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Infinity M540 from Draeger Makes Hospital Workflow and Patient Data Oh So So SmoothEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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 previou...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - November 20, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Critical Care Source Type: info

My Lab One Portable Ultrasound from Esaote Makes DebutEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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. M...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - November 19, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

Myoguide EMG Amplifier/Stimulator from Intronix TechEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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 nu...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - November 17, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Neurology Source Type: info

A New LED Powered Endoscope from SchöllyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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 ha...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - November 10, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

Covidien Announces Global Launch of Mallinckrodt TaperGuard Line of ETTubesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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)
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - October 21, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

GE's New Ultra Small Ultrasound May Become as Ubiquitous as StethoscopeEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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 de...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - October 21, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

Tiny Portable Ultrasound from SonoSite Gets US OKEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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™ an...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - October 5, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

Bloodbot, The Bright Future of Phlebotomy?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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 und...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - September 19, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Medicine Source Type: info

A-Units Helps Anesthesiologists Keep Tabs on Billing UnitsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - September 10, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Net News Source Type: info

With AnestAssist, iPhone Now Models Anesthesia PharmacologyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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 strateg...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - September 2, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

VIMEDIX Haptic Transthoracic Echocardiography Simulator UnveiledEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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, th...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - September 2, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Cardiology Source Type: info

Resposable Oxymeter Sensor Aims to Cut Costs, WasteEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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), perfusi...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - July 23, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

MicroEye Real Time Blood Monitoring SystemEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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 (glut...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - July 21, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Medicine Source Type: info

VasoNova Gets to The Heart of The MatterEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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. ...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - July 17, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

New Cerebral Oximeter from Nonin Granted US OKEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - July 16, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

Pressure Alert for ETTubesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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 ...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - July 16, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

NanoMaxx Tiny 6 Lb. Ultrasound System UnveiledEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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 interventio...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - July 7, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

LUCAS 2 Automatic Chest Compressor Gets US Green LightEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - June 29, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

Improve Your Ultrasound Skills With New SonoSite iPhone AppEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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 fo...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - June 24, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

Voice Activated SonoSite Ultrasound System Keeps Hands Free to Perform ProceduresEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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 ...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - June 19, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

AV300 Portable System Helps Find Hidden VeinsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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 c...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - May 21, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

Philips HeartStart MRx ALS Defib Gets Fresh UpdatesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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 &ndas...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - April 14, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

Nellcor OxiMax N-600xEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - April 9, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

Needle Design Keeps You in the CavityEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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, epidura...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - April 6, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

Puritan Bennett 540, a New Covidien Ventilator With Smart Battery TechnologyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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 als...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - March 31, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Critical Care Source Type: info

New Pulse Oximeter from OrSense Monitors Practically Everything in SightEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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 perfu...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - March 26, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

Fluid Volume Monitoring with Pulse Ox Shows PromiseEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - March 20, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

Spinal Haptic Training Simulator DevelopedEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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 t...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - March 20, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

Cardinal's Endura Scrubs for the Modern ClinicianEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - March 19, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Surgery Source Type: info

New Ventilator Aims to Take Inhalational Anesthetics to ICUEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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 ...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - March 4, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

Capnostream 20, a Smart Capnography System, Gets FDA OKEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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 optim...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - February 27, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

Revolution Medical's Retractable Safety Syringe Gets FDA OKEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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 neede...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - February 23, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

When Flames Rise Above (or Inside) The PatientEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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 t...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - February 20, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Public Health Source Type: info

Touch Based Ultrasound System Gets European OKEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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-sp...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - February 10, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

HD9: New Ultrasound Offering from PhilipsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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)
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - January 29, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Ob/Gyn Source Type: info

WAND Vascular Safety Introducer OK'ed in EUEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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, si...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - January 21, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

Anesthesiologists Get Their Own iPhone AppEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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). R...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - January 20, 2009 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

New Technology Promises Compact High-Intensity Therapeutic UltrasoundEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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 engineerin...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - December 22, 2008 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

ZOLL R Series Defibrillator with WiFi Given US Green LightEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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 interve...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - December 17, 2008 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

WAND Vascular Introducer Gets FDA OKEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - December 10, 2008 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

Zonare Shows Off Proprietary Ultrasound TechnologyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - December 3, 2008 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

TRIGO, The Compact Electronic Anesthesia MachineEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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 parame...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - November 26, 2008 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

TruSystem 7500: New OR Table from TRUMPFEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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 extensi...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - November 21, 2008 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

Yeescope: Single Patient Use One-piece LaryngoscopeEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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 an...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - November 21, 2008 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

Monitoring Muscle Tissue for Signs of Circulatory ShockEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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 dro...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - November 21, 2008 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Critical Care Source Type: info

Medical Device With Own Online SimulatorEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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)
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - November 19, 2008 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

Continuous Noninvasive Blood Pressure Monitoring with CNAP Monitor 500Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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 pressur...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - November 11, 2008 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

InterVene Needle Prevents Accidental PricksEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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) ...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - November 11, 2008 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

Neonatal Resuscitation and Ventilation Going Ultra MobileEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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 complic...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - November 10, 2008 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Anesthesiology Source Type: info

PainShield Gets FDA OKEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
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 i...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - October 24, 2008 Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Medicine Source Type: info