Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Peak PlasmaBlade Wants to Be The New Bovie
PEAK Surgical, Inc. from Palo Alto, CA hates the bovie cutter/coagulator. The company cannot stand the 1920's technology behind the bovie, and how its thermal function destroys healthy patient tissue around the cut. What do we hate about the bovie? Well, you know: all those bovie induced burns and destroyed gloves that surgeons are regularly subjected to.
Long story short, PEAK Surgical wants its Peak PlasmaBlade, a cold cutter and coagulator, to be the bovie of the 21st century. The company is quite hopeful: a new study presented in a poster session at the ongoing American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' (ACOG) 56th Annual Clinical Meeting in New Orleans showed that PEAK PlasmaBlade™ "cut freshly excised human abdominal tissue with little thermal tissue injury compared with traditional electrosurgery."
More about the technology:
Electrosurgery was invented in the beginning of the 20th century and became one of the most-often used surgical tools after William Bovie introduced his electrosurgery (radiofrequency) generator in 1926. Since then, electrosurgical cutting has been performed using continuous radiofrequency waveforms, which thermally vaporizes soft tissue via an electrical arc through air and Joule heating. This results in a cutting and coagulation action that leaves a wide zone of collateral thermal damage.By contrast, PEAK Surgical’s PULSAR Generator supplies pulsed waveforms that produce short plasma-mediated, highly controlled electrical discharges through extensively insulated electrodes on a handheld device -- the PEAK PlasmaBlade. Because the radiofrequency is provided in short pulses with low duty cycle (fraction of time the voltage is ON), and the PEAK PlasmaBlade is so highly insulated, heat diffusion and associated thermal damage to surrounding tissues is limited, resulting in greatly reduced collateral damage and extreme cutting precision.
PEAK Surgical’s technology including the pulsed plasma-mediated discharges and electrode insulation techniques were originally developed by Professor Daniel Palanker’s group at the Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory and Department of Ophthalmology at Stanford University. They have been evaluated in ophthalmic applications, including human studies in retinal and cataract surgery – one of the most delicate, precise and difficult types of surgery, and in preclinical studies.
Check out the following product brochure distributed by PEAK Surgical:
Product page: Peak PlasmaBlade...
Press release: PEAK Surgical Announces Positive Results from Preclinical Study of PEAK PlasmaBlade™ for Obstetric and Gynecologic Surgery
Video demonstrating the device...
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Monday, February 11, 2008
Alair System May Become Option for Asthmatics
Asthmatx, Inc., the company developing the Alair® bronchial thermoplasty device to treat asthmatic patients, has released positive results of a latest multi-center study of the procedure.
Bronchial thermoplasty is an investigational procedure in which precisely controlled thermal energy is delivered with a tiny catheter to targeted airway walls of patients with asthma. This procedure is intended to reduce muscle in the walls of airways, and thereby decrease the ability of airways to narrow in patients with symptomatic asthma.The RISA Trial was a randomized trial conducted at a total of eight centers in three countries, and evaluated the safety and efficacy of bronchial thermoplasty in a total of 32 adult subjects, randomized 1:1 between the BT group and Control group with severe persistent asthma who were symptomatic despite taking regular asthma medications.
In this group of patients with severe asthma, an increase in respiratory-related symptoms was expected and observed during the period immediately following the procedure. Most occurred within one day of the procedure and resolved on average within a week. Following the treatment period, respiratory-related symptoms were similar between treatment groups.
Almost 6 months after the procedure, compared to the control group, patients who received bronchial thermoplasty showed clinically and statistically significant improvements in pulmonary function, quality of life and asthma control. In addition, patients in the treatment group used an average of 25 fewer puffs per week of rescue medication than those in the untreated Control group.
All patients then attempted to reduce their inhaled and/or oral corticosteroids (OCS) during a 14-week period. Fifty percent (50%) of bronchial thermoplasty treated patients were able to wean completely off their oral corticosteroids (OCS), compared to 14% of patients who did not receive the treatment. This improvement did not reach statistical significance; however the study was not powered to show statistical significance in medication changes.
