Health Updates » Technology

Digital networks help to bridge staffing gaps at Canadian hospitals

health-updates.org — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 03:19:33 +0000

The northeastern corner of Ontario — a vast area extending from just northeast of Wawa to Hudson Bay — has 51 hospitals and one permanent radiologist.

That’s why Northern Radiology (NORrad) was created seven years ago to allow nine of those hospitals to share digital diagnostic images such as X-rays and ultrasounds. Before NORrad, emergency-room physicians in remote communities with only limited diagnostic capabilities often had to ship patients out to larger centres.

Now 17 hospitals are tied in to NORrad, allowing a radiologist in Timmins and visiting specialists — known as locums — to read medical images remotely, which has greatly reduced the number of patients being transferred, says Guy Guindon, manager of NORrad’s medical imaging and cardiopulmonary department.

Especially in remote communities, that’s one big reason Canadian hospitals need to share medical images — something many still can’t do.

Picture archiving and communications systems (PACS) replace film with digital images, which must happen before hospitals can share them electronically.

The shift to PACS is nearly complete, says Mark Nenadovic, group director of programs for Canada Health Infoway, the federally funded non-profit organization promoting electronic health records across the country. But most are still limited to a single hospital or multi-site health-care organization.

Projects like NORrad have started breaking down those barriers across Canada.
Easier access to images

Another reason to share images is that patients don’t always visit the same hospital. If a Sydney, N.S., resident goes to Halifax to see a specialist, that specialist can look at any medical images taken of that patient in Sydney, says Sandra Cascadden, chief information and health transformation officer for the Nova Scotia Department of Health.

Images taken anywhere in the province are available because Nova Scotia is one of three provinces — the other two are neighbouring Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland — that have fully adopted diagnostic image sharing.

Alberta is well along with a similar system. More than 90 per cent of that province’s diagnostic images are digital, and all hospitals can share images within their health districts, according to Dan Sheplawy, executive director of Alberta Health and Wellness’s information systems delivery branch.

By the end of 2010, image-sharing will be possible between Alberta’s health districts.

British Columbia has image sharing in its Fraser and Interior health authorities and is working to extend it through the province.

The other provinces and territories are in various stages of implementation, Nenadovic says. Ontario and Quebec, the largest provinces with the most hospitals, each have some regional image-sharing projects but will not have provincewide sharing for at least a year.

Digital networks help to bridge staffing gaps at Canadian hospitals

Nano-treatment to torpedo cancer

health-updates.org — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 02:15:56 +0000

Nanotechnology has been used for the first time to destroy cancer cells with a highly targeted package of “tumour busting” genes.

The technique, which leaves healthy cells unaffected, could potentially offer hope to people with hard-to-treat cancers where surgery is not possible.

Although it has only been tested in mice so far, the researchers hope for human trials in two years.

The UK study is published online by the journal Cancer Research.

The genes were wrapped up in microscopic nano-particles which were taken up by cancer cells, but not their healthy neighbours.

Once inside, the genes stimulated production of a protein which destroys the cancer.

The researchers say the technology could potentially be particularly relevant for people with cancers that are inoperable because they are close to vital organs.

They hope it will eventually also be used to treat cancer that has spread.

‘Exciting step’

Lead researcher Dr Andreas Schatzlein, from the School of Pharmacy in London, said: “Gene therapy has a great potential to create safe and effective cancer treatments but getting the genes into cancer cells remains one of the big challenges in this area.

“This is the first time that nanoparticles have been shown to target tumours in such a selective way, and this is an exciting step forward in the field.

“Once inside the cell, the gene enclosed in the particle recognises the cancerous environment and switches on. The result is toxic, but only to the offending cells, leaving healthy tissue unaffected.

“We hope this therapy will be used to treat cancer patients in clinical trials in a couple of years.”

Traditional chemotherapy indiscriminately kills cells in the affected area of the body, which can cause side effects like fatigue, hair loss or nausea.

It is hoped that gene therapy will have fewer associated side effects by targeting cancer cells.

