitalMedix, a Hudson, Wisconsin pharmaceutical startup has a drug candidate called Tamiasyn™, described as "biopharmaceutical that may potentially save thousands of lives annually by sustaining cellular function and protecting cells during and after hemorrhagic shock," which was initially developed at the University of Minnesota by researchers looking into biochemical pathways that animals use to survive stress (such as in deep-diving whales) and hibernation. Even though much of Tamiasyn technology is under wraps, we know the drug is probably based on biologically active ketones, such as β-hydroxybutyrate, thought to provide an organism with an energy boost at the time of hypoxemic or hypovolemic stress.

More at Yanko Design...

(Limited) Tamiasyn info from VitalMedix...

University of Minnesota: Discovery Could Save Thousands of Lives in Emergency Rooms and on Battlefield...

Duluth News Tribune: UMD scientists design blood-loss drug...

UPDATE: Over at FlightWeb forums, user "VMX", who claims to represent VitalMedix, offers more details about the drug...

Virtual Iraq Computer Simulator Helps Tackle Combat Induced PTSD

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 07:17:25 -0800

The US military is famous for employing emerging technologies to assist or replace its professionals on battlefields and beyond. As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continue, psychiatrists at the Department of Defense are now testing a virtual reality system as a therapy tool to address the causes of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Currently, psychiatrists use what is known as "exposure therapy" to have the soldiers repeatedly recall the events that led to the development of PTSD. Many of the soldiers, though, find it difficult to recall the events and to synthesize them in their imagination effectively during therapy sessions. To overcome this problem and to bring a bit of the original reality back, a program called Virtual Iraq is currently being trialed as an aid to traditional imagination based exposure therapy.

Army Medicine reports:

The congressionally-funded medical research study is the first randomized clinical trial that uses active-duty military diagnosed with combat-related PTSD to compare VRET results to traditional "imaginal" prolonged exposure therapy, and to a control group that waits five weeks for any type of treatment.
The study's sample size is 120 servicemembers to complete the three types of treatment options. Treatment sessions for each type of therapy last about 90 minutes, said Dr. Greg Reger, the chief of T2's Innovative Technology Applications division.

Patients undergoing VRET still explain to the therapist what happened that caused the trauma, but are exposed to a variety of computer-generated stimuli with the program "Virtual Iraq." VRET is designed to promote a multi-sensory emotional connection to the memory, thus helping the patient be able to gradually face the traumatic experiences that underlie his or her distressing memories after a number of treatment sessions.

This connection is facilitated by having the patient put on a head-mounted display (over-the-eyes video glasses) and either ride or drive in a simulated convoy, and Reger matches the scenario to the event. Or a Soldier will be given a dummy M-4 with a mounted game controller and conduct a dismounted patrol, and Reger could simulate gunfire.

Reger can customize the simulation experience ensuring ample control of the exposure to the programmed situations - changing weather conditions, terrain, helicopter flyovers, types of attack; even add in Muslim prayer call.

Press release: Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy to combat PTSD...

ZOLL Emergency Defibrillator With CO Monitoring Gets FDA OK

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:53:41 -0800

The FDA has granted ZOLL Medical regulatory clearance to market the firm's new E Series defib that features Masimo's carbon monoxide detection technology. The ability to diagnose CO poisoning by distinguishing oxyhemoglobin from carboxyhemoglobin, and detecting drop in oxyhemoglobin saturation, is particularly relevant for paramedics when responding to fires where victims and firefighters may have potentially become poisoned.

Now with integrated Masimo® CO-Oximetry® carbon monoxide measurement, the E Series allows rescuers to easily and accurately diagnose CO poisoning with the simple push of a button. Recognition is the key to immediate on-scene treatment. With early detection, treatment for CO poisoning can begin immediately, which significantly reduces immediate and long-term health risks for both firefighters and the civilians whom they serve.
ZOLL’s “Street Smart, Street Tough” E Series was designed by EMS professionals to meet the specific demands and extreme conditions that professional rescuers face every day. It features unique See-Thru CPR®, which filters out CPR artifact, allowing rescuers to see organized rhythms without interrupting chest compressions. Like all other ZOLL defibrillators, the E Series also provides Real CPR Help® which improves CPR quality by providing real-time feedback on the rate and depth of chest compressions. The E Series also offers wireless 12-lead transmission for improved STEMI (ST segment elevation myocardial infarction) management.

Press release: ZOLL RECEIVES FDA CLEARANCE TO MARKET E SERIES DEFIBRILLATORS WITH CARBON MONOXIDE MONITORING...

Zoll E Series Defibrillators...

