Photoacoustic Computed Tomography May Replace Mammographies for Breast Cancer Screening
Though mammography helps to provide early detection of breast cancer, it is a modality that suffers from limitations, particularly in dense breasts.
A new technology, developed at Caltech, may have the potential to eclipse mammographies for spotting cancerous lesions. The photoacoustic system sends near-infrared laser light into breast tissue and detectors are used to spot ultrasonic waves that return. Because the light is absorbed disproportionately by hemoglobin molecules, their signal is stronger, and they end up more visible to the detector. Since most of the hemoglobin is present within blood vessels, the scan effecti...
Source: Medgadget - June 20, 2018 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Editors Tags: Diagnostics Ob/Gyn Radiology Surgery Source Type: blogs
Exclusive Tour of Materialise, a Leader in 3D Printing of Patient Specific Parts
3D printing technology was originally touted to provide consumers the ability to print customized mugs, plates, and other household items. The reality turned out to be a lot more exciting, at least for us in the medical space, since 3D printing is already being used daily by thousands of doctors to help perform procedures that would otherwise be too risky or simply impossible. For a great example, you can read our recent piece on how cardiologists at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit are able to implant transcatheter mitral valves.
While on that visit, we learned that Materialise, a Belgian company with North American hea...
Source: Medgadget - June 8, 2018 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Editors Tags: Cardiac Surgery Cardiology Exclusive Orthopedic Surgery Source Type: blogs
PLASMAT Combines Cold Atmospheric Plasma with Electro or Photoporation to Kill Cancer Cells
Purdue University is reporting on a new method of targeting cancer cells, developed by scientists in its Nuclear Engineering department. Dubbed PLASMAT, the technique combines cold atmospheric plasma, an ionized gas that brings with it active oxygen or nitrogen species, and either laser-based or electric-based way of opening the membranes of cells.
The combined beam, which is near room temperature, effectively shoots killer molecules into the targeted cells and kills only the cells in its path. Nearby cells remain completely unharmed, and ones on the periphery of the beam tend to recover in lab studies.
The hardware...
Source: Medgadget - May 22, 2018 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Editors Tags: Surgery Source Type: blogs
New Technique to Measure Brain Blood Flow Using Light
Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a new method to measure blood flow in the brain using light. The method could provide a cheaper and more robust way to assess patients with traumatic brain injuries or stroke.
The technique is based on the principle that shining a laser light through someone’s skull results in photon scattering, due to blood flow in the brain. A detector placed on another region of the skull can measure these scattered photons, and these light fluctuations provide information on blood flow. Scientists have been experimenting with this technique, called diffuse correlation ...
Source: Medgadget - May 1, 2018 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Neurology Neurosurgery Vascular Surgery Source Type: blogs
Consider this Speculative Scenario on Walmart & Humana
By TORY WOLFF
Walmart (WMT) is in talks with Humana (HUM) about a relationship enhancement, possibly an acquisition. The two already know how to work together in alliances (narrow pharmacy network, marketing collaborations, points programs). If a new structure is needed, WMT and HUM must be considering a major expansion of scope or a set of operating models where contributions are difficult to attribute and reward (e.g. joint asset builds). What is on their minds? Beyond any interim incremental moves, what could be the endgame?
Catching convergence fever
Horizontal combinations among the top five health plans have arguably...
Source: The Health Care Blog - April 24, 2018 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: John Irvine Tags: Aetna-CVS The Business of Health Care Humana Walmart Source Type: blogs
Consider this Speculative Scenario on WMT-HUM
By TORY WOLF
WMT is in talks with HUM about a relationship enhancement, possibly an acquisition. The two already know how to work together in alliances (narrow pharmacy network, marketing collaborations, points programs). If a new structure is needed, WMT and HUM must be considering a major expansion of scope or a set of operating models where contributions are difficult to attribute and reward (e.g. joint asset builds). What is on their minds? Beyond any interim incremental moves, what could be the endgame?
Catching convergence fever
Horizontal combinations among the top five health plans have arguably reached the regulat...
Source: The Health Care Blog - April 24, 2018 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: John Irvine Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs
The Myth That Refuses to Die: All Health Care is Local
By PAUL KECKLEY
In 1980, industry healthcare planners imagined a system where the centerpiece was a hospital in every community and a complement of physicians. Demand forecasting was fairly straightforward: based on the population’s growth and age, the need was 4 beds per thousand and 140 docs per 100,000, give or take a few.
In 1996, the Dartmouth Center for the Evaluative Clinical Sciences published the Dartmouth Atlas on Health Care quantifying variability in the intensity of services provided Medicare enrollees in each U.S. zip code. They defined 306 hospital referral regions (HRRs) that remain today as the basis for...
Source: The Health Care Blog - March 28, 2018 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: John Irvine Tags: Uncategorized Paul Keckley Source Type: blogs
March Specials in the Skin Spa!
Spring is in the air and there is no better time to refresh your look! Our aestheticians can create a customized plan to help you look and feel your best. Call us at 781.934.2200 to schedule a complimentary skin consult now.Specials for MarchVivace microneedling - Purchase a package of 3 full face and neck treatments and receive the chest area freeCutera ExcelV laser treatments - 15% off 15 or 30 minute treatmentsCoolsculpting - 20% off any treatmentLaser Hair Removal - Purchase 2 areas and receive 50% off the second area of equal or lesser valueViPeels- 15% off Clear + Brilliant - Purchase 3 treatments, get 3IPL trea...
