Solving the 5,000-Year-Old Murder of Otzi the Iceman
In 1991, the mummified body of a 5,000-year-old murder victim was discovered in melting ice at a rock-gully crime scene high in the Italian Otzal Alps. Nicknamed "Otzi", the estimated 45-year-old man and his possessions were incredibly well preserved. His skin, hair, bones, and organs were cryopreserved in time, allowing archeological researchers a phenomenal insight into human life in the Copper Age. The frozen corpse also gave modern science the opportunity to forensically investigate and positively determine how Otzi the Iceman was killed. The story began on a sunny September day, when two hikers were traversing a mou...
Source: Science - The Huffington Post - February 11, 2016 Category: Science Source Type: news
Five predictions for medtech in 2016
by Brian Chapman
The holidays are the perfect time for reflection. It’s time to think about the year and the accomplishments of the past, and especially to contemplate the future. It’s in this spirit that I want to offer my five predictions for medtech in 2016.
Tech Companies Will Rise to Prominence in Healthcare
Reading the press, this might not seem like such a controversial prediction. Every day there’s another article about Apple, Google, Philips, Fitbit—tech companies large and small flocking to apply their disruptive mindsets and agile creativity to the musty establishment of old-world healthcare. It seem...
Source: Mass Device - December 17, 2015 Category: Medical Equipment Authors: MassDevice Tags: Blog Source Type: news
Medtronic touts study of accuracy, cost effectiveness of capnography monitors
Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) today presented data from 2 clinical studies of its capnography patient monitoring systems, touting their accuracy and cost-effectiveness.
Data from the studies was presented at the Anesthesiology 2015 annual meeting in San Diego this week.
“The findings presented today demonstrate the clinical benefits and potential cost savings capnography can provide across a broad spectrum of patients. These studies underscore Medtronic’s commitment to reducing the growing burden of respiratory compromise across clinical settings to improve the health and care of patients,” Medtronic minimally ...
Source: Mass Device - October 28, 2015 Category: Medical Equipment Authors: Fink Densford Tags: Clinical Trials Diagnostics Medtronic Source Type: news
Boston Scientific launches Captivator EMR device
Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX) said today it launched the Captivator endoscopic mucosal resection device designed as a minimally-invasive alternative to esophagectomy procedures.
The Captivator allows for staging and removal of precancerous tissue and early esophageal cancer in the upper gastrointestinal tract, the Marlborough, Mass.-based company said.
The device gives operating physicians a 360 degree view of the esophagus and can be used with accessory devices that can be used to “manage potential complications quickly,” the company said.
“The Captivator EMR Device provides improved endoscopic visual...
Source: Mass Device - September 29, 2015 Category: Medical Equipment Authors: Fink Densford Tags: Endoscopic / Arthroscopic Otolaryngology Ear, Nose & Throat Surgical Boston Scientific Source Type: news
Marissa’s story: “Esophageal atresia is never going to define me”
Marissa Waite lives in the smallest town in Massachusetts, but she has a big story to tell. When her mother Vicky was pregnant with Marissa 13 years ago, an ultrasound detected esophageal atresia (EA), a condition where the esophagus isn’t connected to the stomach.
Vicky was admitted to Brigham and Women’s Hospital for the remainder of her pregnancy. “I’m a take-charge kind of person. When I was pregnant, I thought, ‘I’ll make all the decisions for my baby.’ But when complications arose, I realized I couldn’t make these kinds of decisions alone,” she says.
At that point, Marissa’s care team was born.
Do...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - August 13, 2015 Category: Pediatrics Authors: Jenny Fernandez Tags: All posts Our patients’ stories esophageal atresia GERD Steven Fishman VSD Wayne Tworetzky Source Type: news
MassDevice.com +3 | The top 3 medtech stories for July 15, 2015
Say hello to MassDevice +3, a bite-sized view of the top three medtech stories of the day. This feature of MassDevice.com’s coverage highlights our 3 biggest and most influential stories from the day’s news to make sure you’re up to date on the headlines that continue to shape the medical device industry.
3. Gore asks U.S. Supreme Court to revisit $1B loss to Bard
W.L. Gore & Associates asked the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit its $1 billion infringement loss to C.R. Bard over stent graft patents, saying the high court should determine whether patents must be conveyed in writing.
Gore is on the...
Source: Mass Device - July 15, 2015 Category: Medical Equipment Authors: MassDevice Tags: News Well Plus 3 Source Type: news
Lower-cost procedure for children with digestive tract problems
Physicians have published research that suggests a safe and lower-cost way to diagnose and treat problems in the upper gastrointestinal tract of children. The researchers assessed the effectiveness of unsedated transnasal endoscopy (TNE) in evaluating pediatric patients with potentially chronic problems in their esophagus, which is the tube that connects the patient's mouth to the stomach. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)
Source: ScienceDaily Headlines - July 15, 2015 Category: Science Source Type: news
Retaliation claims stand in ex-rep’s suit against ConMed
The retaliation claim leveled against ConMed (NSDQ:CNMD) by a former sales rep who accused the company of firing him because he’s Iranian-American can stand, a federal appeals court ruled yesterday, but found that a lower court’s dismissal of a discrimination claim can also stay on the books.