One year following treatment, and after the period of medication reduction, patients who received the bronchial thermoplasty procedure continued to show clinically and statistically significant improvements in quality of life and asthma control, and used less rescue medication.
Press release: One-Year Results of Bronchial Thermoplasty in Refractory Asthma
Technology page: Bronchial Thermoplasty
Flashback: The Alair® System for Bronchial Thermoplasty™
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Tuesday, January 29, 2008
SPY Intra-operative Imaging System for Graft Assessment
Novadaq Technologies Inc., an Ontario, Canada-based company, is reporting that its Spy system and other company technologies, such as real-time autofluorescence bronchoscopy, were discussed at an educational program for cardiothoracic surgeons during the ongoing 44th Annual Society of Thoracic Surgery (STS) meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. SPY is an imaging system for intra-operative fluorescence vascular angiography, designed to confirm the patency of grafts during coronary artery bypass grafting, and to assess the coronary vasculature to confirm the location of target vessels.
Here's what the company says about the presentation mentioned above:
Dr. Patrick Ross stressed the clinical importance of using autofluorescence imaging to provide guidance during endoluminal and traditional surgical treatments for lung cancer. Dr. Ross reported the use of real-time autofluorescence bronchoscopy, compared to the gold standard white light bronchoscopy, provides for a more detailed assessment of the patient's anatomy before pulmonary resection, a more accurate assessment for the presence of early lung cancers and the ability to more precisely perform endoluminal therapies such as Photodynamic Therapy. Dr. Ross also reminded the cardiothoracic surgeon audience that autofluorescence bronchoscopy is now recommended in the 2008 American College of Chest Physicians Evidence Based Practice Guidelines for use in detecting cancerous lesions and for guiding surgical treatments in patients with lung cancer.Professor Taggart reported his clinical experience using the SPY Intra-operative Imaging System to optimize the clinical outcomes of his coronary artery bypass procedures, which have been previously published in the literature and confirm the need for intra-operative graft assessment. Professor Taggart's presented clinical results of studies he has performed using SPY. Data reported by others indicating that as many as 30% of all vein grafts may be closed at 1 year post bypass were also included. Professor Taggart stressed that coronary artery disease has become more complex, making coronary artery bypass surgery more technically demanding, which further increases the need for real-time assessment of graft quality. Professor Taggart reported on studies of the clinical utility of available technologies for graft assessment, including a report by Nimesh Desai, MD., et.al, published in The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery in 2006. The randomized study compared SPY and the Transit Time Flow Meter, the two most commonly used tools, to the gold standard x-ray angiography. In the study of 139 bypass grafts, SPY was found to result in 83% sensitivity and 100% specificity compared to 25% and 94% respectively for the Transit Time Flow Meter.
To learn more about the Spy and real-time autofluorescence bronchoscopy, head on to company's website...
Product page: SPY Imaging System ...
Spy system's real-time images ...
Press release: Novadaq Data Presented at 2008 Society of Thoracic Surgeons Meeting ...
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Monday, December 17, 2007
In the Works: Photoacoustic Tomography Device
The New Scientist is reporting about the efforts of Dr. Paul Beard and colleagues from the Dept. of Medical Physics and Bioengineering at University College London to develop a portable surgical probe based on photoacoustic tomography. In essence, the device's technology works on a near infrared laser that is fired into tissue. The laser's energy, once absorbed by the tissues, generates heat, which in turn generates the photoacoustic signals that are picked up by an ultrasound transducer.
