MedWorm.com provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest items from the 'Medgadget Anesthesiology' source. Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:42:09 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3355463&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2010%2F03%2Fenvironmentally_friendly_syringe_minimizes_packaging_to_save_resources.html Cambridge Consultants, a product design and development firm, has created a new prefilled syringe that uses fewer resources to manufacture than many current models. Unsurprisingly, the green syringe was named Syreen, but its environmental credentials are only part of the features of the new device. Instead of glass, Syreen syringes are made with COP (cyclic olefin polymer) plastic, which has enabled Cambridge Consultants to shed the need for secondary packaging altogether, a first in this medical device arena. The makeup of the Syreen allows syringes to clip together, nesting in a pack while the COP design doubles as the outer shell of the packaging itself. The Syreen therefore eliminates the need for wasteful fillers such as cardboard and styrofoam, reducing the packaging weight by 30 pe... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3355463 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:07:15 +0100 3355463 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3273449&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2010%2F02%2Fges_vscan_worlds_smallest_portable_ultrasound_now_available_worldwide.html 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 produc... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3273449 Tue, 16 Feb 2010 08:56:00 +0100 3273449 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3267786&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2010%2F02%2Fin_emergency_sscort_s3_delivers_scoop_suction_sump.html 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) (Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology) Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3267786 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 21:36:24 +0100 3267786 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3240817&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2010%2F02%2Ftoshibas_viamo_ultrasound_now_available_in_us.html Toshiba won FDA approval to market the Viamo portable ultrasound, a convertible touchscreen device that the company promises provides the same image quality as premium cart systems. The package comes with a wheeled pole that can carry the Viamo and additional transducers for easy exchange. From the product page: Sharing its core imaging engine and transducer technology with Aplio XG, Viamo offers high-end image quality also in situations where unlimited portability is required. Its full range of high-performance imaging functions lets you visualize minute tissue details and vascular structures with precision for a faster, more accurate diagnosis. Advanced imaging functions such as Pulse Subtraction THI come standard with Viamo. Viamo’s built-in touch screen allows for seamless wor... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3240817 Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:57:45 +0100 3240817 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3217641&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2010%2F01%2Fdrger_zeus_infinity_empowered.html Drägerwerk AG has just announced the release of a new anesthesia machine, called Dräger Zeus Infinity Empowered (IE), that features a combination of options to conduct either inhalational or intravenous based techniques, or both at the same time. Furthermore, for those who are looking on some savings when it comes to delivery of desflurane (and to a lesser degree isoflurane or maybe halothane), the machine offers a closed circuit system design. In terms of a blower, the machine is based on a popular Dräger Evita Infinity V500 ventilator. Dräger Zeus IE provides all options of anaesthetic techniques: From inhalation to (total) intravenous anaesthesia – all these applications can be utilised in the closed circuit system of the Dräger Zeus IE. Thanks to its clo... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3217641 Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:47:47 +0100 3217641 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3217642&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2010%2F01%2Fsmartpilot_view_an_anesthesiologists_flight_simulator.html Drägerwerk AG is releasing a new software package to help manage and predict the progress of intraoperative anesthesia (general and MAC), including modeling drug interactions and taking into account the unique nature of individual patients' physiology. Looks like the software is designed to model narcs, barbs and benzos, but not inhalational agents: Dräger SmartPilot View is an assistance system, which supports anaesthetists in making decisions, but does not make decisions for them. The software is based on pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic patient models, which calculate and visualise the effects of analgesics (opioides) and sedatives (hypnotics). Up to now, it was not possible to visualise the interactions between these two substance groups and to show the anaesthetist at wh... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3217642 Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:53:45 +0100 3217642 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3146933&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2010%2F01%2Fhemolung_a_respiratory_dialysis_device_to_start_clinical_trials.html Ventilators, though staples of modern critical care, have serious drawbacks for both patient safety and comfort, and flexibility issues for clinicians. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that a considerably less intrusive system from a local company called ALung Technologies is about to begin clinical trials in India and Europe. The Hemolung is designed to perform respiratory gas exchange via a catheter inserted into the femoral or jugular vein. The process is essentially similar to traditional extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, but thanks to new technology, the device is touted to be safer and easier on the patient. Here's what an article in Pulmonary Reviews in Feb 2009 detailed about the system: The Hemolung is a small, cylindrical, veno-venous extracorporeal CO2 removal devic... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3146933 Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:43:58 +0100 3146933 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3009442&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F11%2Finfinity_m540_from_draeger_makes_hospital_workflow_and_patient_data_oh_so_so_smooth.html Here's another piece of news about medical gadgetry released at the ongoing Medica 2009. The Infinity M540 from Drägerwerk AG & Co. (aka Dräger) is designed to provide portability and full functionality of a stationary vitals signs monitor: The Dräger Infinity M540 measures and saves patient vital signs data, including 12-lead ECG and etCO2 values. For transport, the hospital staff can release the M540 from its docking station using one hand. The monitor continues to display and record vital data without interruption. As soon as the M540 is reconnected to a docking station – whether at its previous location or on a different ward – it automatically backfills the data recorded on transport into the Medical Cockpit, which is the central control and viewing uni... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3009442 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:00:02 +0100 3009442 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3009443&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F11%2Fmy_lab_one_portable_ultrasound_from_esaote_makes_debut.html At the ongoing Medica 2009 in Düsseldorf, Esaote out of Genoa, Italy is releasing a new portable ultrasound system that features a 12 inch touch screen for manipulating settings without having to use buttons. The My Lab One can be worn on a shoulder strap and is designed for mobile applications such as ambulatory anesthesia, EMT, military and sports medicine. From the press release: The automatic rotation of the image according to the position of the system, an ergonomic probe equipped with controls, a long life battery, all add up to making this ultrasound an extraordinary innovation in the medical system arena. MyLab One is a “dedicated” ultrasound, which reflects perfectly today’s need for diagnostic capabilities in many different fields of application: from Ra... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3009443 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:46:33 +0100 3009443 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3001034&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F11%2Fmyoguide_emg_amplifierstimulator_from_intronix_tech.html This week at Medica 2009 in Düsseldorf, a Canadian firm Intronix Technologies Corp is unveiling a new electrophysiological amplifier designed to identify where to place neuromodulator injections for muscle disorders, pain management, and cosmetic applications. The Myoguide is essentially a single-channel EMG amplifier with stimulator that sports a signal display with analysis and EMG audio, so a clinician can locate areas of hyperactive muscle fibers for treatment. Published features of the product: Ability to see and hear EMG signals, display real time analyzed EMG, and stimulation location capability. There are numerous advantages to embracing Myoguide for EMG guidance: Conveniently integrated into one handheld package Helps identify involved muscles i.e. pre-injection physiopat... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3001034 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:11:56 +0100 3001034 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2978551&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F11%2Fa_new_led_powered_endoscope_from_schlly.html Schölly Fiberoptic out of Denzlingen, Germany is releasing a new video bronchoscope with CMOS "chip-in-the-tip" and bright LED technology. The device is going to be unveiled at MEDICA 2009 next week in Düsseldorf. The controller unit is plug-and-play with easy start-up. Its compact size saves table space and the simple controls eliminate the need for lengthy training. The controller is completely silent since it does not require a cooling fan. All video settings are preprogrammed, so no complicated and time consuming set-up is necessary. A single cable leads from the controller to the ergonomic handpiece. The handpiece includes the tip deflection lever, working channel port, suction valve, and buttons for taking photos and illumination adjustment. High-powered LEDs are incorpora... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2978551 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:43:06 +0100 2978551 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2913515&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F10%2Fcovidien_announces_global_launch_of_mallinckrodt_taperguard_line_of_ettubes.html Anesthesiologists, EMTs and other intubators, rejoice! Covidien has just announced the world wide release of a new line of endotracheal tubes called Mallinckrodt™ TaperGuard™. Designed to "substantially" reduce the risk of microaspirations thanks to its taper-shaped cuff, the tubes come in two models: TaperGuard™ and TaperGuard™ Evac (shown in the picture). More details in the press release... Product page: TaperGuard... (Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology) Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2913515 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:02:40 +0100 2913515 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2913516&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F10%2Fges_new_ultra_small_ultrasound_may_become_as_ubiquitous_as_stethoscopes.html Yesterday at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, GE showed off their new handheld ultrasound device. The Vscan looks like a cross between an iPod and a cell phone, making it possibly the world's smallest ultrasound. Later today we'll be attending GE's healthymagination technology showcase in New York where further details and specs will hopefully become available. For critical care clinicians, Vscan can offer an immediate look beyond patient vital signs with the potential to identify critical issues, like fluid around the heart, which could be a sign of congestive heart failure. And for cardiologists, Vscan provides a dependable visual evaluation of how well the heart is pumping at a glance, so they can treat patients more efficiently. More from GE... (Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology) Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2913516 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:50:51 +0100 2913516 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2863463&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F10%2Ftiny_portable_ultrasound_from_sonosite_gets_us_ok.html SonoSite (Bothell, Washington) just announced that the company received FDA approval to market the firm's tiny NanoMaxx ultrasound system throughout the United States. Weighing in at only 6 pounds (2.7 kilo) and with a battery life of 2 operational hours, the system is truly portable for busy clinics, ambulances, emergency rooms, and elsewhere that ultrasound is needed. The new ultra portable and one button design of the NanoMaxx system makes high quality ultrasound available to a much broader range of clinicians. The system incorporates SonoSite’s advanced proprietary imaging algorithms, including SonoMB™ and SonoAdapt™ to deliver superior image quality in a lightweight, rugged form factor. With a touch screen that responds easily to the tap of a finger, and one butto... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2863463 Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:56:09 +0100 2863463 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2808609&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F09%2Fbloodbot_the_bright_future_of_phlebotomy.html Here is a project from the folks at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College London, and its Mechatronics in Medicine Laboratory, who are bent on developing an "active robot designed to take blood samples from the ante-cubital fossa..." The Bloodbot identifies the location of a suitable vein by pressing a probe against the surface tissue of the ante-cubital fossa and measuring the force on the probe. The difference in the characteristics of the tissue from its surroundings, in response to the applied force, indicates the presence of a vein. Once a suitable vein has been found, it inserts a needle under force control. When the needle penetrates the vein (identified by its force/position profile), the control system prevents further insertion, thus avoiding overshootin... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2808609 Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:40:57 +0100 2808609 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2783258&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F09%2Faunits_helps_anesthesiologists_keep_tabs_on_billing_units.html If you are an American anesthesiologist, and you do your own billing, now you have a simple choice. You can either buy everyone's favorite old-fashioned ASA Relative Value Guide ($75/$25), and calculate your charges based on the time spend in OR and on base units, or you can buy a new slick iPhone calculator that will do the work for you. And here's more: A-Units was created in cooperation with a practicing anesthesiologist. A unique copyrighted UNITS calculator will help you quickly calculate your time spent and units billed per procedure. Your case details will be saved in a HISTORY folder for future reference and the specific data points will be kept for your personal analysis in a DATA page. The FAVORITES page will allow you to store your most common cases performed so you can quick... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2783258 Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:00:08 +0100 2783258 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2759391&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F09%2Fwith_anestassist_iphone_now_models_anesthesia_pharmacology.html Palma Healthcare Systems, a small company out of Madison, Wisconsin, has just released the AnestAssist pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic modeling application for the iPhone. The software presents residents, anesthesiologists and intensivists with an easy to understand, and hopefully clinically useful, visual data of pharmacological behavior and drug interactions for the most commonly used anesthesia medications. Anesthesiologists, CRNA's, and other clinicians involved with anesthesiology, from residents to the very experienced, will find AnestAssist a valuable tool for understanding and designing rational dosing strategies tailored to individual patients. Mathematical models published by clinical researchers, which take into account patient weight, age, and gender, are used to estimate... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2759391 Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:33:01 +0100 2759391 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2753531&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F09%2Fvimedix_haptic_transthoracic_echocardiography_simulator_unveiled.html Vimedix out of Montreal, Canada has released a new echocardiography simulator that features, among other things, force-feedback technology that allows the trainee to feel what working with a real patient is like. The technology developed by VIMEDIX Virtual Medical Imaging Training Systems Inc. provides real-time dynamic imaging, using a mannequin, diagnostic probe and sophisticated software - with many echo features simulated for the first time in virtual reality - thereby enabling a realistic echo assessment of cardiac structures. "Pathology recognition is an essential aspect of echo training," said Dr. Robert Amyot, the president and co-founder of VIMEDIX who teaches clinical cardiology and echocardiography at Montreal's Sacre-Coeur Hospital. "With traditional clinical education, expos... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2753531 Wed, 02 Sep 2009 08:26:50 +0100 2753531 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2631538&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F07%2Fresposable_oxymeter_sensor_aims_to_cut_costs_waste_1.html Masimo's Rainbow Resposable Sensor System has been approved by the FDA. The sensor, designed to be used with company's Masimo Rainbow® SET Pulse CO-Oximetry system that can "noninvasively measure blood constituents and fluid responsiveness that previously required invasive procedures," can either be washed for multiple patient use, or be thrown out once it has seen its days. The new sensor system provides continuous and noninvasive measurements of hemoglobin (SpHb™), oxygen content (SpOC™), PVI™ for fluid responsiveness, and methemoglobin (SpMet®), in addition to oxygen saturation (SpO2), perfusion index, and pulse rate—at savings of about 50% compared to the existing single patient use adhesive Rainbow sensor. The Rainbow Resposable Sensor System combines... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2631538 Thu, 23 Jul 2009 08:54:51 +0100 2631538 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2622945&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F07%2Fmicroeye_real_time_blood_monitoring_system.html The Engineer Online reports on Probe Scientific, a firm out of Bedford, UK, that has developed a continuous blood composition monitoring device that doesn't draw blood from the patient. The MicroEye system connects via most venous catheters and is already approved in Europe. From the product page: The MicroEye is intended for intravenous use for periods of up to 48 hours and is inserted via an 18G blood catheter. The range of substances that can be monitored using the MicroEye is vast including: Electrolytes (such as potassium, magnesium etc.) Energy metabolites (e.g. glucose, lactate, pyruvate, etc.) Amino acids (glutamate, GABA, etc.) Hormones and neurotransmitters (such as dopamine, serotonin (5-HT) etc.) Inflammatory mediators and growth factors (e.g. cytokines, etc.) Drugs and the... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2622945 Tue, 21 Jul 2009 08:37:28 +0100 2622945 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2612127&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F07%2Fvasonova_gets_to_the_heart_of_the_matter.html Placement of a peripherally inserted central line so its tip is located at the lower third of the superior vena cava, just prior to the right atrium, is always a guessing game. Nowadays, the only way to confirm position of the line is to do an X-ray of the chest. VasoNova out of Sunnyvale, California wants to change the rules of the game. The company is introducing a device that uses Doppler ultrasound to monitor direction of blood flow and ECG to help position the catheter at the optimal location. The VasoNova VPS consists of several components: the VPS Stylet, the VPS Power Injectable PICC catheter and the VPS Console. The VPS Stylet contains two sensors at its tip: a Doppler Ultrasound sensor and an intravascular ECG lead. Due to the ingenuity of our R&D group, VasoNova was able to mi... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2612127 Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:00:03 +0100 2612127 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2607241&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F07%2Fnew_cerebral_oximeter_from_nonin_granted_us_ok.html Nonin Medical has received FDA clearance for the Model 7600 regional oximetry system. Similar to other cerebral oximeters, all of which are designed for operating room use on patients undergoing cardiac, vascular and neurosurgical procedures, as well as on patients in critical care units, the 7600 model provides continuous monitoring of cerebral oxygenation, so clinicians can take steps to prevent brain ischemia in susceptible patients. More details about the device: Utilizing next-generation near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) — Nonin's proprietary EQUANOX™ regional oximetry (rSO2) technology — the Model 7600 measures oxygen saturation in the cerebral cortex. The innovative sensor design effectively removes surface tissue effects that can influence measurement accuracy &... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2607241 Thu, 16 Jul 2009 08:39:50 +0100 2607241 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2603501&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F07%2Fpressure_alert_for_ettubes.html Another medically related entry to the James Dyson Award contest is the Pressure Alert for endotracheal tubes, a device intended to prevent the overinflation of the cuff balloon. Currently anesthesiologists and others have to use either their fingers to feel for pressure in an external balloon, or to use a specialized manometer that measures an internal pressure. The proposed system aims to take any guessing out of the process. If proven feasible, the same device, of course, can be used for trachs, double lumen endotracheal tubes, or even for endobronchial blockers. The “Pressure Alert” is a unique adaptation for a medical device called an Endotracheal Tube, which is inserted into the patient’s airway allowing them to breathe during anaesthesia. The airway is sealed to p... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2603501 Thu, 16 Jul 2009 08:03:45 +0100 2603501 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2577903&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F07%2Fnanomaxx_tiny_6_lb_ultrasound_system_unveiled.html SonoSite announced this morning the release of a new portable ultrasound NanoMaxx system that weighs only 6 pounds. The company claims that this point-of-care ultrasound produces imagery similar in quality to the firm's flagship M-Turbo model. Designed for mobile applications (such as private offices, emergency rooms or EMRs, central line accesses on the floor, etc.), the system sports battery with two hour life. For this model the company offers a comprehensive line of transducers that deliver "high resolution diagnostic imaging across a range of clinical applications to support clinical diagnosis and to guide interventional procedures." Ready to be distributed internationally, the device still needs final approval from the FDA to be marketed in the US. Features from the announcement: ... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2577903 Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:37:30 +0100 2577903 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2553833&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F06%2Flucas_2_automatic_chest_compressor_gets_us_green_light.html The LUCAS™ 2 chest compression system from Jolife AB, out of Lund, Sweden, has just been approved by the FDA. The battery powered unit can be taken directly to the patient without the need for a compressed air supply, unlike the last model. The system can then pump the chest for up to 45 minutes, saving paramedics' time and much needed energy once the patient is revived and rushed to the hospital. From the announcement by Medtronic: LUCAS 2 builds upon the well-proven LUCAS™ 1 technology, but differs from its predecessor in that it is an electric rather than a pneumatic device. LUCAS 2 can be powered either by battery alone or using a wall or car electricity outlet. The battery is the latest in rechargeable, Lithium Ion Polymer technology and operates for up to 45 minutes (... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2553833 Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:10:32 +0100 2553833 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2486026&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F06%2Fimprove_your_ultrasound_skills_with_new_sonosite_iphone_app.html SonoSite has released an iPhone application, called SonoAccess™, to help clinicians improve their analytical and performance skills when using ultrasound. With the help of instructional videos and an accompanying image gallery, you can improve on your echo knowledge while on your train ride to work. Features: Scanning Technique Videos are designed to provide expert techniques and tips for point-of-care ultrasound applications. Video Case Studies provide an in-depth look into specific cases that you may encounter in your practice. Clinical Image Gallery is designed to give you a look at expert ultrasound images for anatomy recognition and as a quick comparative reference for you to compare your results to. Quick-Start Guides are abbreviated user manuals designed to give new SonoS... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2486026 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:53:40 +0100 2486026 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2486027&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F06%2Fvoice_activated_sonosite_ultrasound_system_keeps_hands_free_to_perform_procedures.html SonoSite just released their SonoRemote for controlling the company's M-Turbo and S Series ultrasounds during interventional procedures like joint injections or central line placements. In addition to traditional style buttons, the remote control features voice recognition and can be programmed to understand commands in any language. So now you can hold the probe in one hand and the syringe in the other, and not have to fiddle with reaching over to the unit to take snapshots or change parameters. Voice or touch activated Programmable to your voice and language Adjust system controls from a radius of 10 meters No need to break the sterile field Drop-tested to 3 feet Works with M-Turbo® and S Series™ Press release: SonoSite Begins Customer Shipments Of Ultrasound Remote Control ... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2486027 Fri, 19 Jun 2009 20:09:42 +0100 2486027 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2428714&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F05%2Fav300_portable_system_helps_find_hidden_veins.html AccuVein, a company out of Cold Spring Harbor, New York, is releasing to market a competitor to the popular VeinViewer from Luminetx. Both systems use infrared imaging to see hemoglobin below the skin. Designed to be portable and battery operated, the AccuVein AV300 can spot difficult to find IV sites for needle placement. About the product from the manufacturer: Hemoglobin in the blood absorbs infrared light. When the AccuVein AV300 is held about seven inches above the skin, veins appear noticeably different than the surrounding tissue. The vasculature shows up clearly on the skin's surface, aiding in vein location to collect a blood sample or administer IV medications. * Easy to learn and use – No pre-use calibration or adjustments are necessary- it can be used immediately. ... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2428714 Thu, 21 May 2009 18:46:47 +0100 2428714 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2331277&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F04%2Fphilips_heartstart_mrx_als_defib_gets_fresh_updates.html Philips has just announced additional new enhancements to the company's popular HeartStart MRx cardiac monitor/defibrillator. The company says it has improved the signal analysis processing software in the unit, as as well as patient management tools, and that will allow for quick handover of patients from EMR to physicians and nurses in the ER. From the press release: The MRx now features the next-generation Q-CPR Measurement and Feedback tool as well as support system- or institution-wide quality improvements using robust retrospective data review capabilities. This update features the innovative new Q-CPR meter – already the winner of a Red Dot International Design award—which displays visual feedback directly where the caregiver is focused—on the patient’s ch... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2331277 Tue, 14 Apr 2009 08:02:39 +0100 2331277 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2331278&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F04%2Fnew_nellcor_pulse_oximeter_keeps_eye_on_o2_saturation.html Covidien has announced FDA approval of its latest pulse oximeter featuring an oxygen level alert system to help clinicians monitor unpredictable patients. More about the device from the product page: When weak or erratic pulse signals interfere with pulse oximetry readings, frustrated clinicians may try switching to another monitor or replacing the sensor, wasting time and money. The OxiMax N-600x pulse oximeter offers a better solution. It incorporates our latest Nellcor digital signal processing technology to deliver accurate, reliable SpO2 and pulse rate measurements even when low perfusion and signal interference are present.* In addition, when used with OxiMax adhesive sensors–now featuring our LoSat™ expanded accuracy range down to 60% SpO2–the OxiMax N-600x puls... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2331278 Thu, 09 Apr 2009 08:00:03 +0100 2331278 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2303590&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F04%2Fnew_hypodermic_needle.html A new needle design coming out of MIT could possibly save patients from potentially serious complications from over-excited needle pushers. The design consists of an S-shaped needle with a filament inside. When the needle is moving through solid tissue, the filament is buckled up inside ready to spring. The second the needle enters a hollow cavity the filament rapidly advances forward, which doubles as keeping the needle from moving further into the cavity in question as well as letting you know you're in. The device has been successful so far in preliminary testing. The needle design looks to revamp blood draws, epidurals, chest tubes and even trochar placement for laparoscopic surgery. Word is that the device could be available in 3-5 years following testing. Read more here... Read t... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2303590 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:25:23 +0100 2303590 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2303592&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F03%2Fpuritan_bennett_540_a_new_covidien_ventilator_with_smart_battery_technology.html Covidien has released a new portable ventilator, the Puritan Bennett 540™, that's designed for longer operational ability, thanks to a new lithium battery. The ventilator's panel also displays remaining charge time in minutes. This gives providers more predictability when working on battery power as opposed to models that have a percentage based charge meters. Features according to the company: At 9.9 pounds, the Puritan Bennett 540 ventilator is compact and light. It comes with a dual bag, making it easy to carry by hand and in a backpack, or to attach to a wheelchair. A car charger and an external battery are also available for the unit, so the ventilator can be charged or used during road travel. The ventilator also features a quick and reactive flow trigger for patient comfort... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2303592 Tue, 31 Mar 2009 21:02:10 +0100 2303592 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2303594&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F03%2Forsense_new_pulse_oximeter_monitors_practically_everything_in_sight.html OrSense, out of Nes Ziona, Israel, is releasing today a new pulse oximeter. Being presented at the 29th International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, in Brussels, the NBM-200MP can do continuous monitoring of oxygen saturation, hemoglobin, as well as glucose levels in blood. According to the company, the system uses a ring around the finger that applies pressure to create a mild blood flow occlusion, and that in turn allows more accurate measurement of the blood content. About the NBM-200MP pulse oximeter from OrSense: OrSense's NBM-200MP monitors and displays oxygen saturation of Hb (SpO2), low perfusion oximetry, SpO2 pulse rate, plethysmogram and hemoglobin, all non-invasively and continuously. The NBM-200MP permits continuous patient monitoring with adjustable ala... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2303594 Thu, 26 Mar 2009 08:46:53 +0100 2303594 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2286518&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F03%2Ffluid_volume_monitoring_with_pulse_ox_shows_promise.html Masimo Corporation is bent on destroying CVP as a fluid status monitor. The company's latest line of pulse oximeters is so advanced that the devices use twelve separate wavelengths to provide analysis more nuanced than traditional systems. A study just presented at the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS) 83rd Scientific Congress on March 14th in San Diego, California has shown that Masimo's Radical-7 Pulse CO-Oximeters can be used as a viable option for intravascular fluid volume monitoring during surgery, thanks to a proprietary Pleth Variability Index (PVI) function, which is a measure of the dynamic changes in perfusion index (PI) that occur during the respiratory cycle. The study was conducted on patients undergoing liver transplants, no less! In the study, Errol P. Lobo,... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2286518 Fri, 20 Mar 2009 21:13:38 +0100 2286518 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2286519&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F03%2Fspinal_haptic_training_simulator_developed.html Performing spinal and epidural injections is a craft perfected with experience, and subject to serious consequences, if mistakes are made. As in many other procedures practicing on live humans is understandably impossible, so researchers from the University of Limerick in Ireland used haptic technology and 3D visualization to create a training tool. Considering the millions of epidurals performed each year, the technology should prepare young physicians to perform them without hesitation. The BBC reports: The "haptic simulator" recreates the skin tension felt by the practitioner at the point the needle is inserted. If the injection is not carried out correctly, the trainee receives immediate audio and visual feedback. The developers questioned doctors extensively about the precise tact... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2286519 Fri, 20 Mar 2009 19:34:04 +0100 2286519 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2275839&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F03%2Fcardinals_endura_scrubs_for_the_modern_clinician.html Cardinal Health is releasing a new line of clinical scrubs that the company believes will make your life safer, easier, and more comfortable. The big deal about Cardinal's Endura™ apparel line is the specialty fabric used, which is supposedly stronger and more breathable. Some features from the product page: Excess moisture is wicked away from your skin to keep you dry and cool, no matter what you’re doing. Scrubs shouldn't leave you feeling restricted or confined. Endura™ scrubs move with your body and help maximize your gait and pace. In addition, the Maximum-Motion™ sleeve allows your shirt to stay tucked in even when you reach and stretch. Our advanced, synthetic material is breathable, flexible and helps control your heat index and perspiration. Our scrubs... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2275839 Thu, 19 Mar 2009 19:46:47 +0100 2275839 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2236567&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F03%2Fnew_ventilator_may_prove_safer_for_icu_patients.html Two researchers from the University of Buffalo have developed a new ventilator system, specifically designed for ICU care, that, by using inhalational anesthetic agents, can avoid some of the dosing issues that anesthesiologists have to deal with when sedating patients in "The Unit." Additionally, the device may be capable of safely supporting a number of patients on the same machine, according to the University of Buffalo press release. We contacted Medical Conservation Devices (MCD) of Buffalo, the firm working on implementing this technology, to get more information about the system. According to the documents we have received from the company, the ventilator seems to be a carefully designed closed-circuit anesthesia system, capable of delivering "balanced sedation" to ICU patients by ... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2236567 Wed, 04 Mar 2009 09:18:13 +0100 2236567 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2219179&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F02%2Fcapnostream_20_a_smart_capnography_system_gets_fda_ok.html Oridion Systems Ltd., a company out of Jerusalem, Israel, has received FDA 510(k) approval to market the firm's Capnostream 20 CO2 Monitor with Integrated Pulmonary Index™. Features from the product page and the press release: The Integrated Pulmonary Index™, the latest Oridion Smart Capnography™ initiative, utilizes sophisticated algorithms to integrate the real time measures and interactions of four complex parameters – end tidal CO2 (EtCO2), respiration rate, pulse rate and SpO2 (oxygen saturation) into a single index value. The result is displayed on a scale from 1 10, where 10 indicates optimal pulmonary status. By using the Integrated Pulmonary Index™, clinicians can quickly and easily assess a patient’s ventilation status and monitor a patient&... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2219179 Fri, 27 Feb 2009 08:33:57 +0100 2219179 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2206198&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F02%2Frevolution_medicals_retractable_safety_syringe_gets_fda_ok.html Revolution Medical, a small firm out of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, won FDA approval to market the firm's innovative safety syringe. The unit develops a vacuum inside the chamber as the plunger is depressed. When it reaches the end, the needle breaks through the plunger's membrane and gets sucked into the chamber. Watch the video at the product link below to see it in action. Advantages of the Rev Vac syringe according to Revolution Medical: No splatter or aerosol. Actuation requires less than 1 lb of force. No danger of tissue trauma. Low cost. Fewer needle sticks. Simple and intuitive to use. No instructions needed The needle is retracted directly from the patient into the barrel of the syringe. The needle safely and automatically retracts into the barrel Graduation lines are eas... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2206198 Mon, 23 Feb 2009 08:00:01 +0100 2206198 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2203006&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F02%2Fwhen_flames_rise_above_the_patient.html The Wall Street Journal has an article about situations that cause fires in the surgical theater and what is being done to minimize the events. Considering that around 650 fires occur annually in ORs around the country, more care should be taken not to mix oxygen with fire. Operating rooms are a special concern because high-tech electrosurgical tools and an oxygen-rich atmosphere can create a combustible mix. ECRI, a nonprofit group that conducts patient-safety research, says that in addition to surgical fires, other potential sources of burns include the magnets, coils and sensors used in MRI machines, IV solution bags that are overheated, fiber-optic lighting, and even blankets warmed in heating cabinets, whose internal folds may reach high temperatures that a nurse may not feel as the ... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2203006 Fri, 20 Feb 2009 08:00:01 +0100 2203006 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2175825&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F02%2Ftouch_based_ultrasound_system_gets_european_ok.html Ultrasonix Medical Corporation, out of Richmond, British Columbia, just won EU approval for the company's SonixTOUCH general purpose ultrasound system. The unit features a touch screen interface that can be custom configured by individual clinicians. The system seems to be designed for a broad range of applications, anything from ObGyn and emergency medicine, to adult and pediatric cardiac applications via phased array tansducers. Features from the product page: Advanced imaging modes (Spatial Compounding, Pulse Inversion Harmonics) Adaptive user interface Market and user configurable 90 minute battery operation Market-specific calculation and report packages Wireless connectivity Portable and easy to maneuver Accessory tray SonixTOUCH is the most advanced ultrasound system in a small, ... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2175825 Tue, 10 Feb 2009 19:30:23 +0100 2175825 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2142883&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F01%2Fnew_ultrasound_offering_from_philips.html Philips has released a new clinical ultrasound system at the Arab Health 2009 in Dubai this week. The company says that the new system is especially well suited for ObGyn work. Features from the HD9 product page: Live iSlice, which creates slices of a volume rendering to zero in on the region of interest (Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology) Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2142883 Thu, 29 Jan 2009 08:00:01 +0100 2142883 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2117885&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F01%2Fwand_vascular_safety_introducer_oked_in_eu.html Access Scientific out of San Diego, California, having recently received FDA approval for the WAND MicroAccess Safety Introducer, just announced getting the go-ahead to market the device in Europe. The WAND is a cannula implementing the Modified Seldinger Technique for central venous access. From the press release: The MicroAccess WAND is a sophisticated new medical device that enables clinicians to more quickly and safely insert a sheath or catheter into a patient's peripheral vasculature. The device combines all components of the older, Modified Seldinger Technique into a unitary device that provides faster, safer, simpler over-wire vascular access in a relatively bloodless procedure. The MicroAccess WAND is designed to be used primarily in interventional radiology suites and cardiac... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2117885 Wed, 21 Jan 2009 08:32:37 +0100 2117885 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2117886&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F01%2Fanesthesiologists_get_their_own_iphone_app.html Last summer two anesthesiologists teamed up to create practical software applications that they themselves would find useful in the operating room. They recently released iAnesthesia:Case Logs, an iPhone app that does easy case log tracking for busy anesthesiologists. Features from the product page: Record a new anesthesia case log on the fly, even if you don't have a wireless connection (your iPhone will sync data to the CaseLogs server once it regains connectivity). Browse your Case Log History to quickly find a patient record and open the entry for easy editing (your anesthesia records are organized chronologically). Review totals on your iPhone to identify how many Arterial Lines, Fiberoptic Intubations, Trauma case, etc. you have performed. Work with a wide range of predefined data e... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2117886 Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:48:04 +0100 2117886 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2057325&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F12%2Fnew_technology_promises_compact_highintensity_therapeutic_ultrasound.html A Cornell graduate student in biomedical engineering has overcome one of the problems that has kept ultrasound devices large and bulky. By building a transducer that almost doubles in efficiency, George K. Lewis and adviser William L. Olbricht were able to build a pocket-sized high-intensity therapeutic ultrasound. The researchers hope that their new technology, now undergoing animal trials, one day will make it into portable clinical devices that could "stabilize a gunshot wound or deliver drugs to brain cancer patients." Tinkering in his Olin Hall lab, George K. Lewis, a third-year Ph.D. student in biomedical engineering and a National Science Foundation fellow, creates ultrasound devices that are smaller, more powerful and many times less expensive than today's models. Devices today ca... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2057325 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 10:34:40 +0100 2057325 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2043797&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F12%2Fzoll_r_series_defibrillator_given_us_green_light.html Not so long ago hospitals looked sceptically on wireless networks existing inside their facilities. In no time things have gone 180, as more and more clinics use networks to improve and speed up the care that they offer. Now the FDA has given clearance to a Wi-Fi equipped external defibrillator from ZOLL out of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, which can notify staff if something is going wrong. Based on standard 802.11b WiFi technology, R Series defibrillators equipped with WiFi automatically send an alert when their state of readiness is compromised. Early notification maximizes patient safety by letting the clinician intervene before the defibrillator is needed for a code. While defibrillators rarely fail, their readiness can be compromised if someone forgets to plug it in, a cable is missi... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2043797 Wed, 17 Dec 2008 09:29:57 +0100 2043797 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2023470&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F12%2Fwand_vascular_introducer_gets_fda_ok.html Access Scientific out of San Diego, California wants to cannulate the central venous access market. The company just won FDA approval for its WAND™ MicroAccess Safety Introducer, a novel device that combines needle, guidewire, and the catheter into one system. The MicroAccess WAND is the first of several planned WAND devices from Access Scientific to receive FDA clearance. The devices combine all components of the older, Modified Seldinger Technique into a unitary device that provides faster, safer, simpler over-wire vascular access. The MicroAccess WAND is expected to be used primarily in interventional radiology suites and cardiac catheterization labs. Subsequent iterations -- including the PICC WAND(TM) and Power WAND(TM) now in development - are designed to be used primarily b... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2023470 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 08:00:46 +0100 2023470 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2008869&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F12%2Fzonare_shows_off_proprietary_ultrasound_technology.html At the RSNA 2008 conference this week, ZONARE Medical Systems out of Mountain View, California is showing off its latest ultrasound transducers and image processing software for improved image quality. The company describes its z.one ultrasound system as "smaller, lighter, more maneuverable, and nimbler than any system of equivalent image quality." From the press release: New Transducer Technology The C4-1 is a small footprint, curved array transducer designed by ZONARE's acoustic engineers. It offers physicians improved access and imaging performance resulting in improved penetration with sensitive Doppler imaging. All ZONARE customers worldwide have access to this new technology on their current z.one ultrasound platform. ZONARE is also showing its new L14-5w high resolution, high fr... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2008869 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 19:04:39 +0100 2008869 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1986569&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F11%2Ftrigo_the_compact_electronic_anesthesia_machine.html Technology is moving forward, and the Germans are just outdoing themselves. The hitherto unheard of concept of wall-mounted anesthesia machines is now a reality, thanks to EKU Elektronik GmbH, from Leiningen, Germany. And if you want this blower to move from location to location, just mount it on a little cart, and take it to your favorite colonoscopy suite. More about the TRIGO machine: With the performance of a bigger mobile anaesthesia machine the TRIGO finds its place as wall mount device in the induction. Besides the electronic gas mixer and the Multimode-Anaesthesia-Ventilator including different ventilation parameters also various optional monitoring functions can be integrated (O2, CO2, anaesthetic agents, N2O). These are displayed numerically or graphically and adjusted either b... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1986569 Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:21:13 +0100 1986569 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1977881&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F11%2Ftrusystem_7500_new_or_table_from_trumpf.html Thanks to its modular design, this new OR table from TRUMPF can accommodate almost all known surgical positions, and can provide an optimal operating environment for all kinds of cases, from hip pinnings to robotic prostatectomies. In surgery, no operation is identical to another. So it's not just surgeons and staff who need to be flexible – that requirement applies to OR tables as well. For the TruSystem 7500 OR table system, TRUMPF offers universal OR tabletops with a variety of application options, and special OR tabletops for specific requirements. Depending on the desired application and budget, from an extensive product line users can put together the precise OR table that fits their individual needs. TruSystem 7500 is consistently designed to simplify the everyday clinical w... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1977881 Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:58:40 +0100 1977881 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1977882&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F11%2Fyeescope_a_single_patient_use_onepiece_laryngoscope.html Have you ever heard of a disposable plastic laryngoscope? Neither have we. But that is exactly what the Australian company Yeescope Pty Ltd. is displaying at Medica 2008. The device comes in MAC 3 and MAC 4 sizes, and features an interesting handle hook that "allows the user to lift the lower jaw with more balance in the load, and minimises the tendency to lever on, and damage the upper front teeth as may occur with the standard laryngoscope." The company believes that by changing to a totally disposable system, you and colleagues can save some dough by reducing inventory costs of "multiple handles and blades, and bulbs and light guides." We are not swayed. In our humble opinion, the device will more likely be useful to those that do office based anesthesia, as no one likes to carry around... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1977882 Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:09:57 +0100 1977882 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1977883&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F11%2Fmonitoring_muscle_tissue_for_signs_of_circulatory_shock.html At the University of Massachusetts Medical School, researchers are developing a device that can noninvasively detect signs of peripheral hypoperfusion, presumably offering in the future a new method to diagnose and monitor the circulatory shock. MIT Technology Review explains: Traditionally, patients in critical condition are continuously monitored for changes in blood pressure, heart rate, and pulse oxygen saturation. But the body has mechanisms to compensate for massive blood loss and systemic infection, keeping those parameters steady even while the patient's status deteriorates. "When the blood pressure starts to drop, it's too late," says spectroscopist Babs Soller, who developed the new device along with colleagues at the UMass Medical School. "The patient is already going into sho... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1977883 Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:06:03 +0100 1977883 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1971619&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F11%2Fmedical_device_with_own_online_simulator.html Cook Medical, in order to provide clinicians with basic training on using the company's Ciaglia Blue Dolphin Balloon Percutaneous Tracheostomy Introducer, created a follow-along online simulator of the procedure. Link to simulator... Product page: Ciaglia Blue Dolphin ... Flashback: Blue Dolphin Dives into Trachea (Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology) Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1971619 Wed, 19 Nov 2008 08:00:06 +0100 1971619 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1948985&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F11%2Fcontinuous_noninvasive_blood_pressure_monitoring_with_cnap_monitor_500.html CNSystems Medizintechnik AG, a medical technology firm out of Graz, Austria, has received FDA approval to market the company's CNAP™ Monitor 500, that performs continuous noninvasive blood pressure monitoring. The unit can be used in conjunction with other monitoring systems or alone as a self contained, battery powered unit. More about the technology and the device from the press release: CNAP™ traces blood pressure changes through the patented CNAP™ cuff at the fingers and calibrates the derived values once in a while to an upper arm measurement. This way the physician is provided with blood pressure values is the one he/she is familiar with and the patient's individual physiology is optimally taken care of. If the position of measurement is changed relatively to he... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1948985 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 19:44:38 +0100 1948985 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1948986&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F11%2Fintervene_needle_prevents_accidental_pricks.html Medica 2008 conference in Düsseldorf is next week, but all sorts of companies are already showcasing their devices and technologies. InterVene Ltd. out of Staveley, UK has announced that the company will be presenting to the world its manually retractable hypodermic safety needle that goes on all sorts of commonly-used luer lock or luer slip syringes via an extrinsic attachment. Interestingly, despite this arrangement the device has only 0.03ml of dead space, "significantly less than the potential residual contents of the needle itself and well within the requirements of the International Standards Organisation (ISO) for deadspace," the company says. The company also proclaims that InterVene Safety Needle is "the world"s first manually retractable, hypodermic safety needle." But we ar... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1948986 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 08:17:31 +0100 1948986 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1948987&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F11%2Fneonatal_resuscitation_and_ventilation_going_ultra_mobile.html At the upcoming Medica 2008 conference in Düsseldorf next week, KM Medical out of Auckland, New Zealand will be showing off its newly developed high tech portable neonatal resuscitator. The company hopes that its new device will decrease the incidence of damage to lung parenchyma in patients that are exquisitely sensitive to ventilator induced trauma. From the company: This automatic, portable neonatal resuscitator and ventilator has been designed to reduce the incidence of volutrauma and barotrauma. These respiratory difficulties can lead to neonatal chronic lung disease (CLD), the major long-term pulmonary complication of preterm birth affecting about 20% of infants who need respiratory assistance. Ten million newborns worldwide each year need resuscitation assistance. More than 1... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1948987 Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:25:32 +0100 1948987 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1903895&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F10%2Fpainshield_gets_fda_ok.html NanoVibronix out of Nesher, Israel just received FDA approval for the company's PainShield device, a system that uses disposable electronically activated patches to deliver ultrasound to areas of localized pain. From the product page: The PainShield device is a portable, battery powered electronic unit that is connected to a disposable patch through which it delivers localized energy creating therapeutic effect to treat localized pain and induce soft tissue healing. This is made possible due to the company's proprietary technology which allows for the creation of a therapeutic transducer that can be made disposable and incorporated into a patch. The PainShield product uniquely generates and delivers localized, low frequency, low intensity therapeutic ultrasound by a self adhering patch... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1903895 Fri, 24 Oct 2008 16:20:25 +0100 1903895 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1860957&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F10%2Flifepack_20e_now_with_a_bigger_battery.html Physio-Control, a subsidiary of Medtronic out of Redmond, Washington, won FDA approval for the LIFEPACK 20e defibrillator/monitor system. The 20e is an enhancement of the LIFEPAK 20 defibrillator/monitor, which has become the standard of care in many hospitals worldwide since its introduction in 2002. It offers all the capabilities of the LIFEPAK 20 device, along with a more powerful Lithium-ion battery that doubles ECG monitoring time and the run time of other parameters such as noninvasive pacing and pulse oximetry, a noninvasive way to monitor the oxygenation of a patient’s hemoglobin. Additionally, a new on-screen “fuel gauge” displays the real-time status of available battery capacity so clinicians can monitor remaining use time. The 20e also was developed to be ea... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1860957 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 19:55:59 +0100 1860957 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1860958&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F10%2Fsecuracath_subcutaneous_mounting_system_gets_ok.html Interrad Medical, a Minneapolis, MN firm, won FDA clearance for the catheter that features company's SecurAcath device, a system that grabs to subcutaneous tissue to anchor and secure the central line catheter. The SecurAcath System utilizes a small anchor that deploys in the subcutaneous tissue just beneath the skin to hold an indwelling catheter securely in place. There are over 12 million venous access catheters placed each year worldwide. Currently, catheters are secured on the surface of a patient's skin using sutures or adhesive devices. The SecurAcath System offers significant advantages over current securement methods. The SecurAcath system is designed to improve catheter securement by decreasing catheter maintenance time and related costs, reducing catheter-related infections by... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1860958 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:24:00 +0100 1860958 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1839100&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F09%2Fheartworks_3d_computer_generated_transesophageal_echo_simulator.html A collaboration between three physicians at Heart Hospital in London and Glassworks, a UK digital animation firm, has produced a digital model of the heart that can interface with a virtual TEE simulator, and a haptic device for physical feedback with a human mannequin. From Glassworks: Through a chance meeting at a dinner party 2 years ago, Glassworks were asked to create a Virtual Heart Simulator that allows the user to interact with an animated, realistic, anatomically accurate, 'virtual' 3D model of the heart in real time. The brief required the operator to be able to control the orientation of the heart and make planar slices in any orientation through the heart on the computer screen. From these slices the operator would be able to show the anatomical relationships between the var... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1839100 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 08:11:39 +0100 1839100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1835390&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F09%2Fa_cric_in_the_neck.html Here's an interesting product we haven't seen before. The Complete Rapid Illuminated Cricothyrotomy (CRIC) Kit is the latest life-saving medical product from Canadian company Pyng Medical, the developers of FAST1® Intraosseous Infusion System, that we profiled yesterday. Although FDA approval is pending, the new CRIC Kit is expected to provide significant improvements in speed, efficacy and safety to the life-saving medical procedure of cricothyrotomy. The CRIC Kit is being developed with support from the US Department of Defense (DOD) for the purpose of equipping US military medics and physicians. Currently, cricothyrotomy requires the use of at least three distinct medical instruments: scalpel, retractor, insertion tube, and in many cases, a light source. This can be difficult enoug... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1835390 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 06:59:31 +0100 1835390 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1835389&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F09%2Fivs_that_killthe_bugs.html Baxter released the first antimicrobial luer IV connector, dubbed V-Link, earlier this year, a device known to be effective against MRSA, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter cloacae. The V-Link connector employs an antimicrobial silver coating Baxter calls VitalShield. The VitaShield coated connector has been shown to kill 99.9% of pathogens that can cause IV related bloodstream infections. Today, Baxter received FDA clearance to expand their labeling, based on confirmation of device's ability to combat three additional pathogens: vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VRE), Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (coagulase negative). Francois Lebel, MD, vice president of Clinical and Medical Affairs for Baxter's Medication Delivery business said: "The revi... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1835389 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 06:59:27 +0100 1835389 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1835391&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F09%2Fthe_fastest_way_to_a_mans_heart_is_through_fast1_intraosseous_infusion_system.html They say the fastest way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but as Pyng Medical Corporation likes to point out, not if the man is in cardiac arrest! Pyng is a Richmond, B.C. based life-sciences company whose mission is "Saving lives by saving time through innovation in resuscitation." If the military medics and physicians I work with are right (and I think they are), Pyng is certainly living up to their goals and has become a routine lifesaver in Afghanistan and Iraq. To quote the company's website: The FAST1® Intraosseous Infusion System is the fastest, most reliable and safe alternative to conventional intravenous and central lines. When every second counts, FAST1® offers lifesaving vascular access for fluid and drug infusion in shock and trauma victims. FAST1® Intrao... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1835391 Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:12:30 +0100 1835391 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1835392&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F09%2Fsagent_pharmaceuticals_sequential_syringes_1.html Sagent Pharmaceuticals of Schaumburg, IL, has acquired a multi-chamber sequential syringe delivery system from Infusive Technologies, a Utah company, which allows for multiple drug solution deliveries through one (conventional) syringe. Jeffrey M. Yordon, chairman, founder and chief executive officer of Sagent Pharmaceuticals notes that a single syringe push allows for the delivery of separate IV medications. This not only increases the speed of medication delivery but reduces the number of IV connections required (thus lowering the incidence of nosocomial infections), as well as reducing medication delivery errors. Infusive's Chief Executive Officer, Bradley C. Robinson said "Syringes based on our unique, patented technologies have the potential to dramatically improve the delivery of I... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1835392 Mon, 29 Sep 2008 08:55:18 +0100 1835392 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1821242&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F09%2Feverest_breathing_device_from_the_mountain_to_the_bedside.html A device which almost helped Tom Bourdillon to reach the peak of the Everest (three days before Sir Edmund Hillary) is being resurrected to help people suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Researchers from University College London's Centre for Altitude, Space and Extreme Environment Medicine, who rediscovered the functionality of the device, are teaming up with Smiths Medical to develop a product for COPD patients and those who are oxygen-depended in critical care units: Bourdillon’s research was rediscovered by Jeremy Windsor and Roger McMorrow, mountaineering scientists at the UCL Centre for Altitude, Space and Extreme Environment Medicine (CASE), who had the idea to redevelop it into a modern breathing circuit for climbers. “Bourdillon recognized t... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1821242 Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:27:35 +0100 1821242 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1812017&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F09%2Fno_no_gadget_coming.html NO (nitric oxide) is a measurable marker of asthma-related inflammation. As well, it has been shown that the higher the level of NO in the breath, the greater the inflammation present in the lungs. So, Dr. Stanley Szefler, M.D., of National Jewish Health in Denver, in conjunction with Dr. William Busse, M.D., of the University of Wisconsin in Madison, hypothesized that the measurement of exhaled NO, in addition to the NIH asthma guidelines-based approach, would improve asthma control over the guidelines-based approach alone. If this hypothesis could be proven, then NO measuring gadgets could become a new tool to help guide treatment. Published in the September 20th edition of The Lancet, this largest study to date testing exhaled nitric oxide as a biomarker for asthma management failed t... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1812017 Mon, 22 Sep 2008 07:16:46 +0100 1812017 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1804265&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F09%2Fcoming_to_icu_near_you_monitoring_of_in_vivo_drug_concentrations.html Cranfield University and Sphere Medical out of Cambridge, England are announcing a collaboration to build a real time drug monitoring system for point-of-care applications. From Sphere Medical: The medical profession is increasingly discovering that in critically ill patients more frequent monitoring of the patient condition results ultimately in improved patient care. The ability to monitor trends and quickly pick up changes in the condition of the patient is a powerful aid for the clinician. Moreover, being able to monitor important parameters, such as the blood concentration of certain therapeutic drugs, frequently and in real time, without increasing the workload and cost of therapy, is expected to result in new treatment regimes in intensive care medicine and may ultimately lead to ... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1804265 Thu, 18 Sep 2008 08:09:36 +0100 1804265 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1795966&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F09%2Flogiq_e9_a_next_plane_in_ultrasonography.html GE Healthcare has just introduced a new ultrasound system, LOGIQ® E9, designed "for radiology and vascular applications," in other words, a general ultrasound system. The beauty of LOGIQ® E9 is in its new image technology and real-time capability to merge an ongoing ultrasound exam with previously acquired CT, MR or ultrasound images. The new LOGIQ® E9 includes Volume Navigation, an innovative tool which incorporates two key components to maximize the system’s new agile ultrasound architecture: ‘Fusion’ to combine the advantages of real-time ultrasound imaging with the high spatial and contrast resolution of CT, MR or PET; and a ‘GPS-like technology’ to track and mark a patient’s anatomy during the ultrasound exam, bringing confidence and pr... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1795966 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:02:47 +0100 1795966 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1777289&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F09%2Fsolex_goes_for_the_jugular_new_heat_exchange_catheter_gets_fda_ok.html Alsius Corp. out of Irvine, California, maker of intravascular heating/cooling systems powered by the company's proprietary Intravascular Temperature Management (IVTM™) technology, has received 510(k) FDA clearance to market the first heat exchange catheter designed for jugular insertion. The catheter is indicated for temperature management of cardiac and neurosurgical procedures, and for patients in critical care units. We spoke to a company rep over the phone, who has informed us that the catheter is designed to be placed via the Seldinger technique, and, once placed and connected to an external heating/cooling unit, will expand inside the vein, revealing the serpentine balloon, perfused with normal saline and designed to maximize surface area contact with blood. So, prior to inser... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1777289 Wed, 10 Sep 2008 06:59:18 +0100 1777289 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1718749&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F08%2Fsilver_coating_fights_ventilator_related_pneumonia.html Clinicians at the Washington University in St. Louis conducted a study on the benefits of coating endotracheal tubes with silver to prevent the spread of infection, which often leads to pneumonia in already seriously ill patients. We are guessing that it was C.R. Bard's Agento® I.C. silver-coated endotracheal tubes that were used in the study. Studying 1,509 patients in 54 centers who were intubated for 24 hours or more, the research group found that 7.5 percent of those with uncoated tubes developed VAP. In comparison, 4.8 percent of those with silver-coated tubes developed VAP, a 36 percent reduction. Kollef indicates that about 80 percent of patients are intubated for less than 10 days. Looking at just the first 10 days of intubation, the silver-coated tubes were associated with ... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1718749 Wed, 20 Aug 2008 19:35:40 +0100 1718749 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1715579&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F08%2Ffda_okes_draeger_fabius_mri_anesthesia_machine.html Dräger Medical, Inc., an American subsidiary of Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA, has just announced that its MRI-compatible Fabius anesthesia machine has received FDA clearance. From now on sedating and anesthetizing all those wiggly toddlers and demented gomers, who only move at the wrong time, will be easier and safer: no flying oxygen tanks, no five meter ventilating circuits. The Fabius MRI is designed for use with 1.5T and 3.0T MRI systems. An integrated Teslameter provides an acoustic alarm if the Fabius MRI is positioned within a field strength greater than 40mTesla (400 Gauss). The Fabius MRI employs the same user interface as Draeger’s Fabius GS, Fabius Tiro and Apollo machines, creating a uniform and consistent interface for the anesthesia provider wherever anesth... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1715579 Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:03:26 +0100 1715579 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1687475&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F08%2Fhamilton_introduces_a_happier_looking_ventilator.html Hamilton Medical has teamed up with RKS, an industrial design consultancy, to create the company's new portable ventilator, the C2. Developed with loved ones in mind, the device, which will be made available later this year, wants to look like something other than a death postponement machine, a factor in today's ventilators that sours an already terrible mood. From the announcement: The design language of the C2 is a reaction against competitive ventilators which appear to have been designed strictly to provide data, with no consideration of the patient, the operator, or the environment. In contrast, the design language of the C2 is inviting and reassuring. It leans forward, engagingly, offering a confident and smart display. The C2 evokes a friendly personality, while still giving eve... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1687475 Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:31:40 +0100 1687475 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1680895&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F08%2Fcx50_portable_ultrasound_from_philips_goes_on_sale.html Philips has announced the company's new portable ultrasound system, the CX50, which is the first mobile system that can be used with the company's proprietary PureWave transducers. These transducers are powered by a technology based on a new class of piezoelectric crystals, that exhibit "a quantum improvement in electromechanical coupling and strain levels. Compared to PZT ceramics, PureWave crystals are purer, more uniform, have lower losses, and are able to transfer energy with greater precision and efficiency." You can read more about PureWave here. From the CX50 product page: Previously available only on our premium iE33 system, PureWave on the CX50 system allows you to get the clear images you need for confident diagnoses on a wide variety of patients, including the difficult-to-ima... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1680895 Tue, 05 Aug 2008 20:45:48 +0100 1680895 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1669725&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F07%2Fimacors_disposabletransesophageal_echocardiography_probe_and_system_get_fda_ok.html Have you ever heard of a disposable TEE? The piezoelectric elements in ultrasounds are known not to be cheap. Hence we were quite surprised to learn about this newly approved product from ImaCor of Uniondale, New York, a single use (up to 72 hours) miniaturized transesophageal echocardiography probe and imaging system. From the press release: ImaCor announces that it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market the ClariTEE™ probe and the ZuraTM imaging system. The ClariTEE probe is a miniaturized transesophageal echocardiography probe which facilitates episodic monitoring of cardiac function. The ClariTEE is a single use device that can remain indwelling for up to 72 hours, allowing intensivists and anesthesiologists to periodically assess car... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1669725 Thu, 31 Jul 2008 17:50:45 +0100 1669725 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1644008&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F07%2Fhamiltong5_ventilator_is_a_finalist_in_2008_idea_awards.html Hamilton Medical's G5 Ventilator has just been recognized by the Industrial Designers Society of America with the 2008 IDEA award. The society has in particular stressed the device as "the first ICU patient ventilator to provide a new ventilation cockpit that is designed to improve safety through intuitive operation and monitoring. Closed-loop ventilation automatically applies lung-protective strategies, reduces the risk of operator error and promotes early weaning off the machine." More about this product from company's page: The new HAMILTON-G5 ICU ventilator was designed to be simpler for the user and safer for the patient. Rather than bringing you even more curves and loops, its Ventilation Cockpit™ integrates complex data into intuitive graphics that answer two essential quest... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1644008 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:54:11 +0100 1644008 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1640887&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F07%2Fan_ultrasound_probe_with_sonographer_in_mind.html Researchers from University of Wisconsin-Madison with the help of creative minds from Italy's Rezzonico Design have created an ultrasound probe with a more ergonomic shape, which may take a lot of the pain out of being a sonographer. The device won a Silver from the 2008 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) in the Medical & Scientific category. From IDEA: The appleprobe is an ultrasound transducer probe that can be held with a traditional pincer grip as well as in a new way that follows the natural alignment of the hand and wrist. Sonographers often experience repetitive strain injuries in their hands and wrists that are believed to be caused by the pinching and pushing of the pincer grip. This dual grip allows sonographers to switch the way they hold the ultrasound transducer t... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1640887 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:46:44 +0100 1640887 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1636268&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F07%2Fcombicarrier_ii_wins_silver_for_good_design.html The CombiCarrier II is a new version of Hartwell Medical's innovative emergency stretcher, and a Silver winner of the 2008 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) in the Medical & Scientific category. (IDEA 2008 awards were announced today.) The device is designed to minimize spinal movement of patients after a potential back or neck injury by sliding the two sections of the stretcher under the person without rolling or shifting. Additionally, being made of plastic, the stretcher allows for X-rays to pass right through, allowing hospital staff to take the patient directly to radiology. Some of the features from the CombiCarrier product page: Approved as a full backboard and orthopedic stretcher Patient can be rotated and slid out onto the CombiCarrier during auto extrication situat... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1636268 Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:21:40 +0100 1636268 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1620719&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F07%2Fepocrates_rx_now_on_iphone.html Epocrates has announced that its free drug and formulary application, Epocrates Rx, is finally available for the iPhone through the iTunes store. Some of the features from the product page: Adult and pediatric dosing for FDA-approved and off-label indications Black box warnings, contraindications, and cautions Serious and common adverse reactions, and drug interactions organized by clinical category Pill pictures within the drug monograph showing you and your patients exactly what each drug looks like Safety and monitoring information, such as pregnancy risk categories, lactation safety ratings, monitoring parameters and therapeutic drug levels Manufacturer information, approximate retail pricing, and FDA/DEA status Pharmacology information, including metabolism, excretion (i.e., half-l... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1620719 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:56:19 +0100 1620719 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1532624&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F06%2Fcpr_pad_assures_correct_compressions.html Ryan Helps, a designer out of Leicester, UK, has created a model of a CPR assist device that addresses the common problems that people have when performing chest compressions. The CPR pad would help with locating where to position the hands on the chest, timing of when to press, and would measure and provide feedback on the proper compression pressure applied. More in Ryan Helps's portfolio... (hat tip: Yanko Design) (Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology) Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1532624 Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:08:15 +0100 1532624 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1504011&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F06%2Fdraeger_carina_ventilator_gets_fda_approval.html Pictures here is a newly approved compact "sub-acute" ventilator from Dräger Medical. The following is from the press release and the product brochure: The Carina ventilator offers both invasive and non-invasive capabilities in one device. Its latest technology, known as "Synch Plus," will compensate for leakage and provide effective breath delivery. The Carina is well-suited for the emergency room, general ward, ICU, or sub-acute facilities as it features an internal battery and can operate independent of a high-pressure gas system... The SyncPlus function features automatic leakage compensation and automatic termination criteria. As a result, it precisely synchronizes ventilation to the patient's breathing requirements... even in the presence of changing ventilation patterns or m... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1504011 Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:57:20 +0100 1504011 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1429685&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F05%2Fno_spillage_vantagecath_gets_fda_approval.html VantageCath is a new peripheral IV catheter designed to not only prevent unexpected needlestick injuries, but also to eliminate the spillage of blood during the IV placement. The device is a product of a firm called Advantage Medical Devices from Solana Beach, CA. From the product page: The VantageCath is an innovative peripheral Intravenous (IV) Catheter Safety System designed to significantly reduce blood borne pathogen exposure without compromising the "pop and glide" that users want and need. Utilizing a patented "closed hub" design, blood is contained during the entire cannulation and needle retraction process. This eliminates the need to tamponade above the site of the IV catheter and allows the provider to have both hands free to secure the IV and attach tubing using sterile techn... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1429685 Fri, 09 May 2008 08:00:01 +0100 1429685 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1420790&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F05%2Fstudy_kids_love_zingo_needless_local_anesthesia.html William T. Zempsky, MD, from the Connecticut Children's Medical Center, and colleagues from five other hospitals just published a randomized, double-blind study in the latest issue of Pediatrics, that has shown that a "needle-free powder lidocaine delivery system was well tolerated and produced significant analgesia within 1 to 3 minutes," in pediatric patients scheduled to undergo venipuncture or cannulation. The system used in the study was Zingo™ lidocaine powder intradermal injector from Anesiva, Inc., a South San Francisco, CA company. The system, that uses compressed gas to accelerate the lidocaine particles under the skin, was approved by the FDA in August 2007, " to reduce the pain associated with peripheral IV insertions or blood draws in children three to 18 years of age." ... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1420790 Tue, 06 May 2008 08:00:08 +0100 1420790 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1420791&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F05%2Fmcsleepy_automated_anesthesia_system.html Canadian Researchers at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec and the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) have developed an automated anesthetic system and believe they were the first in the world to perform a surgery with such a machine. The new system, named 'McSleepy' - in honor of the nicknames given to the doctors on the TV show 'Grey's Anatomy' - will administer drugs and monitor vital signs for patients undergoing surgery. So far, the system has been used during seven operations, and according to Dr. Thomas Hemmerling, principal developer for the system at McGill University, the preliminary results show that "...it is actually better in terms of stability of anesthesia than us at this point". Think of "McSleepy" as a sort of humanoid anesthesiologist that thinks like an anesthesi... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1420791 Tue, 06 May 2008 08:00:05 +0100 1420791 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1399707&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F04%2Fvitaljacket_heart_monitoring_shirt.html In an attempt to make heart monitoring less visible and bulky for individuals requiring continuous monitoring of their heart, BioDevices, SA, has a unique solution. The company has developed a T-shirt which continuously monitors heart rate and ECG waves. This is an ideal solution for elderly patients and has a lot of potential for fitness applications as well. The Vital Jacket® is a wearable vital signs monitoring system that joins textiles with microelectronics. It was designed and developed to be a usable pragmatic approach for different clinical and normal life scenarios, in hospitals, home or on the move, that need continuous or frequent high quality vital signs monitoring from the patient or healthy subject. The concept was designed and specified based on the long tradition on bi... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1399707 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 23:08:45 +0100 1399707 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1387191&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F04%2Fventilogic_promises_intelligent_home_ventilation.html Weinmann Geräte für Medizin GmbH + Co. KG (as Weinmann company is officially known) is planning to profile its line of ventilators at the upcoming annual convention of the German Society of Anesthesiologists and Intensive Care Medicine. The highlight of the event will be a presentation of the company's new VENTIlogic ventilator, a device designed for at home respiratory support. This new blower can be integrated into a larger system called "Ventilation Workstation": It features one of the most innovative home ventilation devices (VENTIlogic) developed by the company interacting with a monitoring unit, transcutaneous blood gas monitoring, an optional blood gas analysis and a suction pump for secretion removal. The most important ventilation and blood gas parameters are shown in... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1387191 Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:33:42 +0100 1387191 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1362609&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F04%2Fworlds_first_bluetooth_pulse_oximeter.html Via Turner Medical, we learned that Plymouth, Minnesota based manufacturer Nonin Medical just released the world's first wireless pulse oximeter that should easily interact with other devices through the emerging Bluetooth Medical Device Profile (MDP) protocol. Store & Forward Memory Ensures ultimate versatility by allowing patients to take readings outside of the home and transmit the time-stamped data once they return. The Onyx II 9560's memory storage provides up to a minimum of 20 single point measurements. SmartPoint™ Technology SmartPoint Technology eliminates the guesswork of determining which oximetry values to use for analysis. Using a sophisticated algorithm, it provides a fast and accurate snapshot of the patient's SpO2 and pulse rate. The Onyx II 9560 sends the Smart... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1362609 Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:37:59 +0100 1362609 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1358761&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F04%2Fphilips_hd7.html Philips is introducing in the United States its new general purpose, modestly priced ultrasound system, the Philips HD7: The system provides grayscale and color Doppler imaging with simple one button optimization, as well as Tissue Harmonic Imaging. In addition, the HD7 features a wide array of transducers, an adjustable flat panel LCD monitor, proven system architecture, and advanced imaging, measurement and quantification technologies. The Philips HD7 system addresses basic scanning needs while adding new technology and design advances that help improve image quality. Developed with clinicians in mind, the ergonomic, easy-to-use system can meet the demands for high-volume use in cardiovascular, OB/GYN, anesthesiology, oncology, electrophysiology, stress echo, pediatric, orthopedic, uro... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1358761 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:12:12 +0100 1358761 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1333111&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F03%2Fportable_vents_from_versamed_now_part_of_ge_healthcare.html Globes is reporting that the Israeli company Versamed Medical Systems Inc., a maker of portable ventilators, was just acquired by GE Healthcare for an undisclosed amount. The firm's main product is the iVent201 blower, which comes in four models each designed for different environments such as intensive care unit or at-home respiratory support. iVent201 IC +AB Intensive Care and Non-invasive Ventilation with Adaptive Bi-Level Mode A fully featured ventilator with Pressure Control mode (A/C or SIMV), Volume Control mode (A/C or SIMV), CPAP/PSV and Adaptive Bi-Level (non-invasive or invasive ventilation). Software packages included are Pressure, Flow and Volume Waveforms, Trending and Respiratory Diagnostics. Internal Oxygen Mixer with Sensor, High and Low Pressure Oxygen iVent201 IC Inte... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1333111 Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:43:09 +0100 1333111 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1315545&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F03%2Fornim_oxygen_saturation_system_fda_approved.html Ornim Medical, out of Lod, Israel, just received FDA approval for its non-invasive cerebral oxygen monitor for use during surgeries. Back in January, we've profiled OrNim's Targeted Oximetry as a potential diagnostic modality not just for the brain, but for monitoring oxygenation of other organs, such as viscera or extremities. From Globes Online: OrNim's Ultrasound Tagged Light technology - UTLight, transmits a beam of light through tissue to measure the absorption of light by oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin. The system tags the light with ultrasound beams enabling to bypass superficial tissue, and measure absolute oxygen saturation levels within the monitored tissue. Shechter explains, "If the blood in the area marked by the ultrasound is red and oxygen-rich, it absorbs more ta... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1315545 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:49:24 +0100 1315545 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1292451&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F03%2Feducational_games_from_breakaway.html Via Medical Education Blog at the University of Saskatchewan, we learned about BreakAway Ltd., a Hunt Valley MD company, specializing in a variety of educational games, all based on a proprietary technology platform that creates a variety of medical, military, first-responder, and other environments. Here's how the company describes its Pulse!! game, that creates an immersive environment for the health care training: Pulse!! is the first ever, immersive virtual learning space for training health care professionals in clinical skills. Cutting-edge graphics recreate a lifelike, interactive, virtual environment in which civilian and military heath care professionals practice clinical skills in order to better respond to injuries sustained during catastrophic incidents, such as combat or bio... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1292451 Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:46:58 +0100 1292451 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1285023&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F03%2Fflowave_1000_monitor_promises_noninvasive_cardiac_output.html One EKG lead. One pulse oximeter. Some secret stuff. And presto! Profit... and, of course, noninvasive cardiac output monitoring. Woolsthorpe Technologies, a Brentwood, Tenn. company, is reporting that its hemodynamics device FloWave 1000 is now being evaluated in clinical trials in Vanderbilt University Medical Center and in Saint Thomas Research Institute in Nashville, and in the Texas Heart Institute in Houston. The device, based on a single paired ECG lead, dual pulse oximetry sensor, and a secret proprietary algorithm, is designed to extrapolate patient's cardiac output, cardiac index, stroke volume, heart rate, saturation, and more. The device has been around for at least 4 years now, as this article from 2004 in Nashville Business Journal testifies. But since the company is putting... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1285023 Fri, 07 Mar 2008 08:15:24 +0100 1285023 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1259064&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F02%2Ffabricbased_electrodes_for_a_more_comfortable_ecg_experience.html The FDA just gave approval to Textronics, Inc to market their new textile-based ECG electrodes, which were awarded with a US patent only two weeks ago. Unlike typical ECG electrodes, these don't use adhesives to stick to the skin, and are purported to be more comfortable than the "old" variety. The hairy members of Medgadget editorial team are particularly relieved, as we occasionally end up removing red dots from ourselves, while trying to apply these electrodes to diaphoretic patients. “Our textile electrodes can be worn comfortably against the skin, as part of a seamless garment, fabric chest strap or elastic wrist band,” explains Textronics CEO Stacey Burr. “We’re offering the medical community a more comfortable and less cumbersome solution that can improve pa... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1259064 Wed, 27 Feb 2008 07:49:22 +0100 1259064 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1242701&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F02%2Fshakerscope_for_jungle_endoscopy.html The ShakerScope is a project that was conceived by a Welsh doctor working his craft in remote parts of Africa. One of the constant problems Dr. David Williams had to overcome was the necessity of batteries to power certain medical devices, including the light on a laryngoscope. Realizing that a small LED light can be powered by something other than batteries, the idea for a kinetic powered laryngoscope was conceived. TCT News Magazine, a publication for the product development industry, has an article on how the Shakerscope came to be. A snippet: With funding granted by the Welsh Assembly Government, David approached PDR (The National Centre for Product Design and Development Research) to redesign the device. PDR, an accredited Centre of Excellence for Technology and Industry Collaborati... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1242701 Tue, 19 Feb 2008 19:18:32 +0100 1242701 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1230512&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F02%2Fdre_envoy_pdm_patient_data_management_wireless_monitor_system.html DRE Inc. just released a new wireless patient telemetry system that lets the doctor or nurse carry this flat screen around, while monitoring the vitals on up to six patients. Unlike traditional telemetry systems, which typically resemble desktop PCs, all central station components of the Envoy PDM are housed in an all-inclusive device that is similar to the size and appearance of a 15-inch computer monitor. The Envoy PDM also features an easy-to-use touchscreen that eliminates the need for a keyboard and further decreases the size of its footprint. In addition to being a telemetry system, the Envoy PDM is a patient data management system that surgeons can use to compile patient information such as medical history, medications and treatment. The patient database helps telemetry operators ... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1230512 Thu, 14 Feb 2008 08:00:37 +0100 1230512 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1223886&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F02%2Fsmartcart_from_enovateit.html EnovateIT, a Ferndale, Michigan medical systems company, will be unveiling a new medication cart at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) meeting in Orlando from February 24 through 28. Some of the features of the cart from a press release: Multiple computing platforms - notebooks, tablets, All-in-Ones, Thin-Clients Replaceable monitors - supports VESA based alternative monitors Net weight of 120lbs with full drawers Large 16"x16" work surface with raised edge to help retain spills 4.5" lockable casters Integrated keyboard light for usage in a dark environment UL & CE certified Basic off-the-shelf SW solution to control the automated storage Standard Windows® based computing platform - easy integration HL7 ready - for integration with other hospi... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1223886 Tue, 12 Feb 2008 18:46:54 +0100 1223886 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1187345&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F01%2Fornims_targeted_oximetry.html OrNim, a Lod, Israel company, has developed a non-invasive laser-based sensor for direct monitoring of oxygen levels within the brain. The company is trying to break into a lucrative market of cerebral perfusion monitoring, currently dominated by such devices as INVOS Cerebral Oximeter from Somanetics Corp. Unlike its competitiors, OrNim believes its monitor could potentially be used for monitoring a variety of organs, from brain to viscera. From the company's technology page: ... pulse oximetry is an optical based technology that is used to measure oxygen levels within the arterial blood. It works by attaching a non-invasive probe to a patient (usually placed on the ear, finger, or toe) which transmits a beam of light through the patient’s blood vessels. This technology works by m... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1187345 Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:29:03 +0100 1187345 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1184853&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F01%2Fnew_or_computer_and_jocap_xl_program_from_maquet.html MAQUET GmbH & Co. KG from Germany has release a new version of JOCAP XL 7.1 for its popular online recording system that "allows the perfusionist to turn his attention to what really matters." The software is designed to run on the company's new OR Computer, reports German Healthcare Export Group: JOCAP XL has become established as the standard thanks to its comprehensive display and evaluation options as well as its open interfaces to other systems. The system includes interfaces to all common heart-lung machines and other peripheral devices, such as blood gas analysis and anesthesia monitors. Together with the new OR Computer, JOCAP XL offers advantages. The program can now be operated via a touch screen and, if required, a keyboard is displayed on the 15” screen to allow data to... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1184853 Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:18:12 +0100 1184853 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1176382&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F01%2Fzone.html KLAS, a technology consultancy, has released its 2007 Best in KLAS report that features a ranking of what they believe are the top 20 overall medical technology companies (plus a ranking within specific fields). ZONARE Medical Systems, Inc. (Mountain View, Calif.) is one of the companies chosen, as the top hand carried ultrasound (HCU) vendor for its z.one ultra System. Zone Sonography technology has enabled ZONARE Medical Systems to bring its unique, patented Convertible Ultrasound platform to the industry providing premium image quality and performance together with greater portability at an attractive price to value ratio compared to conventional ultrasound systems. Clinicians are able to convert the z.one system, at the touch of a button, from a full-featured, cart-based system into a... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1176382 Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:59:56 +0100 1176382 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1173892&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F01%2Freliant_noninvasive_cardiac_output_monitor_gets_fdas_ok.html Reliant® from Israel-based Cheetah Medical, Inc. has been approved by the FDA, according to a report at Globes and a press release. The device promises the accuracy of measurements of cardiac output equal or better to traditional Swan-Ganz catheter. The device functions via a proprietary NICOM® technology, that is based on a traditional bioimpedance analysis (changes in voltage of electrical currents traversing the patient's chest), plus BIOREACTANCE® technology, an analysis of frequency related effects: The NICOM® ICU (Intensive Care Unit) and CCU (Critical Care Unit) is a non-invasive Cardiac Output monitor based on Haemodynamic Reactance Mapping, intended for the measurement and display of Cardiac Output and ECG (electrocardiogram), both at rest and under medical tests.... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1173892 Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:42:26 +0100 1173892 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1125019&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F01%2Ffda_oks_voluven_for_postoperative_blood_loss.html The FDA has approved a novel hydroxyethyl starch (HES) solution called Voluven®, from Fresenius Kabi, a Bad Homburg, Germany company, for treatment of post-operative volume loss. This lower substituted hydroxyethyl starch volume expander was found in numerous studies to effectively treat hypovolemia with a minimum number of coagulation side effects, but that is not why the FDA approved it. From the FDA: Voluven contains a synthetic starch that does not dissolve in water. It is made by linking individual starch molecules together and combining them with a salt solution, similar to the salt concentration typically found in blood. Voluven expands the volume of blood plasma -- the liquid portion of the blood -- and thus draws fluid into small blood vessels known as capillaries. "Massive... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1125019 Wed, 02 Jan 2008 19:49:21 +0100 1125019 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1091700&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F12%2Fveinviewer_off_to_europe.html Memphis Business Journal is reporting that VeinViewer from Luminetx Corp., that happens to be a Memphis firm, has received the CE Mark of approval from the European Union. We've been following the device since its prototype stage. Product page: Luminetx Features ... VeinViewer brochure (PDF)... Flashbacks: VeinViewer Shipped! ; First Hospital To Use The VeinViewer ...; VeinViewer @ NextFest ...; Vein Contrast Enhancer ... (Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology) Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1091700 Thu, 13 Dec 2007 17:37:42 +0100 1091700 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1073417&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F12%2Fin_the_works_lightguided_transluminal_catheter.html From the MIT Technology Review we learned of Dr. Farhad Imam, a neonatal intensivist at the Children's Hospital Boston, who designed and patented a light-guided central venous catheter for direct visualization of placement. Dr. Imam is trying to commercialize this device: Farhad Imam... says that his transilluminating catheter could be useful in outpatient, wilderness, and military settings, where there isn't the luxury of using fluoroscopy or ultrasound to track the device's movement... Imam designed his catheter with babies in mind, knowing that it would be relatively easy for light to shine through their thin skin. However, he thinks that it will also work in adults. Imam has tested the catheter in rabbits and patented it, and he's now gearing up for human trials, which he expects to... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1073417 Thu, 06 Dec 2007 19:37:38 +0100 1073417 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1055125&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F11%2Facuson_p50_portable_ultrasound_system_from_siemens.html 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 equ... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1055125 Wed, 28 Nov 2007 10:51:28 +0100 1055125 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1052817&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F11%2Fxario_xg_ultrasound_from_toshiba.html 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... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1052817 Tue, 27 Nov 2007 11:24:43 +0100 1052817 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1049149&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F11%2Fsiemens_acuson_s2000.html is an ultrasound system in a new line from Siemens that features some pretty nifty applications that are still rarely, if ever, seen in other manufacturers' ultrasound systems: Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) Imaging utilizes acoustic energy to compress tissue, providing qualitative and quantitative assessment of tissue stiffness eSie Touch™ elasticity imaging calculates and displays relative tissue stiffness through gentle compression cycle Cadence™ contrast pulse sequencing technology provides superior sensitivity and specificity to contrast agent signal for excellent border and lesion detection and characterization Axius™ direct ultrasound research interface allows ccess to raw ultrasound data prior to the back-end system processing Introducing the S Class. ... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1049149 Mon, 26 Nov 2007 11:54:58 +0100 1049149 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1035803&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F11%2Freflectance_pulse_oximetry_from_spo_medical.html SPO Medical Inc., a New York, NY based company, has unveiled at the Medica 2007 in Düsseldorf its new line of pulse oximeters for the European market, including the PulseOx 6000™ and PulseOx 6100™, both based on the company's reflectance pulse oximetry technology. The company explains how its low-powered, reflectance technology measures oxygen saturation in blood without the need for transmission of light through tissue: There are two methods to measure pulse oximetry: by transmission through a body part or by reflection. In general, the transmission method can only be used on limited areas of the body, such as fingers, earlobes, etc. Furthermore, in some instances when the transmission method is used, physiological conditions such as stress and temperature can affect th... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1035803 Mon, 19 Nov 2007 17:56:05 +0100 1035803 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1031345&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F11%2Fsurety_needle.html Response Medical, a subsidiary of UK-based IMD Group, has just launched its new retractable safety needle at the Medica 2007 in Düsseldorf. The device is designed for single handed operation, with a special feature being the automatic alignment of the needle bevel during venepuncture. Thomson Financial is reporting that the device has received positive feedback from clinical users in a recent study conducted by the company. From the press statement: Designed to be compatible with all commonly used syringes, the intuitive design of Surety™ Needle makes it easy to use, with minimal training required. It can be used for blood draw, intra muscular (IM) and intra venous (IV) injections. The ergonomically designed needle has been specifically designed for one-handed operation and, o... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1031345 Fri, 16 Nov 2007 13:26:15 +0100 1031345 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1031346&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F11%2Flaserbased_detection_of_decompression_sickness.html Kirill Larin, a professor of engineering, and colleagues at the University of Houston received a $400,000 grant from the U.S. Navy to develop the first optical non-invasive diagnostic system to prevent decompression sickness in scuba divers, etc. "Most of the time, decompression sickness isn't addressed until the person starts showing clinical symptoms," Larin said. "It would be better, of course, to treat the problem before the symptoms appear. That would allow individuals to take the appropriate medical actions to reduce the side effects of decompression sickness." Larin's optical device can locate the presence of nitrogen gas - or microbubbles - in blood and tissues, which can restrict the flow of blood throughout the body and cause damage. Larin is developing the tool, which works m... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1031346 Fri, 16 Nov 2007 08:58:12 +0100 1031346 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1025624&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F11%2Fcardiaid_defibrillator.html Here's another device that's just been unveiled at the Medica 2007 in Düsseldorf. In our opinion, this shockingly beautiful cardioverter from Cardiatech Holland BV, once seen by a patient, whether in VFib, VTech, or in any other rhythm, will infuse life energy through its ease of operation, its uplifting design, and its direct current, of course: The CardiAid has been especially developed to make a life-saving defibrillation and reanimation possible for everybody! Safe! With the most modern top technology. The device constantly checks itself. The status is constantly clearly legible (also through the window of the bag). Affordable (the first PAD below 1.000 Euros)! And no concessions are made to the top quality. Very easy to operate! Spoken in the own Language and clearly visibl... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1025624 Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:10:42 +0100 1025624 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1016073&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F11%2Fagentotrade_endotracheal_tube.html The FDA has approved the sale of C.R. Bard's new Agento™ silver coated endotracheal tube. The company, though, is awaiting publication of results of a peer reviewed clinical trial of the device in one of the major medical journals, before putting the product on the market. C.R. Bard is keeping somewhat tight lipped about the Agento™, and told Medgadget they will wait to start marketing the device before releasing any photos of it. From the press release: The [FDA] clearance includes claims for the reduction of microbiologically confirmed ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP). Management is currently evaluating the benefits of launching the Agento(TM) IC product in conjunction with the potential publication of the clinical trial results in a major peer-review medical journal.... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1016073 Fri, 09 Nov 2007 18:40:54 +0100 1016073 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1003795&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F11%2Fcprglove_making_inroads.html Electronic CPRGlove™, an invention of two biomed engineering students Corey Centen and Nilesh Patel from O'Canada's McMaster University, has just been given the prestigious Collegiate Inventors Competition (CIC) Award in Caltech, as well as TIME magazine's recognition as one of the best inventions of 2007 in the health category. We've seen the device a few times before on these pages (see our flashbacks below). Now also come news of a startup called Atreo Medical Inc. founded by Centen and Patel, that will try to capitalize on the idea of an electronic monitor built into the glove to assure adequate thoracic CPR pressure, etc. Press release: Double pump for CPRGlove ... Atreo Medical ... Product brochure (.pdf)... Flashbacks: Electronic CPR Glove Coming to An Emergency Near You ... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1003795 Mon, 05 Nov 2007 21:12:18 +0100 1003795 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1002950&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F11%2Fpatchpump_pca_in_a_button.html SteadyMed Ltd. is an Israeli startup developing the PatchPump™, a subcutaneous medication delivery button, that the company describes as "light and inexpensive patch-sized miniature infusion pump." What's more is that the device promises to be able to inject both basal rates and user-initiated boluses of meds. The company says that its PatchPump™ works using a "novel solid-state battery cell which gradually expands in a stable manner under electronic control." A couple of nuggets about the technology and capabilities of device as provided by the company: The ECell™ merges the two major components of disposable pumps -- the power source and the motor -- into one simple miniature part, enabling the fabrication of very flat and simple devices. The key advantages of the t... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1002950 Mon, 05 Nov 2007 08:42:16 +0100 1002950 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=993531&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F10%2Fa_wireless_ecg_patch.html IMEC, a Belgium/Netherlands research center in nanoelectronics and nanotechnologies, has developed what it describes as a "wireless, flexible and stretchable" ECG patch for comfortable continuous cardiac monitoring: The ECG patch is a hybrid system combining electronic assembly on a flexible Polyimide substrate and textile integration. This allows achieving flexibility and stretchability. Standard ECG electrodes are used for attachment to the body. The ECG patch can fit body curves and allows optimal, personalized, placement of the electrodes. It can therefore be used to monitor cardiac activity 'on-the-move' in daily-life conditions, thus opening new perspectives for cardiovascular disease management. Placed on the arm or on the leg, the same system can also be used to monitor muscle act... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=993531 Wed, 31 Oct 2007 20:05:33 +0100 993531 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=987391&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F10%2Fnavigator_applications_suite_to_aid_clinical_decisions_in_anesthesia.html At a recently held annual meeting by the American Society of Anesthesiologists, we had a chance to check out the new computerized Navigator Applications Suite from GE Healthcare, a workstation, built into GE Carestation® anesthesia delivery system, that "analyzes drug therapy, information to model and predicts the effect of supported anesthesia-related drugs and drug interactions." In simpler terms, the device guides clinicians by offering pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic modeling, by offering care protocols, and by providing Carestation® device diagnostics. Navigator Applications Suite is a software package that includes Navigator Therapy, Navigator Protocol and Navigator Device. Navigator software receives data from supported GE anesthesia delivery systems, GE anesthesia pati... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=987391 Mon, 29 Oct 2007 16:39:30 +0100 987391 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=986231&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F10%2Freliefinsite_introduces_first_patient_health_record_on_facebook.html We have learned that ReliefInsite, a pain tracking service covered by us in September, just launched its service on Facebook. Users can choose between free and premium online pain management services, by keeping diaries of their pain, its intensity, location, and responses to therapies. Those willing to shell a whopping $4 per month will be able to produce standard or fully customizable reports that one can view, print or save on the computer, or share with a doctor. Unlike the ReliefInsite.com's service, the Facebook-based application is not HIPAA compliant. The press release is to follow later on today. (Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology) Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=986231 Mon, 29 Oct 2007 08:37:50 +0100 986231 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=957627&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F10%2Fthe_radlyn_stylet.html This innovative stylet for endotracheal tubes from RadLyn, LLC of Ohio, is designed to simplify entrance of the tube into the laryngeal inlet. In some circumstances, such as complicated anatomy or adducted vocal cords, the "crude" end of the endotracheal tube can catch up and prevent the passage. The RadLyn Stylet is designed to overcome these problems: It has a soft, tissue-dilating tapered balloon incorporated onto a shapeable guide-tip that extends from the front end of the ETT. The RadLyn Stylet is placed inside the ETT and stabilized between the inflated dilating balloon and a unidirectional endcap. The flexible guide-tip and the rest of the Stylet can be shaped as desired to facilitate insertion and placement of the ETT. The stylet's narrow guide-tip slips easily through the glott... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=957627 Wed, 17 Oct 2007 16:52:58 +0100 957627 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=957628&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F10%2Fuscom_noninvasive_cardiac_output_monitor.html Promoted as a noninvasive alternative to the Swan Ganz catheter, this technology from Australian company USCOM Ltd. is nothing short of miraculous. We had a chance to play with the USCOM monitor at the ASA meeting, and found it easy to use and very informative. The device provides 14 parameters of cardiac function, such as stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO) and cardiac index. We tested the monitor by applying its transducer suprasternally, and it easily calculated hemodynamic values from trans-aortic flow profiles. The company provides FAQs and answers on its technology: What is the USCOM device? The USCOM device is a sophisticated continuous wave Doppler ultrasound device utilizing unique specialised transducers, algorithms, signal processing and software to provide a simple, acc... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=957628 Wed, 17 Oct 2007 16:19:34 +0100 957628 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=957629&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F10%2Fprefense_early_detection_and_notification_system.html Remote continuous monitoring of patients on the general floor is all the rage these days. At the ongoing meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) we checked out quite a few such monitoring systems. Here's some new technology from Nihon Kohden America, a subsidiary of Nihon Kohden Corporation, Japan. Based on the company's recently introduced NTX transmitter, a device that is capable of monitoring EKG, SpO2, respiration and cuff blood pressure even in ambulating patients, the system was designed "to protect hospital patients from medical harm and enhance the efficiency of rapid response teams," the company says. More about the transmitter and the system: The NTX transmitter operates in the new protected WMTS frequency band and provides economical operation through the us... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=957629 Wed, 17 Oct 2007 08:44:53 +0100 957629 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=956456&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F10%2Fmasimo_patient_safetynet.html At the American Society of Anesthesiologists annual meeting we took a close look at the new monitoring system from Masimo called Patient SafetyNet. Designed to keep an eye on up to 40 patients, the wireless system is primarily based on the company's highly successful SET pulse oximetry monitors. Once a patient's oxygen saturation or heart rate goes out of acceptable clinical range, the system sends a message to one or more pagers to alert a nurse or resident. Right now the system is not yet equipped with EKG telemetry, but we were assured by company reps that Masimo is poised to introduce EKG monitoring for this system very soon. Here's what the company says about Patient SafetyNet in a press release: Masimo Patient SafetyNet is an easy-to-use system that combines the "gold standard" per... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=956456 Wed, 17 Oct 2007 08:08:28 +0100 956456 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=951053&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F10%2Fsnerve_from_sonosite.html Our very own in-house anesthesiologist Dr.O had a chance yesterday to take a look at the S-Nerve™, a specialized vertical ultrasound designed for gas passers of his kind. The device was just introduced at the American Society of Anesthesiologists meeting in San Francisco. He found the system sports a wide range of functions via a number of ultrasound probes, and it is easy to use and quite intuitive. As the name suggests, the S-Nerve™ is primarily designed for guidance with peripheral nerve blocks. However, we can also imagine using this tool for assistance with central line and a-line placements, epiaortic scanning during open heart surgery, vein mappings, and other procedures that can benefit from ultrasound guidance. Here's how the company touts its "revolutionary visualiza... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=951053 Mon, 15 Oct 2007 15:49:48 +0100 951053 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=934172&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F10%2Fthe_tongue_sucker.html is a prototype device designed for forward displacement of the tongue from posterior pharynx, to open the airway during emergencies. The idea for the device has been conceived by four students at the Royal College of Art. The Tongue Sucker's approach to the problem is simple and logical and may be performed by anyone. The bulb is squeezed, the tube placed over the tongue, and released. This action creates a vacuum, which sucks onto the tip of the tongue pulling the rear off the throat and into the carefully designed self-sealing chamber. 1) Squeeze the bulb and locate over tongue 2) Release bulb and begin chest compressions Once the oropharynx is opened the rescuer is free to perform compression only CPR. This is a simplified version of CPR involving administering compressions withou... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=934172 Mon, 08 Oct 2007 17:52:15 +0100 934172 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=934173&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F10%2Flucas_chest_compression_system_offers_a_new_cpr_experience.html Physio-Control, Inc., a subsidiary of Medtronic, Inc., has announced that the LUCAS Chest Compression System is now available in the United States through an exclusive distribution partnership with JOLIFE AB, a Lund, Sweden company. The device is designed to deliver consistent CPR chest compressions without the off intervals, and to deliver direct current cardioversion during chest compressions. The device's protocol is fully compliant with the official ACLS guidelines. LUCAS runs on high-pressure air supplied either by a compressed air tank or the air wall outlet in a hospital. Designed for both out-of-hospital and in-hospital use, LUCAS is indicated for treatment of adult patients who have acute circulatory arrest defined as absence of spontaneous breathing and pulse, as well as loss of... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=934173 Mon, 08 Oct 2007 16:29:25 +0100 934173 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=919307&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F10%2Fnew_portable_ultrasound_from_sonosite.html SonoSite, Inc. is introducing a new portable ultrasound system, designed for a variety of clinical applications, that features new powerful computer processing capabilities from Microsoft and Texas Instruments. This is very exciting for TI's DaVinci technology, which integrates high definition (HD) video processing with custom selected on-chip components. SonoSite's new M-Turbo system offers a 16-fold increase in processing power yet weighs slightly less than the MicroMaxx® system. The system's increased processing power generates dramatic improvements in image quality by simultaneously running multiple advanced algorithms: SonoADAPT™ Tissue Optimization - automatically adjusts imaging parameters depending on exam type and patient size based on imaging depth thereby eliminatin... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=919307 Tue, 02 Oct 2007 19:23:04 +0100 919307 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=900348&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F09%2Freliefinsitecom_ajaxbased_pain_diary.html We learned about ReliefInsite.com at a recently held Health 2.0 conference in San Francisco. The website is touted as a secure online pain management service, for both the physician and the patient. Here's how it works. A patient logs in to keep a record of his pain with all kinds of associative descriptions, factors and modifiers: standard pain score, pain distribution, terms describing his/her pain, modifiers like meds taken, physical activity performed, etc. The site is based on AJAX, the same technology that GMail is using, hence there is a two way communication with a server without many page reloads. The interface is intuitive on both patient and physician's ends. It should also be noted, that Fred Eberlein, founder and CEO of ReliefInsite.com, tells Medgadget that their service is ... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=900348 Tue, 25 Sep 2007 08:10:02 +0100 900348 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=886563&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F09%2Ftattoos_and_epidurals.html The Wall Street Journal is raising issue about potential neurotoxicitiy of tattoo dyes, if and when the epidural needle picks a small amount from subcutaneous tissue, and carries it into the epidural space. There is probably more spin to this story than truth, but read on: In 2002, a pair of Canadian anesthesiologists published a report that questioned whether administering an epidural through such a tattoo could be risky. The doctors speculated that complications like inflammation or nerve damage may arise if the needle pulled a bit of dyed skin along with it, and then deposited it into the nerve-rich region outside the spinal column. The small study of three women -- which concluded that there wasn't enough evidence to determine if the practice is safe or not -- set off a mini-wave of... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=886563 Thu, 20 Sep 2007 08:21:32 +0100 886563 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=883934&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F09%2Fthermosuit_for_hypothermia_approved_in_eu.html Life Recovery Systems, HD, LLC, of Alexandria, LA was just issued the CE Mark of approval by the EU to market their ThermoSuit system, indicated for emergency cooling of patients to "preserve cardiac and brain function in victims of cardiac arrest, stroke, heart attack, traumatic brain injury and hyperthermic patients." The ThermoSuit System uses innovative technology to rapidly cool a patient's core temperature. It consists of a disposable body suit and a means to pump coolant within the suit over the skin of the patient. It is the first device for patient temperature management that conveniently provides a thin layer of rapidly flowing liquid coolant in direct contact with the skin. This approach gives the ThermoSuit System outstanding capabilities to rapidly and non-invasively change p... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=883934 Wed, 19 Sep 2007 17:36:22 +0100 883934 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=865809&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F09%2Fscientists_develop_better_gauging_of_brain_blood_flows.html Investigators from Johns Hopkins Children's Center and Cambridge University developed software that monitors cerebral perfusion pressure and intracranial oxygenation, and hence has the potential to provide better monitoring of brain hemodynamics in post-op and trauma patients. While somewhat similar to the INVOS System from Somanetics Corp., the new technology is purportedly much more advanced: Healthy brains regulate blood flow and oxygen levels during drops and spikes in blood pressure, but injured brains may lose this fail-safe mechanism, leading to oxygen starvation and permanent brain damage. Although monitors have long been able to track blood pressure and blood flow to the brain, the Hopkins-Cambridge team created a system that for the first time precisely determines the "breakpoi... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=865809 Wed, 12 Sep 2007 16:39:19 +0100 865809 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=848650&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F09%2Fsafer_more_effective_cpr_developed.html A new method of administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation is being proposed by a Purdue professor of biomedicine. The new technique focuses on applying pressure to the abdomen rather than the chest, and according to the research, the study "provided 25 percent more blood flow through the heart muscle without retrograde flow in the coronary arteries," all while reducing the chances of damage to the rib cage. Instead of two breaths for every 30 chest compressions, the new procedure provides a breath for every abdominal compression because pushing on the abdomen depresses the diaphragm toward the head, expelling air from the lungs. The release of force causes inhalation. Researchers have known since the 1980s that pushing on the abdomen circulates blood through the heart. The idea was ori... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=848650 Fri, 07 Sep 2007 23:31:15 +0100 848650 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=839182&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F09%2Fsiemens_introduces_the_worlds_smallest_ultrasound_device.html ACUSON P10, an ultra portable ultrasound system for quick complementary diagnosis, that we've seen before, has now been officially launched by Siemens: The advantages of the new system are its portability, easy handling as well as its fast and consistent availability to the physician. The device is barely larger than a Blackberry and weighs just a little more than 700 grams. In emergency situations, for example, this translates into earlier, faster and more accurate screening and triage decisions. Its emergency applications include FAST (Focused Abdominal Sonography for Trauma) for detecting fluid, determining cardiac activity and pericardial effusion as well as for detecting abdominal aortic aneurysms and performing pelvic exams. "Instead of having to rush the patient to the technology... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=839182 Tue, 04 Sep 2007 17:29:20 +0100 839182 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=758834&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F07%2Flubocollar_promises_an_open_airway.html According to Israel's Globes, "Hadassah Hospitals technology transfer company Hadasit and Tel Aviv University technology transfer company Ramot announced... that their jointly developed Lubo Cervical Collar, designed for use in trauma situations, had demonstrated positive results in a two-part Phase I safety study." The device, it turns out, has a simple but very important idea: it is designed to keep the airway open in people by immobilizing the neck, and by giving patients what anesthesiologists call a "jaw thrust." Medgadget obtained a photo of the device. From the press release: "LuboCollar is designed to protect the neck by restricting the movement of the head relative to the rest of the body and to maintain an open airway in a non-invasive, simple and quick to operate way. It doe... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=758834 Thu, 26 Jul 2007 20:58:45 +0100 758834 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=758835&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F07%2Fvisiv_intravenous_iv_solution_container.html The 2007 International Design Excellence Awards from the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) are in. As it happens every year, quite a few products are in the medical devices category. The VisIV™ Intravenous (I.V.) Solution Container from Hospira, Inc., a Lake Forest, Illinois company, takes an IDSA's Bronze for being "the first significant redesign of the IV bag in three decades," that sports an impressive array of features for a simple thing like an IV bag. From the company's product site: Patient and Caregiver Safety & Efficiency Presence of ergonomic pull ring provides visual evidence that no medication has been added Helps reduce risk of contamination Virtually impenetrable port tubes Needlestick risk protection Advanced Design for the Global Healthcare Environme... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=758835 Thu, 26 Jul 2007 19:29:15 +0100 758835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=723379&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F07%2Fnoninvasive_pneumothorax_detector.html 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 t... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=723379 Tue, 10 Jul 2007 08:51:28 +0100 723379 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=693473&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F06%2Facuson_p10_an_ultrasound_system_that_fits_in_a_pocket.html Last week, at the 18th Annual Scientific Sessions of the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) in Seattle, Siemens demonstrated its ACUSON P10 hand-held ultrasound unit, a "system... intended primarily for triage and screening applications in acute care settings." Currently undergoing clinical trials in the US, the device, designed for the medical lab coat pocket, has been 510(K)'ed by the FDA since January 2007. Here's a list of ACUSON P10 features, taken from the product brochure: Hand-held personal imaging tool Fits in a lab coat pocket Visual reinforcement of exam findings improves patient communication Optimized form factor, functionality, and price to complement the physical exam 1.6 lbs total weight ~ 5-second power-up Excellent image quality Easy to use -- simple, intuitive ... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=693473 Mon, 25 Jun 2007 11:53:23 +0100 693473 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=687137&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F06%2Fthe_vivid_7_dimension.html GE Healthcare is profiling its cardiovascular Vivid 7 Dimension echo machine at the annual meeting of the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) in Seattle. The system sports an impressive array of features: The Vivid 7 Dimension system is a PC based, software, raw data ultrasound platform that continues to evolve and improve year after year. Annual breakthroughs renew the platform with cutting edge software and hardware. Building on these annual breakthroughs, the Vivid 7 Dimension delivers more real-time 4D imaging capabilities than ever before. Multi-dimensional imaging formats, real-time, un-gated, un-spliced 4D imaging and real-time 4D full volume imaging, in an easy to use package, helps clinicians take 4D imaging out of the research lab and into a their everyday clinical routin... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=687137 Thu, 21 Jun 2007 16:04:25 +0100 687137 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=660689&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F06%2Fdragon_drug_gun.html We are not talking about a gun designed to discharge Special K (ketamine) darts into an orangutan running from the zoo's rhinoceroses. This prototype invention by Miami anesthesiologist Dr. John Lafferty is designed to unload medications into living patients, in a programmed and recordable manner. Imagine a busy scenario of Advanced Cardiac Life Support, or trauma patients in the field: make sure the weapon is locked and loaded with a single ACLS cartridge, and fire away. "I invented the Dragon to pump multiple drugs very rapidly into patients to save their lives," states Lafferty. "It's small and portable, so it can be used anywhere--by medics in Iraq, by doctors in the ER and the OR, or by EMTs at a car crash," says Lafferty. "In a triage situation with large numbers of sick or injure... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=660689 Thu, 14 Jun 2007 08:12:48 +0100 660689 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=660690&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F06%2Fthe_endogo_portable_endoscopic_camera.html The endogo® endoscopic camera is a hand-held, world's first battery operated endoscopic video camera that is so small that it can fit in the palm of your hand. It is a product of Envisionier Medical Technologies, LLC, a Rockville, MD company. The camera is designed for a wide range of uses such as difficult intubations, and diagnostic exams by ENT / Urology / Ob Gyn / ER. The endogo® Portable Endoscopic Camera is the world's first battery operated, portable, hand-held endoscopic video camera with integrated viewing and archiving capability which fits in the palm of your hand. The endogo® can be used with current optical flexible or rigid endoscopes in any clinical setting requiring simple, inexpensive, and easy to use video endoscopy with/without archiving the examination. Onc... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=660690 Fri, 08 Jun 2007 08:15:55 +0100 660690 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=625122&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F05%2Fbioacoustic_sensor_for_monitoring_respiration.html Here is a sensor that's long been overdue. Designed to "hear" respiratory flows in the upper airway, this prototype from the Masimo Corporation has already shown great results is the latest series of studies: Masimo reported that three new independent studies, including one presented the recent International Anesthesiology Research Society (IARS) Clinical & Scientific Congress in Orlando, concluded that Masimo Acoustic Respiratory Monitoring technology (ARM) is "at least as accurate as capnometry" and "significantly more reliable" for monitoring respiration in spontaneously breathing patients. In the study released at the recent IARS, conducted by M. R. Macknet, MD and a team of researchers at Loma Linda University's Department of Anesthesiology, fifteen pediatric PACU patients were moni... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=625122 Mon, 21 May 2007 21:45:38 +0100 625122 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=466217&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F03%2Fbabysim_for_inf.html BBC News is reporting that a computer-controlled simulator is now being used by trainee nurses at the Chatham campus of Canterbury Christ Church University. SimBaby infant simulator is a product of Laerdal Medical, a Orpington, Kent company. Here's what the company says about the sim: SimBaby is the portable advanced infant patient simulator for team training. SimBaby has realistic anatomy and clinical functionality that enables simulation training. SimBaby includes software with video debriefing and an interactive technologically advanced manikin allowing learners to practice the emergency treatment of infant patients. Product features: Full scale infant patient simulator which allows the learner to perform relevant pediatric emergency skills and scenarios. Interactive manikin which g... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=466217 Mon, 12 Mar 2007 17:09:50 +0100 466217 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=386475&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F01%2Fepisure_autodet.html The standard way (i.e. old way) of doing epidurals is for the anesthesiologist to continuously press on a plunger of a syringe while piercing with the needle through the layers of the back (remember: skin--> subcutaneous fat--> supraspinous ligament--> interspinous ligament--> ligamentum flavum--> epidural space.) Since the epidural space is a potential space, the loss of resistance on a plunger is indicative of the entrance to the epidural area. Indigo Orb, Inc., from Orange County, CA, is expecting to change the way we (anesthesiologists, including your correspondent) do this procedure. Filled with normal saline, the company's Episure AutoDetect syringe has a plunger that automatically loses resistance, which "provides an objective, visual confirmation that the Epidural Space has been i... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=386475 Mon, 29 Jan 2007 20:29:19 +0100 386475 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=315683&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2006%2F12%2Fnovel_anestheti.html Dr. Jenny Ekberg and colleagues at the University of Queensland have discovered that a toxin from marine snail Conus marmoreus has interesting analgesic properties, similar to local anesthetics but without any motor blockade. From the interview Dr. Ekberg gave to the press office of University of Queensland: "The patient experiences severe pain because their nerve cells that are responsible for pain transmission are overactive," she said. "This is primarily due to abnormal activity of voltage-gated sodium channels in the nerve cells. "Conventional drugs, such as local anaesthetics, block all types of sodium channels, causing severe side-effects. "Our toxin only blocks a specific channel -- the first time a toxin like this has been shown to work-- therefore providing pain relief witho... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=315683 Tue, 12 Dec 2006 08:16:38 +0100 315683 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=299116&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2006%2F11%2Farndt_endobronc.html Thoracic anesthesiologists that like to use endobronchial blockers, instead of clunky double-lumen endotracheal tubes, to isolate the lung, should be happy to find out that Cook has just introduced 9 French Arndt Endobronchial Blocker with a replaceable snare "to improve ease-of-use and accuracy of device placement." Press release... (Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology) Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=299116 Wed, 29 Nov 2006 10:55:18 +0100 299116 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=284956&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2006%2F11%2Fxstrain_technol.html Texas Instruments Inc. is reporting that Italian firm Esaote S.p.A. is using Texas Instruments' digital signal processing (DSP) technology to power a range of innovative imaging instruments, from new ultrasounds to open MRI. One of the technologies powered by the DSPs to attract our attention is called XStrain™. Installed on Esaote's new MyLab™ XVision series ultrasound system, this diagnostic modality is described as "advanced cardiac technique for myocardial function evaluation." Here's more from the company's website: XStrain™ is Esaote's truly innovative new imaging method to estimate and quantify endocardial velocities of contraction and relaxation, and estimate and quantify local deformation of the heart, the Strain-Strain Rate top analysis technique for myocard... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=284956 Tue, 21 Nov 2006 08:26:21 +0100 284956 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=279281&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2006%2F11%2Fhospital_care_f.html What do a Ferrari race-car team and your local hospital have in common? More than you might think. Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London hired a Formula One Ferrari racing team to improve hospital care. The Wall Street Journal explains: In one of the more unlikely collaborations of modern medicine, Britain's largest children's hospital has revamped its patient handoff techniques by copying the choreographed pit stops of Italy's Formula One Ferrari racing team. The hospital project has been in place for two years and has already helped reduce the number of mishaps. The curious should follow this link to the article... (Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology) Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=279281 Fri, 17 Nov 2006 17:13:04 +0100 279281 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=276667&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2006%2F11%2Fphilips_x72_tra.html At the ongoing 2006 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions meeting, Philips has introduced its latest echo transducer, a "4D" instrument for cardiac evals of infants and children: Introduced for the first time, the Philips X7-2 x-MATRIX array transducer is part of a robust pediatric and congenital heart disease solution that affords small patients the same imaging, quantification and cardiac management benefits that adults attain from Live real-time 3D echocardiography (echo), an ultrasound of the heart. The speed at which volumetric data are captured and the non-invasive nature of ultrasound enables clinicians to obtain high-quality images and data quickly and easily, while potentially reducing young patients' emotional and physical stress, and providing surgeons with pre-operati... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=276667 Thu, 16 Nov 2006 05:11:11 +0100 276667 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=276666&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2006%2F11%2Fvivid_e.html GE Healthcare has released Vivid e, a laptop-size ultrasound system designed for in-office diagnostics. A part of the popular Vivid line of compact ultrasounds from GE, Vivid e has an impressive array of features: The Vivid e, the newest member of GE's Compact Series of ultrasound systems, is designed to provide a dedicated cardiovascular ultrasound solution for the Physician Office in a practical, easy to use design. The Vivid e is being showcased at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association (AHA) in Chicago... And as a truly portable cardiovascular ultrasound system, you can effortlessly take the small, 4.6 kg (10.1 lb) Vivid e system into more places. Putting GE's technological leadership into more hands. Comprehensive, diagnostic exams with the confidence building image... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=276666 Wed, 15 Nov 2006 01:19:55 +0100 276666 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=273103&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2006%2F11%2Fzoll_r_series_d.html Medgadget tipster Mark L. brings to our attention a new defibrillator from Zoll, featuring See-Thru CPR™, "software filter to get rid CPR artifact as it is being done." Here's how the company explains its technology: More than half of in-hospital codes involve non-shockable rhythms. In such cases, the only treatment for such rhythms is high-quality CPR, with minimal interruptions. The R Series offers See-Thru CPR™ functionality that helps clinicians minimize interruptions in CPR performance. While viewing the ECG on a monitor/defibrillator, artifact (i.e., "noise") from chest compressions make it difficult to discern the presence of an organized heart rhythm unless compressions are halted. See-Thru CPR filters out this artifact so clinicians can view an underlying rhythm with... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=273103 Mon, 13 Nov 2006 08:06:34 +0100 273103 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=267803&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2006%2F11%2Fcook_airway_exc.html Here's a new device from Cook Incorporated, that might come handy when a patient is already intubated but an endotracheal tube exchange is needed, a common scenario after thoracic lung surgery with double lumen tube, and in difficult to intubate patients: ... Cook Airway Exchange Catheter with Soft Tip for use in uncomplicated, atraumatic endotracheal tube exchange. The Cook Airway Exchange Catheter with Soft Tip offers an extra firm catheter which facilitates the exchange of double lumen tubes. The distal seven centimeters of this newest Cook Airway Exchange Catheter are flexible to optimize oxygenation and ventilation, while minimizing the risk of tracheal trauma. Centimeter marks on Cook Airway Exchange Catheters facilitate accurate placement of the catheter with shortened endotrach... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=267803 Wed, 08 Nov 2006 22:36:53 +0100 267803 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=237746&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2006%2F10%2Fmcgrath_series.html In case you did not know, failure to ventilate and intubate in the operating room is one of the most common causes of death in the OR. It happens rarely, but does happen. Here's a device that can save a life or two. Designed by Edinburgh-based Aircraft Medical Ltd., and distributed in the US by LMA North America, Inc., the device is being showcased at the ongoing annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists in Chicago. More about the device from the manufacturer: Securing the airway by endotracheal intubation is a key step in anaesthesia, and the emergency resuscitation of the critically ill patient. Intubation is assisted by use of a laryngoscope, which allows control of the epiglottis and visualisation of the vocal chords. The McGrath® Series 5 Fully Portable Video ... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=237746 Tue, 17 Oct 2006 18:30:00 +0100 237746 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=234893&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2006%2F10%2Fdentasafe_strip.html DentaSafe™ is a disposable foam strip designed to prevent anesthesiologists, EMTs and ER personnel from eviscerating patients' teeth. Your correspondent, an anesthesiologist himself, humbly recalls a recent fishing expedition to extract two fallen teeth from around a patient's uvula. From the product page: This medical-grade, elastic, hypoallergenic, and latex free foam strip is designed to stretch and conform while providing the flexibility to maneuver intubations with ease, even for the most difficult intubations. It prevents costly damage to the upper incisors, which are the most frequently affected teeth during intubation. Single use, disposable foam strip attaches to the flange of the laryngoscope blade and prevents direct contact between the metallic blade and the patient's... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=234893 Fri, 13 Oct 2006 08:00:48 +0100 234893 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=231644&cid=s_28816_5_f&fid=28816&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medgadget.com%2Farchives%2F2006%2F10%2Fglidescope_rang.html Verathon Inc., a Bothell, Washington company, formerly known as Diagnostic Ultrasound Corp., has just released its GlideScope® Ranger, a portable video laryngoscope, designed for military use. "I believe that [the GlideScope® Ranger] has a potential role with many of our deployed medical units and may be an excellent adjunct when non-expert airway managers are available," said Col. Tom Grissom USAF, who tested the Ranger at the R. Adam Crowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. "The relatively short learning curve has also been beneficial since we have a large number of personnel that train with us for airway management." The GlideScope® Ranger provides a clear picture of the larynx and vocal cords on a display monitor, enabling visual control of the endotracheal tube in its t... Medgadget Anesthesiology info http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=231644 Thu, 12 Oct 2006 17:55:02 +0100 231644