Reza Yasdian was a territory manager for ConMed’s endoscope business in Cincinnati from April 2005 until he was fired in July 2010, according to court documents filed with the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.
“By all accounts, Yazdian was a talented salesman, receiving awards, bonuses, and promotions for his perf...
Source: Mass Device - July 15, 2015 Category: Medical Equipment Authors: Brad Perriello Tags: Legal News ConMed Corp. Personnel Source Type: news
Fewer People Are Sensitive To Gluten Than Commonly Believed
By Julie Upton for U.S. News
It seems as if everyone is going to great lengths to avoid gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and many processed foods. Are there real health benefits associated with going gluten-free, or is it just another passing fad?
A recently published study in the journal Digestion found that 86 percent of individuals who believed they were gluten sensitive could tolerate it. Individuals with celiac disease, a hereditary autoimmune condition that affects about 3 million Americans, or roughly 1 percent of the population, must avoid gluten. Those with extremely rare wheat allergies must also r...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - June 21, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Was The Guardian's 2014 crystal ball accurate?
In January 2014, The Guardian took the brave, and possibly foolhardy, step of predicting the six big health breakthroughs of 2014.
We're taking a look at just how accurate the paper's crystal ball turned out to be, and gave each our own Behind the Headlines "Mystic Meg" rating for predictive accuracy.
Prediction one: IVF success rates to improve after 20 years of stagnation
Prediction two: Better screening for ovarian cancer
Prediction three: New insights into dementia
Prediction four: Open-access surgery
Prediction five: Ninja polymers to fight athlete's foot
Prediction six: Fae...
Source: NHS News Feed - December 30, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: QA articles Special reports Source Type: news
To heal the human instrument
When Erik Laurence transferred in 2009 to Shanghai, China, as vice president of a software company, he thought his biggest challenge would be improving his Mandarin-language skills and learning the nuances of the Chinese business scene. But his vocal cords, not the foreign nation, turned out to be his undoing.
Laurence, who was in his mid-40s at the time, had struggled for about 20 years with a mild case of spasmodic dysphonia (SD), intermittently losing his voice at odd times. It’s a neurological disorder that involves spasms of the vocal cords, which cause the voice to break up or have a strained or strangled quality...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - November 21, 2014 Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news
SEDASYS Computer-Assisted Propofol Sedation System Rolling Out in U.S.
SEDASYS, a division of Ethicon, itself part of J&J, is releasing the SEDASYS Computer-Assisted Personalized Sedation (CAPS) System in the U.S. market. The device is intended for delivery of propofol (1% (10 mg/mL) injectable emulsion) by non-anesthesiologist clinicians when performing colonoscopy and esophagogastroduodenoscopy procedures.
The technology allows administration of minimal to moderate amounts of propofol during upper and lower GI endoscopies and for monitoring of patient sedation. According to the company, only adult ASA class I and II patients are eligible to receive propofol via SEDASYS.
The SEDASYS Sys...
Source: Medgadget Anesthesiology - October 14, 2014 Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Editors Tags: Anesthesiology GI Source Type: news
What Factors Decide Urolithiasis Treatment?
Discussion
Although pediatric uroliathiasis is relatively rare, there has been an increasing number of children evaluated for renal stones over time. For an overview of uroliathiasis click here.
Renal colic classically has paroxysmal pain that is severe, radiates toward the groin and the patient is not able to find a comfortable position. They may also have irritability, nausea, emesis, increased urinary frequency, dysuria and hematuria. 85-90% of patients will have macro- or microscopic hematuria but up to 15% of patients with urolithiasis will not have hematuria.
Clinical differential diagnosis includes but is not limit...
Source: PediatricEducation.org - October 13, 2014 Category: Pediatrics Authors: pediatriceducationmin Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: news
Highlights from the June issue of GIE: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
(American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy) The June issue of GIE: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, features a study reporting that the annual incidence rate of esophageal cancer among patients with Barrett's esophagus with low-grade dysplasia is 0.54 percent; a study showing that metabolic syndrome and smoking heighten concerns regarding colorectal cancer screening in men with these risk factors; and a new ASGE guideline on endoscopy in patients with lower gastrointestinal bleeding. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - June 23, 2014 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news
FDA downgrades Given Imaging's PillCam
FDA medical device regulators put a lower-risk label on Covidien subsidiary Given Imaging's PillCam ingestible endoscopic camera.
Covidien (NYSE:COV) subsidiary Given Imaging landed a victory with FDA medical device regulators who agreed to downgrade the PillCam capsule endoscope to a lower-risk classification.
Covidien, Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Given ImagingNews Well, 510(k), Endoscopic / Arthroscopic, Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Imaging, Regulatory/Complianceread more (Source: Mass Device)
Source: Mass Device - May 16, 2014 Category: Medical Equipment Authors: Arezu Sarvestani Source Type: news