Here's how Dr. Beard's Photoacoustic Imaging Group website explains the technology:
The sensor is placed in acoustic contact with the surface of the target tissue, the excitation laser pulses transmitted through it and the resulting photoacoustic signals recorded at different points over the surface of the sensor. From the time-of-arrival of the signals, and with knowledge of the speed of sound, a 3D image of the tissue structure, based upon the absorbed optical energy distribution, can then be reconstructed. This type of imaging instrument has several important advantages over conventional piezoelectric based photoacoustic detection systems. Firstly, the system operates in "backward mode". That is to say, the photoacoustic signals can be detected on the same side and over the same region of the tissue surface that is irradiated with the excitation light, a consequence of the transparent nature of the sensor. This is particularly important for imaging superficial anatomical features, such as blood vessels in the skin, where it would be problematic to deliver the excitation laser beam around an array of opaque piezoelectric receivers. Secondly, the concept provides excellent acoustic performance, with uniform broadband frequency response characteristics (to at least 30MHz) and wideband detection sensitivities (<0.1kPa noise-equivalent-pressure) comparable to piezoelectric PVDF receivers but with much smaller "element" sizes (<50μm) and "interelement" spacings -- the latter being a consequence of the optically addressable nature of the sensor which, in principle, affords near-optical diffraction limited spatial sampling of the incident acoustic field. These attributes make the instrument well suited to high resolution (10μm-100μm) tissue imaging applications - click here to see examples of some of the images that have been obtained with the system.
More from Photoacoustic Imaging Group ...
NewScientist: Laser scanner gives 3D view inside tumours ...
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Thursday, December 6, 2007
Somatom Definition AS: The World's First Adaptive Computed Tomograph
This new CT scanner from Siemens AG is touted to adapt to "virtually any patient and clinical need." The world's first Somatom Definition AS system has just been installed at the University Hospital Erlangen in Germany:
The system is suitable for routine diagnostic work as well as for more complex examinations in, for example, oncology, neurology and cardiology. It is also ideally suited for emergency situations where speedy diagnosis for accident, stroke or heart attack patients are concerned. Even difficult patients - obese, claustrophobic and children - are quickly scanned with high diagnostic confidence. The first system has recently been installed at the University Hospital Trauma Center at Erlangen, Germany. Not only will all clinical situations be accelerated but also examinations of seriously wounded patients will permit faster application of life-saving treatments.The Somatom Definition AS is the first scanner to combine such dynamic components as the Adaptive Dose Shield with a scan field of up to 200 cm and the 78-cm gantry opening. This allows fast and problem-free head-to-foot scanning, even for poly trauma patients. The unequaled high temporal resolution of up to 150 ms -- combined with extremely fast coverage with up to 128 slices per rotation -- makes crystal-clear images possible, free of movement artifacts, of even the finest anatomical details. This permits for example highly accurate measurement of stenosis and/or precise planning for stent implantation.
Another outstanding feature is the new Adaptive 4D-Spiral. The continuous movement of the patient table permits a larger area to be imaged so that entire organs and their functions can be examined with a single scan. In a stroke situation, for example, the entire brain perfusion can be displayed. With previous systems, only a portion of the affected organ could be imaged. "We hope we can diagnose stroke earlier than before. Time is brain. The earlier we get the patient to therapy, the better", said Werner Bautz, M.D., Director of the Institute for Radiology and Medical Director of the University Hospital Erlangen.
Minimal invasive procedures will also become faster and more certain. Biopsies of suspicious tumor tissues can, for the first time, be performed with the help of 3D image guidance. Accurate needle positioning will thereby become clinical routine.
Product page: SOMATOM Definition AS ...
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Tuesday, November 27, 2007
AquilionONE CT from Toshiba Cleared by FDA
At the ongoing RSNA 2007 conference, Toshiba has unveiled its new dynamic volume CT system AquilionONE, a device that features, in addition to improved visualization and productivity, a 650 lb table capacity:
For the first time, physicians can see not only a three-dimensional depiction of an organ, but also the organ's dynamic blood flow and function. Unlike any other CT system, the AquilionONE can scan one organ - including heart, brain and others - in one rotation because it covers up to 16 cm of anatomy using 320 ultra high resolution 0.5mm detector elements. This reduces exam time, as well as radiation and contrast dose, and dramatically increases diagnostic confidence. With the AquilionONE, the organ or area is captured in a single rotation at one moment in time, eliminating the need to reconstruct slices from multiple points in time.
Press release: TOSHIBA'S AquilionONE RECEIVES FDA CLEARANCE ...
Product page...