Dr Lesley Walker, of the charity Cancer Research UK, said: “These results are encouraging, and we look forward to seeing if this method can be used to treat cancer in people.

“Gene therapy is an exciting area of research, but targeting genetic changes to cancer cells has been a major challenge.

“This is the first time a solution has been proposed, so it’s exciting news.”

Nano-treatment to torpedo cancer

Windpipe transplant breakthrough

health-updates.org — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:53:44 +0000

Surgeons in Spain have carried out the world’s first tissue-engineered whole organ transplant – using a windpipe made with the patient’s own stem cells.

The groundbreaking technology also means for the first time tissue transplants can be carried out without the need for anti-rejection drugs.

Five months on the patient, 30-year-old mother-of-two Claudia Castillo, is in perfect health, The Lancet reports.

She needed the transplant to save a lung after contracting tuberculosis.

The disease had damaged her airways.

Scientists from Bristol helped grow the cells for the transplant and the European team believes such tailor-made organs could become the norm.

To make the new airway, the doctors took a donor windpipe, or trachea, from a patient who had recently died.

Then they used strong chemicals and enzymes to wash away all of the cells from the donor trachea, leaving only a tissue scaffold made of the fibrous protein collagen.

This gave them a structure to repopulate with cells from Ms Castillo herself, which could then be used in an operation to repair her damaged left bronchus – a branch of the windpipe.

By using Ms Castillo’s own cells the doctors were able to trick her body into thinking the donated trachea was part of it, thus avoiding rejection.

Advanced science

Two types of cell were taken from Ms Castillo: cells lining her windpipe, and adult stem cells – very immature cells from the bone marrow – which could be encouraged to grow into the cells that normally surround the windpipe.

After four days of growth in the lab in a special rotating bioreactor, the newly-coated donor windpipe was ready to be transplanted into Ms Castillo.

Her surgeon, Professor Paolo Macchiarini of the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, Spain, carried out the operation in June

He said: “I was very much afraid. Before this, we had been doing this work only on pigs.

“But as soon as the donor trachea came out of the bioreactor it was a very positive surprise.”

He said it looked and behaved identically to a normal human donor trachea.

The operation was a great success and just four days after transplantation the hybrid windpipe was almost indistinguishable from adjacent normal airways.

After a month, a biopsy of the site proved that the transplant had developed its own blood supply.

And with no signs of rejection four months on, Professor Macchiarini says the future chance of rejection is practically zero.

“We are terribly excited by these results,” he said.

“She is enjoying a normal life, which for us clinicians is the most beautiful gift.”

Today Ms Castillo is living an active, normal life, and once again able to look after her children Johan, 15, and Isabella, four. She can walk up two flights of stairs without getting breathless.

Professor Martin Birchall, professor of surgery at the University of Bristol who helped grow the cells for the transplant, said: “This will represent a huge step change in surgery.

“Surgeons can now start to see and understand the potential for adult stem cells and tissue engineering to radically improve their ability to treat patients with serious diseases.”

He said that in 20 years time, virtually any transplant organ could be made in this way.

US scientists have already successfully implanted bladder patches grown in the laboratory from patients’ own cells into people with bladder disease.

The European research team, which also includes experts from the University of Padua and the Polytechnic of Milan in Italy, is applying for funding to do windpipe and voice box transplants in cancer patients.

Clinical trials could begin five years from now, they said.

Between 50,000 and 60,000 people are diagnosed with cancer of the larynx each year in Europe, and scientists say about half them may be suitable candidates for tissue engineering transplants.

BBC NEWS

Micro needles aid bionic advances

health-updates.org — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 23:27:55 +0000

Engineers in Wales have helped to develop micro technology which could lead to a bionic man becoming reality.

It is hoped their micro-needle array sensors, which are around the size of a matchstick head, will help amputees move artificial limbs with brain power.

The sensors, which were developed and manufactured by Cardiff University firm MicroBridge Services, comprise of 100 needles just thicker than a human hair.

They sit on the brain and send out nerve impulses to prosthetics.

MicroBridge Services was asked by researchers at Utah university in the United States to develop the micro-needle array sensors in tungsten carbide, an extremely hard material which conducts electricity.