Flashbacks: Easy Hemoglobin Monitoring Without Butterflies, Needles or Catheters ; Rad-57 Pulse CO-Oximetry™; ZOLL R Series Defibrillator with WiFi Given US Green Light; ZOLL R Series Defibrillator for Hospitals

Burnaid for Emergency Cooling of Burn Patients

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:23:48 -0800

Designer Frankie Ngan proposes an innovative new burn cooling pad that could be applied just about anywhere on the body. The Burnaid device would use electrical energy and the Peltier cooling effect to bring the unit quickly down to a temperature around 15°C.

Features of the design:

Temperature controlled cooling

Flexible – wrap around different areas of body

Autoclavable – for sterilization in high pressure steam at 134 degrees Celsius

Thin and lightweight – for greater flexibility and reduce the weight load on the wound

Re-usable – can be autoclaved and re-used

To comply with AS/ISO10993 and AS/NZS3200 standards

Materials used in this product are:

Aluminum Polyester Polythylene Foil – to act as insulators for Peltier cooler and artwork is able to be printed on the first layer

Polyamide film – a substrate with high thermal and electrical properties, used as a flexible printed circuit board which holds the Peltier cooler, Thingery MEC battery and circuitry

Polyethylene Shape retaining plastic – the ability to hold its shape after being flexed, to hold the device after being applied on the wound

Random Copolymer Polyproplene – film used in the water gel pack

Water Gel – to provide the patient with the cooling effect of water and soft cushioning

Xeroform Wound dressing – a non-aherant wound dressing to provide wound protection from physical damage and bacteria.

X2 from Otto Bock Brings Smarts to Artificial Legs

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:37:33 -0800

The US Army is testing a new knee prosthesis from Otto Bock on 30 wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Medical Center. The X2 microprocessor knee was developed to provide more support and give the lower leg a more natural walking gait.

With the older C-Leg, many patients were dealing with knee and joint pain and once they began wearing the new X2, the patients saw relief almost immediately, said Adele Levine, a physical therapist at the center.

Marine Gunnery Sgt. Marcus Wilson, one of patients at Walter Reed testing out the microprocessor knee, said “once I got the confidence to trust the leg, that it would do what it was supposed to do, I almost got immediate relief. No knee pain, hip pain, everything evened out.”

He shared that the leg has given him the ability to stand in any position and rest on the amputated side relieving pressure on his intact leg.

He also shared that the X2 has given him the ability to run again without having to switch to another leg.

The X2 microprocessor knee by Otto Bock HealthCare is the result of a project funded in support of the Military Amputee Research Program. The project is administered by the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, or TATRC.

The project had the goal of developing "an electronically controlled prosthetic knee joint that meets the specific demands of military staff in real-world activity," said Troy Turner, Advanced Technology Research program manager at TATRC.

In 2005, the TATRC staff recognized that even the cutting-edge prosthetic devices weren’t good enough, Turner said.

“Otto Bock had the C-Leg, it was the best that was available, but not the best needed,” Turner said. He also said that they realized Soldiers needed a prosthetic knee with a longer battery life, the ability to walk and run backward and forward and go up stairs foot over foot.

Otto Bock developed a proposal that was later funded and has developed a new knee that has more durability and functionality, extended battery life, remote control functions and can handle higher weight limits.

Press release from Walter Reed: Patients at Walter Reed testing next-generation prosthesis

Otto Bock...

Studying Brain Reaction to Develop Next Generation of Flight Simulators

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:54:18 -0800

European researchers are embarking on a project to improve the realism of flight simulators by studying how pilots perceive motion during critical situations. Their focus will be on discovering how the brain combines motion and visual information, so we can more precisely recreate dangerous maneuvers, to make pilots become better and safer.

One of the problems the interdisciplinary research team seeks to resolve is the lack of an appropriate algorithm to optimize the motion within the limited workspace of any simulator for such extreme conditions. Within the framework of the three-year SUPRA project (Simulation of Upset Recovery in Aviation), their goal is to improve the simulation of such complex flight manoeuvres and to develop a new generation of flight simulators.
At first, relevant training scenarios must be chosen for the experiments. This will be done in close cooperation with professional test pilots, who have already acquired much experience with such extreme conditions. The scientists, under the direction of Heinrich H. Bülthoff at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, hope to discover how pilots perceive aircraft motion during the extreme situations and why they can become spatially disoriented. They are particularly interested in the interaction of vision and signals the brain receives from the balance organs in the inner ear. With the help of a robotic arm, test persons will be exposed to a variety of accelerations, while simultaneously viewing a computer-generated virtual environment. By using the appropriate stimulation of both the visual and balance systems, it is possible to "trick" the brain in such a way that the pilot perceives an actual flight manoeuvre, rather than the laboratory. For example, the scientists are able to give an impression of acceleration with purely visual stimulation, although not actually providing real motion. This perception can be enhanced by providing a suitable actual motion. This type of illusion of motion is used in flight simulators to produce a perception of motion that would not otherwise be possible due to the limited workspace.

More from Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science: A special kind of flight training