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Monday, November 26, 2007
New Surgical Instruments from KLS Martin Group
More news from German manufacturers, thanks to recent presentations at the medical devices and technologies conference Medica 2007 in Düsseldorf. According to German Healthcare Export Group, KLS Martin, a surgical device manufacturer, has just released a number of interesting innovative devices:
Another new instrument is the marSeal. It is a bipolar sealing system. The reusable sealing system with the new mar seal instrument secures permanent occlusion of veins, arteries and tissue bundles with subsequent dissection and no instrument exchange required! A great Advantage that carry weight is the cost reduction due to minimized use of disposables. Disposable blade guarantees optimal cutting results in any situation. Modular system with different shaft lengths can be used in laparoscopic and open surgery. Above that an easy cleaning is guaranteed because the instrument can be taken apart completely and is autoclavable at 134°C (273°F).
The newest bipolar sealing system marClamp® in combination with the current type SealSafe® offers the possibility of sealing veins, arteries and tissue bundles. A secure hemostasis can be achieved, comparable to classical hemostasis methods applying mechanical clamps and ligation techniques
The Advantages of the system are time saving, as well as an easy set-up and handling. There is no use of foreign material thus no foreign body reactions and better wound healing is guaranteed.
In oncosurgery the tumour cells are destroyed in the SealSafe® zone Furthermore ensure different clamp sizes a wide range of applications.
The Universal HF generator can be used for all surgical disciplines.
Also, according to the company's press release, they just introduced SoftScan plus R, the new highly sophisticated laser system for robotic microsurgery on the vocal cords.
Check out the following product brochures (all .pdf files) for the devices mentioned above:
marSeal for bipolar vessel sealing ...
SoftScan plus R in combination with micromanipulator "Micro Point"...
German Healthcare Export Group's press release...
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Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Non-Contact 3D Med Display
This new volumetric medical display from the Fraunhofer-Institut für Nachrichtentechnik, Heinrich-Hertz-Institut (HHI) in Berlin offers not only 3D visualization for radiologists and surgeons, but also has a built in function that allows the manipulation and rotation of the image without touch, hence allowing clinicians not to break the scrub during sterile procedures:
The physician leans back in a chair and studies the three-dimensional image floating before his eyes. After a little reflection, he raises a finger and points at a virtual button, likewise floating in the air. At the physician's command, the CAT scan image rotates from right to left or up and down - precisely following the movement of his finger. In this way, he can easily detect any irregularities in the tissue structure. With another gesture, he can click on to the next image. Later, in the operating room, the surgeon can continue to refer to the scanner images. Using gesture control to rotate the images, he can look at the scan of the patient's organs from the same perspective as he sees them on the operating table. There is no risk of contaminating his sterile gloves, because there is no mouse or keyboard involved.But how does the system know which way the finger is pointing? "There are two cameras installed above the display that projects the three-dimensional image," explains Wolfgang Schlaak, who heads the department at the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications, Heinrich-Hertz-Institut HHI in Berlin that developed the display. "Since each camera sees the pointing finger from a different angle, image processing software can then identify its exact position in space." The cameras record one hundred frames per minute. A third camera, integrated in the frame of the display, scans the user's face and eyes at the same frequency. The associated software immediately identifies the inclination of the person's head and the direction in which the eyes are focused, and generates the appropriate pair of stereoscopic images, one for the left eye and one for the right. If the person moves their head a couple of inches to the side, the system instantly adapts the images. "In this way, the user always sees a high-quality three-dimensional image on the display, even while moving about. This is essential in an operating theater, and allows the physician to act naturally when carrying out routine tasks," says Schlaak. "The unique feature of this system is that it combines a 3-D display screen with a non-contact user interface." The three-dimensional display costs significantly less than conventional 3-D screens of comparable quality. Schlaak is convinced that "this makes our gesture-controlled 3-D display an affordable option even for smaller medical practices."
Press release: Non-contact image control ...
(hat tip: gizmag)
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Friday, October 26, 2007
The i60 Robotic Articulating Endoscopic Linear Cutter
Power Medical Interventions Inc. (PMI), a Langhorne, PA medical device company, has announced today the pricing of its IPO, a $11 stock to be sold on NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol "PMII." The company plans to sell 3,850,000 of its shares.
