Medgadget

Digital Lightbox Brings Minority Report to The OR (No Precognition Capabilities)

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:24:23 -0800

BrainLAB AG, out of Feldkirchen, Germany has recently installed its first Digital Lightbox radiology system in a Munich hospital. Designed to be installed in radiology departments, clinical floors, and operating rooms, the system behaves like a giant iPhone, simultaneously displaying volumetric images from various imaging modalities along with patient information.

Digital Lightbox replaces the conventional light box used to observe analog x-ray images. Connected to the hospital PACS, the new digital platform can be installed both in meeting rooms and in operating rooms, where clinicians can then access, manipulate, and utilize data for surgery planning. By displaying the human body in 3D, Digital Lightbox helps clinicians to more clearly demonstrate to patients what effects a disease can have and which procedures may be necessary.
Digital Lightbox enables clinicians to select the most valuable images from large amounts of existing medical data. Ergonomic touchscreen technology with zoom functionality makes working with data easy and effective.

Clinicians can intuitively navigate within pictures and between settings. Image scrolling can be performed with one finger; zooming in and out of images with two. Images from different sources can also be fused easily. A measure functionality enables clinicians to set size and other dimensions.

By integrating the communication platform iPlan® Net from BrainLAB, clinicians can perform treatment planning with Digital Lightbox or any PC connected to the hospital network. This eliminates bottlenecks, as busy planning stations are rendered obsolete. iPlan Net helps to simplify the clinical workflow and save costs, as well as strengthen and simplify interdisciplinary collaboration between neurosurgery, nuclear medicine and radiology departments.

Digital Lightbox can be installed in any hospital environment and is compatible with all established image formats, such as DICOM, jpg, bmp, tif, png, avi, wmv. Planning data can be transferred directly from Digital Lightbox to surgical navigation systems designed for precise and minimally invasive procedures.

Video demonstrating the Digital Lightbox:

Press release: World Premiere at University Hospital in Munich: Digital Lightbox...

Product page: Digital Lightbox

Long Lasting Spinal Cord Neurostimulator from St. Jude Gains Approvals

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 10:55:49 -0800

St. Jude Medical's ANS Division has received FDA and EU approvals for the EonC™, the longest lasting non-rechargeable neurostimulator of its kind.

The following product features are listed in St. Jude's press release:

The EonC neurostimulator provides a convenient option for chronic pain patients who prefer or require the simplicity of a non-rechargeable medical device. Featuring the greatest battery capacity of any primary cell neurostimulator, the EonC may maximize the time between device replacement procedures...
Proprietary technology (called NeuroDynamix(TM)) which helps deliver stimulation with greater efficiency

Advanced programming capability which allows patients to adjust therapy strength in up to eight pain areas simultaneously and independently

Constant current circuitry which automatically adjusts power output to deliver consistent therapy over time

High power and high pulse frequencies which enable clinicians to adjust the therapy to accommodate individual patient needs

EonC is the only 16-contact, constant current, non-rechargeable system for SCS therapy

Press release: St. Jude Medical Receives U.S. and European Approvals of EonC, the First Extended-Life Primary Cell Neurostimulator for the Treatment of Chronic Pain

Product page: Primary Cell IPG Systems

Color Changing Crystals for Detecting Brain Trauma

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:02:10 -0800

University of Pennsylvania Professor Shu Yang has developed a crystalline material which may aid in the diagnosis of brain trauma for soldiers in the field. The crystal patch, which can be applied to a soldier's uniform, will change shape and therefore color when a shockwave hits the material. Researchers are still unsure as to how color changes correlate to the severity of brain damage and to neurological damage. However,shockwaves from bomb blasts can cause damage to the brain that cannot be detected by CT scanning or MRI. These crystalline-patches can potentially solve this problem and allow for the adequate and prompt treatment of these soldiers. The technology itself seems promising and has the potential to save many soldiers who have brain injuries that may not be apparent on CT or MRI scans.

From BBC News:

MRI scans pick up structural damage, such as bleeds on the brain, excess fluid or skull fractures.
But a shockwave, such as that caused by a bomb can cause damage on a cellular level, with microscopic tears in the brain.

This would not be picked up on a scan but like any brain injury can cause long-term problems with symptoms such as headaches, behaviour change and memory loss.

When a shock wave hits the material, which would be in the form of a thin film, like a small sticker, the crystals would change shape and thus colour.

"Depending on the damage, you'll have different colour intensities," said Professor Yang [Shu Yang, University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia]. "Based on that information we can extract how much force the soldier has received."

Physio-L Lumbar Artificial Elastomeric Disc Gets EU OK

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 09:06:57 -0800

Nexgen Spine Inc., a New Jersey firm, has received EU approval to market its Physio-L® Lumbar Artificial Disc, a device based around polymeric elastomers. The material, according to the company, provides both strength and elasticity to better mimic natural disc performance.