The American team has been leading research in the area and has already been successful in developing an implant which can be used to manipulate computers and prosthetic appendages.

They need the needles, each of which can be up to several millimetres long, to penetrate into the brain to such a depth that they pick up electrical brain activity.

The electrical signals that are detected are amplified and then transmitted and interpreted to produce movements in the prosthetic limbs.

Patients using the implants must learn how to generate the correct mental activity to get responses from the system, but tests have already shown encouraging results, says Dr Robert Hoyle, from MicroBridge Services.

“The researchers in Utah have had patients controlling simple mechanical operations like gripping objects with the prosthetic limbs or operating a mouse,” said Dr Hoyle.

“They came to us because we can make these needles in tungsten carbide which is very strong and robust but extremely difficult to cut to such a small size.

“The more needles you can get on a sensor in the smallest possible area, the better control a patient will get over his or her prosthetic limb.

“The challenge for us now is to make the needles smaller so that we can pack more onto a sensor.”

Dr Hoyle said the researchers’ long term goal was to develop a sensor which would sit on the spinal column of someone who had broken their neck or back.

They could then learn how to move their limbs again.

“There is a lot of research and testing that needs to be done before this becomes a reality,” said Dr Hoyle.

“The research that goes on here is never ending.”

MicroBridge Services was formed to exploit the commercial potential of the research into micro and nano engineering undertaken at Cardiff university.

Already their expertise has been used in the manufacture of tiny components for the instruments used in keyhole surgery.

The firm is part of the XGEN consortium, a Welsh Assembly Government initiative which has united three of Wales’ leading micro engineering organisations.

All three members are commercialising micro nano technology and each are funded by the assembly government and the Technology Strategy Board.

BBC NEWS

Fears over electronic cigarettes

health-updates.org — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 01:46:15 +0000

Fears are being raised about the boom in sales in the UK of so-called electronic cigarettes.

The cigarettes use replaceable cartridges with shots of nicotine, but have become popular because they are not covered by the smoking ban.

While the products do not contain tar, tobacco or carbon monoxide, experts are worried as users inhale a fine heated mist and there is a lack of regulation.

But retailers said they were healthier than normal cigarettes.

Since the smoking bans came into force, smokers have been forced to go outside to light up.

Companies selling the electronic cigarettes have responded by marketing them as a way of getting round the ban.

And in recent months they have reported a rise in sales with some selling over 1,000 of the £40 starter-packs a month.

However, campaigners including the World Health Organisation, have raised concerns, pointing out there was a lack of knowledge about the products.

Douglas Bettcher, of the World Health Organisation, said there was a “regulatory blackhole” which meant no-one knew just what these products contain.

“We are facing a new product. We do not know what is in these cartridges besides nicotine. What are the effects of heating and vapourising the nicotine and inhaling it?”

And Deborah Arnott, of anti-smoking group Ash, pointed out that many of the products were made in China where quality control was “not very good”.

“I think our concern is that we would really like smokers to use safer nicotine products but there is a regulatory gap.

“The advice is to use products that have been tried and tested such as nicotine gums and patches.”

‘Healthier’

But Jason Cropper, managing director of the Electronic Cigarette Company, said: “They are certainly healthier than smoking cigarettes.

“Tests have been done on mice and in the lab and they have shown they are not harmful.”

But he said it had not been possible to carry out human trials as they were too expensive.

“Most of these companies selling these are small companies. We do not have the finances to do that.

“It might be an idea if we can get someone to work with us.”

BBC NEWS | Health | Fears over electronic cigarettes

New devices help control diabetes better

health-updates.org — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 02:07:05 +0000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Devices that constantly monitor blood sugar levels of people with diabetes help them control their glucose better than the old-fashioned method of pricking their fingers throughout the day, researchers reported on Monday.

Tests of all three brands of continuous glucose monitoring devices showed that people with type 1 diabetes who used them consistently could keep their blood sugar levels within the desired range, the researchers found. Abbott Laboratories, Medtronic and DexCom Inc all make the devices.