PMI is trying to market its newly 510(k)'ed i60 Intelligent Surgical Instrument™, a robotic articulating endoscopic linear cutter, to general, bariatric, colorectal, gyne, and thoracic surgeons.
Here's what the company says about its first product, which is based on proprietary SurgASSIST® platform:
The i60 Intelligent Surgical Instrument™ is the first of PMI's next generation products, that is controlled by drive motors, motor control circuits and clinician-feedback technology that have been miniaturized and integrated into the handpiece. The instrument is operated with digital controls located in the handle. PMI's first generation of Intelligent Surgical Instruments™ requires a flexible shaft that connects the hand held surgical device to a power console. The i60 Intelligent Surgical Instrument™ does not require a power console or a flexible shaft.At the push of a button, the i60 places four rows of medical grade titanium staples in tissue while simultaneously cutting between them. The i60 Intelligent Surgical Instrument™ also offers articulation capabilities that enable it to mimic the articulation of the human wrist, enabling surgeons to access difficult to reach anatomy. The Company expects these key technology improvements to allow for more flexible manipulation, enhanced dexterity and increased ease of use of its Intelligent Surgical Instruments™.
Product page: i60 Intelligent Surgical Instrument™...
Press release: Power Medical Interventions, Inc. Announces Pricing of Initial Public Offering ...
Press release: Power Medical Interventions, Inc. Receives 510(k) FDA Marketing Clearance ...
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Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Broncus Tech's Emphysema Treatment Showing Promise
Broncus Technologies, Inc, a Mountain View, California company, has announced positive results in a study of their proprietary airway bypass procedure for people with emphysema.
Airway bypass is a catheter-based bronchoscopic procedure designed to reduce lung hyperinflation and improve breathlessness (the clinical hallmarks of emphysema/COPD) by making new pathways for trapped air to exit the lungs. During the minimally invasive procedure, new openings are created in the airway wall connecting the damaged lung tissue to the natural airway. These pathways are supported and kept open by Exhale Drug-Eluting Stents. The hope is to improve quality of life by relieving severe symptoms including shortness of breath and hyperinflation of the chest...
The prospectively defined primary endpoint of this feasibility study was a reduction in residual volume (RV, the amount of air remaining in the lungs after full exhalation) at 6 months. The goal was for a 300mL reduction in RV. Overall the trial surpassed that goal with a 400mL improvement in RV over baseline at 6 months (p=0.04). Patients also showed a statistically significant improvement in the modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale (mMRC), a breathlessness test, of -0.5 points (p= 0.025). Retrospective analysis revealed that patients with the most severe hyperinflation of their lungs (as determined by a residual volume to total lung capacity ratio above the median) derived the greatest benefit from airway bypass. At 6 months after the procedure, these patients showed a mean improvement in RV of 870mL (p=0.022).
Press release: Encouraging Results Reported on Airway Bypass Procedure
Flashback: Poking Holes = New Emphysema Treatment
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Friday, October 5, 2007
Sony's Versatile HD Med Monitor
Sony has announced its new 24 inch monitor for medical applications. This is Sony's first high definition 1080P monitor for the health industry, and features Sony's ChromaTRU color correction system, along with the ability connect to a variety of input signals.
The LMD-2450MD has an advanced full 10-bit digital video signal processor to produce accurate, lifelike images with smooth natural gradations. The monitor also includes a second calibration so that white balance is maintained at consistent color temperatures throughout all grayscale levels. This technology proves invaluable for monitoring simultaneous grayscale levels in operating and monitoring rooms.The LMD-2450MD allows medical users to define multiple display modes such as picture-in-picture and split screen (side-by-side images). The display modes can also be used for special applications such as viewing both live video and captured images simultaneously for more comprehensive coverage of the surgical procedure.