From the product page:

The Physio-L™ Artificial Lumbar Disc is a weight bearing artificial intervertebral lumbar disc implant indicated for use between L3 and S1 in skeletally mature patients with degenerative disc disease (DDD). The device closely matches the physiologic properties of the intact human intervertebral disc and is comprised of a superior and inferior titanium endplate and a central elastomeric core.
Single durometer poly-carbonate polyurethane core material selected for its static mechanical properties and biodurability

Elastomeric Core Geometry
1) Core deseign allows for physiologically unconstrained center of rotation and enhanced fatigue resistance.
2) Designed to restore normal range of motion n flexion/extension, lateral bending and torison.

Dome Design
1) Titanium porous coated endplate dome for ingrowth.
2) 3mm high dome shape optimized to fit anatomic shape of the endplates.
3) Central keel to assist in achieving initial implant stability.

Press release: Nexgen Spine Receives CE Mark Approval for the Physio-L(R) Artificial Disc

Product page: Physio-L Artificial Lumbar Disc

Video...

Hydrogel as a Repair Device for Torn Cartilages

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 09:37:25 -0800

Researchers at the University of Bradford's School of Engineering and the university's spinoff called AGT Sciences have been working on a new hydrogel with potential applications in orthopedics, wound care, and other clinical disciplines in which connective tissue matters.

Here's what AGT says about its product, promoted as "cartilage repair gel":

Our hydrogel is made up almost entirely of water, yet can thicken to produce a substance 100-1000 times stronger than any other gel of its kind.
This is because it is composed of two very long elastic-like molecules that form strong covalent bonds with each other to form a 3D network, like a cage, that holds the water. By adjusting the number of bonds, the physico-chemical properties of the gel can be manipulated to make it thick, thin or sticky. The gel also has the capability to hold molecules of other substances, whether water soluble or water insoluble (e.g. oil).

Much of the company’s development has been undertaken using polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) as the co-polymer. Our innovation, derived from research undertaken by our scientists at the University of Bradford, is a unique cross-linker, "PD2000", that is capable of bonding with a range of copolymers to form materials with a unique combination of useful properties.

A summary of the features of this technology includes:

Physical and Chemical Properties Able to form a wide range of hydrogels with different physico-chemical properties

Able to vary the physical form ranging from liquid to a solid

Solid can be formed with very high water content (90%+)

Cross-linking reaction can complete unaffected by the presence of other substances

Very high mechanical strength maintained even with high (90%+) water content

Can be extruded into films

Temperature and radiation resistant

Cross-linking reaction is reversible when desired

Release and Absorption Properties

Can be used for sustained release of incorporated substances by virtue of zero order kinetics

Can be used to generate microemulsions – with the added capability of being able to ‘burst’ and release

Hygrostatic – maintains level of hydration

Toxicity and Cell Biology

Non-toxic and meets current safety regulations

Intrinsically bacterostatic

Can be used as a medium for tissue growth

Product page: AGT Sciences hydrogel...

University of Bradford press release: Cartilage repair gel will improve quality of life...

NeuroPace: Maybe First Since Jesus to Prevent and Treat Epilepsy

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 08:25:22 -0800

We recently profiled the work by NeuroVista, a company developing an implantable oncoming epileptic seizure detector. NeuroVista seems to be very secretive about its work, and their technology has yet to begin any clinical trials.

In response to our NeuroVista story, we were contacted by NeuroPace, a Mountain View, California firm that's working on essentially the same problem, but is already wiring up patients' brains in a multi-hospital study. Unlike NeuroVista, NeuroPace's RNS™ System is touted not only to detect an oncoming seizure, but is also designed to send an electric signal in attempt to disrupt the gathering electrical storm inside the brain.

From NeuroPace about their device:

The implantable components are the RNS neurostimulator and leads (tiny wires containing electrodes). The RNS neurostimulator is a battery-powered, microprocessor-controlled device that is placed within the skull and beneath the scalp by a surgeon. It is connected to one or two leads that are placed within the brain or resting on the brain surface in the area of the seizure focus. The RNS neurostimulator and leads are implanted by a neurosurgeon during a two- to five-hour procedure.
External components include a programmer and a data transmitter. Both devices use proprietary software that enable communication with an implanted RNS neurostimulator.

Physicians use the programmer to non-invasively program the detection and stimulation parameters of an implanted RNS neurostimulator. Additional features of the programmer include the ability to view the patient's electrocorticographic (ECoG) activity (electrical activity in the cerebral cortex) in real-time. Patients use the data transmitter at home to transmit ECoGs and other information that has been stored in the RNS neurostimulator to a secure Web-based patient data management system. Physicians can review and analyze this information over the Web in-between the patient’s office appointments to help with patient management.