Adults were far more likely to use the devices consistently and to benefit from them, the team of researchers told the European Association for the Study of Diabetes annual meeting in Rome.

Tight blood sugar control reduces the risk of long-term complications from diabetes such as blindness, kidney failure, heart disease or amputation.

The researchers said 30 percent of those using the monitors got their hemoglobin a1c readings — a measure of average blood sugar levels — to below the desired level of 7. This compared to 7 percent of people using traditional methods, they reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The absolute drop in a1c was 0.53 — which translates into a much lower risk of eye damage that can lead to blindness, said Dr. Aaron Kowalski of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which funded and conducted the study.

“Every 10 percent you lower your a1c is about a 40 percent reduction in the risk of diabetic retinopathy,” Kowalski told reporters in a telephone briefing.

The researchers studied 322 adults and children randomly assigned to use either a continuous monitoring device or to continue to manage their diabetes as normal.

CONSISTENT USE

The yearlong study has been broken into two parts and the researchers were giving their six-month findings.

The adults aged 25 and older were more likely to use the monitors consistently and also had the most significantly improved control of blood sugar, the researchers found.

Teens and children aged 8 to 15 did not significantly improve their blood sugar levels, although those who reported they used the devices better did, the researchers said.

“Previously, we would stick our fingers four to six times a day,” Kowalski said. The devices use a small tube inserted under the skin to make measurements every five minutes or so and alert the patient, who can adjust his or her eating or inject insulin as needed.

“These results are very important because they show that continuous glucose monitors are more than simply devices of convenience for people with diabetes — they are tools that can substantially improve blood sugar control when used regularly,” he concluded.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly destroys cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, which helps the body convert food into energy.

The JDRF estimates that 3 million people in the United States alone have type 1 diabetes.

Doctors and manufacturers are trying to persuade more insurance companies to pay for the devices, which cost about $500 to $1,000. The disposable sensors, which must be replaced every few days, cost about $250 to $350 for a month’s supply.

Neurostimulator

health-updates.org — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 01:32:24 +0000

A neurostimulator is a surgically placed device about the size of a stopwatch. It delivers mild electrical signals to the epidural space near your spine through one or more leads (special medical wires). The electrical signals cause a tingling sensation in the area of your back and leg pain.

How It Works

Neurostimulation provides pain relief by modifying (modulating) the pain messages before they reach the brain. Think of it like rubbing your “funny bone” after you’ve bumped it – the rubbing masks the feeling of pain. Similarly, the tingling produced by the neurostimulation system masks the feeling in your area of pain.

You can adjust the strength and location of stimulation using a handheld programmer. For example, you can regulate different levels of stimulation at different times of the day or for various activities – such as walking, sleeping, or sitting.
About the Neurostimulation System

A complete neurostimulation system consists of five parts:

* Neurostimulator – The device that generates the electrical impulses (usually placed under the skin in your abdomen)
* Leads – Special medical wires that deliver neurostimulation to the epidural space near the spine
* Extension – The cable under the skin that connects the lead(s) to the neurostimulator (optional on some systems)
* Physician’s programmer – A computer at your doctor’s office that lets your doctor adjust the neurostimulation system and set stimulation parameters
* Patient’s programmer – A handheld device you can use at home to customize the stimulation (within the settings your doctor has selected)

The neurostimulation system does not make any noise. It may be felt as a small bump under your skin, but does not normally show through your clothes.

New devices help control diabetes better

health-updates.org — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 01:29:27 +0000

Adults were far more likely to use the devices consistently and to benefit from them, the team of researchers told the European Association for the Study of Diabetes annual meeting in Rome.

Tight blood sugar control reduces the risk of long-term complications from diabetes such as blindness, kidney failure, heart disease or amputation.

“Every 10 percent you lower your a1c is about a 40 percent reduction in the risk of diabetic retinopathy,” Kowalski told reporters in a telephone briefing.

The researchers studied 322 adults and children randomly assigned to use either a continuous monitoring device or to continue to manage their diabetes as normal.