Using an advanced imaging algorithm, the LMD-2450MD performs a sophisticated Interlace-to-Progresssive (I/P) conversion. The method combines adjacent pixels above, below and in the diagonal directions of the image areas where there is movement. The algorithm then inserts a natural pixel to create the absent lines. The result is very smooth image reproduction for both moving and static picture areas.
The LMD-2450MD monitor can accept almost any signal ranging from SD to HD video. Users can also connect output from a PC via the monitor's DVI-D or HD15 connectors. In addition to the standard inputs, the monitor offers users four optional input adapters for use in its expansion slot. This input flexibility allows users to view images from a variety of medical equipment sources including endoscopes. The monitor also provides parallel and serial control (including via Ethernet) as standard.
Press Release: SONY Introduces New 24" LMD-2450MD Color Monitor - Ideal for Surgical Environments and other Imaging Applications...
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Friday, September 14, 2007
Ultrasound That Seals Punctured Lungs
Shahram Vaezy, Ph.D., and colleagues in Dept. of Bioengineering at the University of Washington applied high intensity ultrasound to damaged lungs to try to close air leaks, and found impressive clinical results:
... the high-intensity ultrasound beams focus on a particular spot inside the body on the patient's lungs. Focusing the ultrasound beams, in a process similar to focusing sunlight with a magnifying glass, creates a tiny but extremely hot spot about the size and shape of a grain of rice. The rays heat the tissue and blood cells until they form a seal. Meanwhile the tissue between the device and the spot being treated does not get hot, as it would with a laser beam."You can penetrate deep into the body and deliver the energy to the bleeding very accurately," Vaezy said. Recent tests on pigs' lungs showed that high-intensity ultrasound sealed the leaks in one or two minutes. More than 95 percent of the 70 incisions were stable after two minutes of treatment, according to results published this summer in the Journal of Trauma.
The findings suggest that ultrasound might replace what is now a painful, invasive procedure. Lung injuries are relatively common because the chest is a big surface that's often exposed to crushing or puncture wounds, said co-author Gregory Jurkovich, chief of trauma at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and a UW professor of surgery. A busy trauma room like Harborview's, he said, admits about two patients with bleeding lungs per day...
The new research shows that in these difficult cases, high-intensity focused ultrasound applied from outside could stop bleeding and air leaks. Vaezy and colleagues in the UW's Applied Physics Laboratory have been developing ultrasound for surgery for more than a decade, concentrating on frequencies in the 1 million to 10 million hertz (cycles per second) range. The device producing the ultrasound rays, about the size of a golf ball, is inserted into a handle that doctors use to scan the outside of the body. Previous experiments used the tool to seal blood vessels and stop bleeding in the liver, spleen and kidneys.
Someday, Jurkovich predicts, this tool might be used for image-guided therapy.
Dr. Vaezy has kindly provided us with the following pictures of his research (subtitles underneath):
Subtitles: The HIFU device being applied to a liver incision for hemostasis treatment; Left: The HIFU device being applied to a liver incision for hemostasis treatment; Right: IR video capture, showing high temperature regions at the focal region; Various HIFU devices.
Press release: Star Trek medical device uses ultrasound to seal punctured lungs ...
HIFU Flashbacks: ExAblate 2000 ; High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) for Body Scuplting; High Intensity Focused Ultrasound for AFib; Noninvasive Palliation of Pain of Bone Mets; Ultrasonic Tourniquet (with HI-FU Grip); Long Term Effectiveness of Ultrasound on Uterine Fibroids
(hat tip: MTB Europe)
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Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Video of VRIxp System from Deep Breeze
IsraelHighTech.tv has an exclusive video presentation of a new pulmonary dynamic imaging device from Deep Breeze Ltd., that was just approved by the FDA, and was covered by us last week, and back in 2005.
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Virtual God Complex: Video Game Training for CT Surgeons
The old docs will say you are not a real doctor until you've killed a few patients. Well, now you can kill your first hundred or so 'virtual patients' in the HumanSim CT surgical video game training tool.