By continuously monitoring brain electrical activity, and after identifying the “signature” of a seizure’s onset, the RNS System can deliver brief and mild electrical stimulations with the intention of suppressing the seizure.

NeuroPace company page...

RNS System clinical trial information page...

V Series Neuro Clot Retrievers from Concentric

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 11:59:16 -0800

Concentric Medical, maker of brain clot removing devices out of Mountain View, California, is releasing a new line of clot retrievers, the V series, to be used with the firm's Merci catheter system.

The distal end of the latest Retriever is tightly coiled, which resists stretching and assists in dislodging clots. The proximal end of the V series Retrievers is more loosely coiled, which facilitates wrapping and holding a dislodged clot. Similar to Concentric Medical's L family of Retrievers, the V series of Merci Retrievers incorporate filaments that provide an additional mechanism for securing blood clots during retrieval from the brain. The V series of Merci Retrievers will be available in diameters of 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0 millimeters.
The Merci Retriever® is made with a flexible, shaped Nitinol wire that allows delivery of the Retriever in linear form using standard catheterization techniques. A neurointerventionalist makes a small puncture in the groin to introduce the Merci Retriever into an artery leading to the brain. The Merci Retriever returns to its original shape when deployed in and around the blood clot in the brain.

Press release: CONCENTRIC MEDICAL LAUNCHES NEXT GENERATION FAMILY OF NEUROVASCULAR RETRIEVERS

Product page: V Series

Force-feedback Offerings from Haption

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:45:52 -0800

Via a press release from Virtalis Ltd , a consultancy out of Manchester, UK, we learn about a French company Haption S.A. that is trying to expand the use of its haptic technologies in the medical market, such as for surgical training, rehab, etc.

According to Virtalis,

The Haption range encompasses a small, desktop device with a translational workspace within a sphere of diameter of 120 mm and rotational workspace of 35O in three directions. Top of the range is the Virtuose 6D35-45, which was designed for the 1:1 scale manipulation of virtual objects and has a massive transational workspace up to a sphere of diameter of 450 mm and can exert forces up to 35 N. All Haption products can be easily integrated into Virtalis StereoWorks installations, so that the Haption device is linked to 3D stereo projection in a fully tracked virtual environment.

Aside from engineering applications, Haption is finding new customers in the kinehaptic field where patients overcome their injuries by practicing their fine motor skills. Surgeons who need to stay within a tightly controlled operating envelope represent another important market for haptics. So do nuclear engineers, whose complex operations when dealing with several robots carrying out specialized dismantling and decommissioning work, have found themselves benefiting greatly from virtual force feedback. In hazardous environments, being able to create the physics of an object, practice manipulating it, optimize the movement path and then record that path, has proved to be invaluable.

If you want to check out the brochure for the Virtuose 6D35-45 device, here it is (.pdf)...

Haption company page...

PlasmaBlade System Gets FDA Go Ahead

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:53:33 -0800

Peak Surgical is happy to announce that the FDA has 510(k) OK'ed to market the company's plasma scalpel system for use in general surgery, a device we reviewed back in May. The system touts the precision of a standard scalpel and the cauterization abilities of the bovie, but without the accompanying burning of peripheral flesh and all the smoke.

The video below shows off the technology and demonstrates various cuts using the PlasmaBlade compared to scalpels and bovies.

Peak Surgical homepage...

Press release: PEAK Surgical Receives 510(k) Clearance to Market PEAK® Surgery System for Use in General Surgery...

Flashback: Peak PlasmaBlade Wants to Be The New Bovie

SlimFuse Cervical Plate Goes On Sale

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:31:30 -0800

Having received FDA approval in January for the company's SlimFuse cervical plate, Pioneer Surgical Technology is rolling out the new system for sale in the US.

From the product page:

The SlimFuse is a next generation cervical plate, requiring only one screw per vertebra and allows the surgeon the flexibility to choose between a rigid, semi-rigid, or translationally dynamic system without additional instrumentation.
Compared to traditional systems, SlimFuse's narrow plate width and scalloped cutouts provides improved interoperative visualization and accomodates more lateral placement away from the esophagus. In addition, the system offers the following features and benefits:

* Rotationally dynamic and translationally dynamic options can be configured interoperatively.
* Pivot Bases provide Static or Dynamic Plate function while resisting torsional forces.
* Self-tapping and Self-drilling Screws offer surgical versatility.

Press release: Pioneer® Surgical Technology, Inc. Announces the Market Launch of the SlimFuse™ Anterior Cervical Plate System (.pdf)...

Product page: SlimFuse™...