Source: What's New In Plastic Surgery? - March 7, 2018 Category: Cosmetic Surgery Tags: duxbury hamori Skin Spa Specials south shore boston Source Type: blogs
New Probes from Johns Hopkins Provide Closeup View of Internal Tissues Like Never Before
A biopsy is often the only way to accurately identify the presence of a tumor, but there are a number of serious possible downsides to taking tissue samples from inside the body. A better way would be to analyze the tissue in situ, essentially miniaturizing a microscope and using it in the body’s interior. Researchers at Johns Hopkins have now developed two new endoscopic probes with imaging capabilities that may, if proven out in clinical trials, end up reducing the need for biopsies in a variety of clinical cases. So far the researchers have tested their probes to image small organs in sheep, mice, and rats.
Image...
Source: Medgadget - February 13, 2018 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Editors Tags: Materials Pathology Surgery Source Type: blogs
How to treat dry eyes
How common are dye eyes?The prevalence of dry eyes has been estimated to be 5-30% percent in persons aged 50 years and older, 7% of US adult population has been diagnosed with dry eye disease. The prevalence increases with age (2.7% in those 18 to 34 years old vs. 19% in those aged 75 years and older). Prevalence is higher in women than men (9% versus 4%).What are the risk factors for dry eye disease?- Advanced age- Female gender- Hormonal changes (primarily due to decreased androgens)- Systemic diseases (eg, diabetes mellitus, Parkinson disease)- Contact lens wear- Systemic medications (antihistamines, anticholinergi...
Source: Clinical Cases and Images - Blog - January 2, 2018 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: noreply at blogger.com (Ves Dimov) Tags: Ophthalmology Source Type: blogs
Medgadget Boards the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital
Fresh off a project in Cameroon, the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital paid a special visit to the San Francisco Bay Area for fundraising activities and a resupply before spending the holidays in Arizona for maintenance and its next project in Peru. Medgadget was given a private tour and got a close look at everything from the cockpit to the converted cargo hold below.
Our tour began as we approached the massive mobile hospital, which was parked on the tarmac at Moffett Federal Airfield in Mountain View, CA. A McDonnell Douglas model MD-10, this plane had previously served as a cargo transport plane for FedEx. FedEx not only gen...
Source: Medgadget - December 18, 2017 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Scott Jung Tags: Exclusive Ophthalmology Source Type: blogs
SamanTree Medical ’s Histolog Scanner: Interview with CEO Bastien Rachet
The objective was to propose an accurate image-based assessment, working directly with the fresh surgical resection and not requiring specialized staff.
The second challenge is the time and consequently ease of use, as surgeon’s and OR time are key factors in patient safety and treatment cost.
Therefore, our solution shall provide access to high-resolution microscopy without requiring the processing of the sample onto microscope slides.
There’s a broad continuum of image resolution through the spectrum of imaging techniques, but when it comes to subcellular resolution for tissue morphology inspection, good imaging qual...
Source: Medgadget - December 12, 2017 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Editors Tags: Exclusive Pathology Surgery Source Type: blogs
Seno Medical ’s Imagio Combines Optoacoustics with Ultrasound to Diagnose Breast Cancer
At last week’s RSNA conference in Chicago, we got a chance to learn about Seno Medical Instruments, a San Antonio, Texas company, and its imaging technology that combines conventional ultrasound with a new modality called optoacoustic imaging. We spoke with Dr. Tom Stavros, Medical Director at Seno.
The company’s Imagio system relies on a duplex probe that looks and acts like a regular ultrasound transducer, but that also emits laser light to simultaneously work as an optoacoustic imaging device. In optoacoustics, laser light is used to add energy to tissue, which is then released in the form of ultrasound wav...
Source: Medgadget - December 5, 2017 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Editors Tags: Exclusive Ob/Gyn Radiology Surgery Source Type: blogs
Photobiomodulation: A new and promising way to enhance brain function
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As is increasingly evident, there are multiple methods aimed at enhancing brain function.
Brain training and mindfulness practices are commonly used. Substance-based methods are popular too, including hallucinogens in the form of plant extracts, and drugs. Same as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS): All of these are promising but have been challenged — for example, the reproducibility of electrical-based stimulation results is increasingly questioned.
— Fig. 1: Vielight Neuro Alpha/Gamma in use
Within this context, photobiomodulation (PBM)–low level light th...
Source: SharpBrains - December 4, 2017 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Dr. Lew Lim Tags: Cognitive Neuroscience Education & Lifelong Learning Health & Wellness Technology brain-enhancement brain-function Brain-Training enhance brain function low level light therapy mindfulness Neurodevelopmental neurological Photobiomo Source Type: blogs
Contact Lens Mistakes That Can Cost You Your Vision
Contact lenses are great in the term that they can improve you vision without you having the need to sport a pair of glasses for the rest of your life. However is it the safest method of vision improvement? There are many mistakes that people do when using contact lenses that can seriously damage the quality of your vision and even carry a threat of making you go blind. Here are some main mistakes to make sure you do not ever do with contacts.
Sleeping with your contact lenses in
Obviously, when you buy your contact lenses, they come with user instructions, warnings, guidelines and the likes. But do the majority of us eve...
Source: Nurse Blogger - October 20, 2017 Category: Nursing Authors: Fabiola Panicucci Tags: Medical Services Source Type: blogs