Virtual Heroes Inc. (VHI), a leader in advanced learning technologies, today announced that it has expanded its reach into the healthcare market with the creation of two instructional 3D simulations for heart surgery procedures. These procedures demonstrated new treatments for atrial fibrillation. The first animation was an open chest procedure and the second, demonstrated laparoscopic access in a closed chest setting."We knew that showing the surgery, as realistically as possible, would be critical to teaching the procedures and much clearer than trying to explain it," said Dr. Andy Kiser, Chief of Thoracic Surgery at First Health Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst, NC. "In this case, we believed that a picture (or pictures) would be worth millions of words, to show exactly how the surgery could be performed."
Virtual Heroes went to great lengths to ensure that the simulation was as realistic as possible. VHI artists took the time to understand the procedure by attending a "surgery" Dr. Kiser performed on a prosthetic heart and chest, and worked closely with surgeons to understand the appropriate terminology and ensure that everything was anatomically and physiologically correct. The end result was a powerful visual aid with realistic 3D views of the front and back of the heart as experienced during actual surgical procedures, complemented by a detailed narrative provided by the surgeon. Dr. Kiser was so pleased with the first project, that VHI was contracted to do a second simulation featuring a different surgical procedure.
"These tools have strengthened our educational seminars, enabling us to more quickly and effectively help people understand the procedures" explained Kiser. "The Virtual Heroes team has thoroughly impressed us with their learning capacity and enthusiasm for what we were trying to accomplish, as well as their overall level of professionalism, technical expertise and artistic talent."
VHI has already gained industry recognition for the development of its HumanSim™ dual-use medical training product platform for military personnel and civilian first responders. HumanSim™ is a software simulation platform that provides enhanced initial, refresher and sustainment medical education and training. It combines the most advanced digital game technology and integrates it with a high-fidelity physiologic-pharmacologic model for unprecedented experiential learning. Virtual Heroes plans to build upon the introduction of HumanSim with development of a complete portfolio of realistic, engaging, medically accurate, professionally-certified simulators suitable for training civilian and military medical personnel."These projects were a great opportunity for us to demonstrate our capabilities and add to our knowledge base in the healthcare/medical market," stated Jerry Heneghan, Virtual Heroes founder and CEO. "It is gratifying to work with people like Dr. Kiser who are dedicated to making a real difference in people's lives."
Dr. Wes can't help but postulate that such a market for surgical training is an ominous sign...
More: Virtual Heroes: Serious Games For Heart Surgery Simulations ...
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Wednesday, July 25, 2007
New Pulmonary Imaging Modality Approved by the FDA
At a time when political (non-armed) wing of the British Medical Journal is considering whether to implement a boycott of Israeli academic institutions, scientists and engineers from that country continue to churn out great innovative medical devices. The VRIxp System from Deep Breeze Ltd., first reported here in September 2005, has now been approved by the FDA, according to Globes, an Israeli business daily.
To remind our readers, the company's VRIxp System is a noninvasive device that utilizes a body's intrinsic acoustic vibration signals from the lungs, to develop dynamic images of functional intrapulmonary anatomy:
The VRIxp is a radiation free medical device that is expected to allow physicians to easily obtain a series of dynamic images, designed to show the shape and condition of the lungs in real time. The VRIxp has potential to provide visual representations of not only structural changes in the lungs, but also functional changes.
VRIxp only receives and processes energy and does not emit waves or radiation to the body. The VRIxp visualizes vibration energy emitted throughout the respiration process. The energy is accumulated during the breathing cycle by a proprietary accumulation method. VRIxp algorithm slices this energy within a regular interval, inside a predefined frequency band. The output is a series of frames that when played in sequence visualize in real time the dynamic movement of air in the lung...
The vibrations are collected by a spatially distributed array of pressure sensors. The algorithm combines the output signals from a bank of band pass filters, sliced over regular time intervals, to produce a sequence of images which reflect the vibration properties at each pixel position and at each interval.
In the case of the VRIXP, the device's sensors record vibration energy created by the air flow traveling down (during inspiration) and up (during expiration) the bronchial tree. The vibrations propagate through the lung tissue and structure; the characteristics of the vibrations are modified accordingly. The vibration energy is then transmitted to the hardware motherboard, which allows proprietary patented software to turn the vibration energy into a dynamic image.