CONSISTENT USE

The yearlong study has been broken into two parts and the researchers were giving their six-month findings.

The adults aged 25 and older were more likely to use the monitors consistently and also had the most significantly improved control of blood sugar, the researchers found.

Teens and children aged 8 to 15 did not significantly improve their blood sugar levels, although those who reported they used the devices better did, the researchers said.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly destroys cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, which helps the body convert food into energy.

The JDRF estimates that 3 million people in the United States alone have type 1 diabetes.

Carestream Health Unveils New Wireless Digital X-Ray Technology That Can Reduce Patient Wait Times

health-updates.org — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:05:40 +0000

A revolutionary new wireless digital imaging system from Carestream Health, Inc., promises to deliver higher productivity for hospital staffs and less time in the waiting room for patients. Carestream Health is one of the world’s leading providers of medical imaging systems and healthcare IT solutions.

The CARESTREAM DRX-1 System, which is in the final stages of development, is expected to greatly reduce the time required to conduct general x-ray exams compared to traditional film/screen systems. A standard patient x-ray exam with multiple images can be captured in less than one minute. That’s good news for not only patients, but also for healthcare providers. These providers are expected to be able to accommodate more patients per day without adding personnel or exam rooms.

This new digital radiography (DR) system is much less expensive than implementing other DR imaging systems since they require renovation of entire x-ray rooms. Healthcare providers will be able to purchase this system for about $125,000, which is up to 75 percent less than the cost of installing a new DR imaging system and retrofitting an x-ray room.

The DRX-1 features wireless communications between the imaging components and a console that processes and displays the images and forwards the study to an image and information management system for review, reporting and storage.

An affordable price and high productivity make this technology attractive for outpatient imaging centers, emergency rooms, hospital radiology departments, orthopedic clinics and other healthcare providers. The market is impressive: 93 percent of x-ray exam rooms worldwide do not yet have DR technology, which is the fastest digital imaging technology available for general x-ray exams. This system is expected to be available in many areas of the world in early 2009.

“This innovative digital imaging technology provides an extremely attractive option for facilities that want to improve patient satisfaction by reducing wait times,” said Todd R. Minnigh, senior director of Carestream Health’s digital radiography business. “Its enhanced productivity and low cost makes it an excellent business decision for healthcare providers that need to handle a growing number of patients with existing staff and equipment.”

Carestream Health produces and markets a broad portfolio of digital imaging systems that equips hospitals, orthopaedic and specialty practices and a wide variety of other healthcare providers with efficient digital capture of x-ray imaging studies.

About Carestream Health, Inc.

Carestream Health, Inc., is a leading provider of dental and medical imaging systems and healthcare IT solutions; molecular imaging systems for the life science research and drug discovery/development market segments; and x-ray film and digital x-ray products for the non-destructive testing market. The company was formed in 2007 when Onex Corporation (TSX: OCX.TO) purchased Eastman Kodak Company’s Health Group. For more information about Carestream Health, contact your Carestream Health representative or visit www.carestreamhealth.com.

CARESTREAM is a trademark of Carestream Health, Inc.

Condom ringtone launched in India

health-updates.org — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:12:22 +0000

NEW DELHI (AFP) – A cellphone ringtone that chants “condom, condom!” has been launched in India to promote safe sex and tackle the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic.

The “condom a cappella” has been designed to break down Indians’ reluctance to discuss condom use and to make wearing a condom more acceptable.
Organisers of the campaign, funded by the foundation set up by Microsoft mogul Bill Gates and his wife Melinda, hope the ringtone will become a craze among young Indians.

About 2.5 million people live with HIV in India, said the BBC World Service Trust, the charity behind the ringtone, which was released this month. It can be downloaded at condomcondom.org.

“Ringtones have become such personal statements that a specially created condom ringtone seemed just the right way of combining a practical message with a fun approach,” said Radharani Mitra, creative director of the BBC World Service Trust.

“The idea is to tackle the inhibitions and taboos that can be associated with condoms.”

India is the world’s fastest-growing mobile telephone market with 270 million users according to the latest official figures, up 57 percent in just one year.

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