More at Deep Breeze...
Globes: FDA approves DeepBreeze pulmonary imaging device ...
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Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Noninvasive Pneumothorax Detector
One of the R&D Magazine's prestigious 100 Awards for innovation was just presented to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for developing a technology that is capable of detectingt a pneumothorax (deflated lung, for peasants). Ohio-based Electrosonics Medical Inc., which licensed the micropower-impulse radar (MIR) technology from LLNL, is trying to commercialize it into a woking product, that one day might save lives of people in the ER, or a soldiers in the field:
The pneumothorax detector system consists of two components. A control module provides power for the circuitry and MIR sensor, and also houses a processing system to analyze incoming data and detect the presence or absence of a pneumothorax. A probe unit is connected to the main control module and an antenna for sending out the MIR pulse, and detecting the reflected signal. Novel, high speed data acquisition and processing electronics in the control module acquire the data in real time.The system detects the pneumothorax by analyzing the reflected MIR pulses. Reflections are affected by the types of materials encountered, and will be especially heightened by a tissue-air interface, such as will be encountered in the presence of a pneumothorax. The output of the device can be either a simple yes/no indicator, or other graphical means of estimating the volume of the pneumothorax.
Pneumothorax is currently diagnosed using either standard x-ray or ultrasound imaging systems available in any hospital. These systems are not inherently portable. Although ultrasound systems are becoming more portable they are still larger than Electrosonic Medical's system, they require a full image display, and are significantly more expensive. Therefore, the Electrosonic Medical system has clear differentiation as a low-cost portable unit. Obvious potential markets for this system would be EMT units, and as part of a portable military battlefield medical assessment kit.
An additional differentiating feature is the ability of the Electrosonic Medical system to perform real-time monitoring. Pneumothorax is a well-known complication of many thoracic surgeries, and is therefore routinely checked in the ICU during recovery. By performing real-time monitoring, the presence of a pneumothorax can be detected earlier, and therefore be treated more quickly.
Press release: LLNL scientists and engineers capture five awards for top industrial innovations ...
Product page: Pneumothorax Detector ...
Pneumothorax Detector Whitepaper (.pdf)
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Friday, June 15, 2007
EndoSite 3Di Digital Vision System Now Used for Thoracic and Neuro Cases
EndoSite 3Di Digital Vision System has been used for the first time to perform videothoracoscopic surgery. The operation (parietal pleurectomy, a sublobar resection, and a chemical pleurodesis) was performed at Regional Oncologic Hospital in Rionero in Vulture, PZ, Italy, according to Viking Systems, Inc., the manufacturer of this laparoscopic visualization assistance device. 
When we first reported about the system in 2005, it was only used for laparoscopic gynecologic, urologic and general surgical cases. In addition to the videothoracoscopic case, the system was recently used for a minimally invasive pediatric neurosurgical case (a repair of craniosynostosis).
To learn about the system, go to our previous post, or Viking Systems home page.
Press release: Infant is First to Undergo Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery Procedure With Viking Systems' 3D Surgical Vision System ...
(hat tip: MTB Europe)
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Friday, June 8, 2007
Endo-microscopy from Mauna Kea Technologies
Medgadget reader Dr. Netter writes:
I came across a company called Mauna Kea Technologies.They recently released the "GI" and "Lung" version of their cellular-level Cellvizio confocal endoscope.
What is great about the new GI and Lung Cellvizios is that a practitioner can insert one of their miniprobes (only 300 um to 2.8 mm in diameter) into a conventional endoscope and record microscopic level movies of the tissue as fast as 12 frames/sec.
The Image Atlas at http://www.maunakeatech.com contains several movies recorded by medical research labs and clinical practitioners in the US and in Europe. The recordings show an impressive level of detail. Their web site also mentions that they recently signed a distribution deal with Leica for their Small Animal imaging system.
To further learn about endo-microscopy, check out Mauna Kea's technologies page...
Flashback: Nanoparticles Deliver Genes to Brains of Living Mice