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May 2006

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2005 Dec

Trainable hearing system from Siemens
Siemens Hearing Instruments has launched a hearing solution that can memorise wearer preferences for each listening situation and then automatically adjust itself in different sound environments. 31 May 2006

Bluetooth group targets interoperability of medical devices
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group, made up of companies such as IBM, Intel, Motorola, has formed a Medical Devices Working Group with the objective to enable health-related devices to work with consumer electronics products. 30 May 2006

Sorin Group receives approval for world's smallest implantable cardioverter defibrillator
ELA Medical, part of Italian company Sorin Group has received US approval to market its new family of a dual and single chamber implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). 30 May 2006

GE introduces new series of laptop-size ultrasound systems
GE Healthcare is introducing four new clinically specialized ultrasound systems. The new Compact Series places the power and imaging capabilities of a high-performance, 400-pound system into a laptop-size design. 26 May 2006

Tom Cruise Ultrasound Bill should ban keep-sake scans, says ACR
The American College of Radiology (ACR) has applauded the California Assembly for passing the "Tom Cruise law," which would prohibit the sale of diagnostic ultrasound equipment to anyone but appropriately licensed health care providers. It also urges the California Senate to include the prohibition of sale to foetal keepsake studios. 25 May 2006

Millions squandered in unnecessary medical tests
A study of preventive health screening measures such as ECGs, X-rays and laboratory tests has shown that unnecessary tests are costing the U.S. health care system millions — and potentially billions— of dollars per year. 25 May 2006

Overview of technology for healthcare in the home
Home Telehealth: Connecting Care within the Community is a new publication that reviews medical treatments that can take place in the home thanks to telemedicine technology, including disease management and wellness programs, home monitoring capabilities and connecting patients and clinicians with consumer electronics. 23 May 2006

Italian National Cancer Institute chooses Ablatherm-HIFU to treat prostate cancer
The Italian National Cancer Institute, Centro Referimento Oncologico (CRO), in cooperation with Pordenone Hospital in Aviano has chosen the Ablatherm-HIFU technology from EDAP TMS S.A. for the treatment of prostate cancer. 23 May 2006

Gemplus to supply 3.7m healthcare smartcards in Mexico
The smartcards will be part of a new country-wide e-healthcare program aimed at securely storing patient information, ensuring citizens get the correct healthcare benefits and reducing paper-based administration. 22 May 2006 Francais

The plug and play ultrasound probePlug-and-play USB ultrasound probe
Direct Medical Systems has launched a plug and play ultrasound probe system built into a small USB-compatible probe for connecting to a laptop or PC. 22 May 2006

Hologic acquires selenium photoconductor supplier AEG Elektrofotografie
Diagnostic imaging supplier Hologic, Inc. has acquired German company AEG Elektrofotografie GmbH for 21 million. This allows Hologic to take direct control over a critical step in its detector manufacturing process. 22 May 2006

The ANS Eon neurostimulation system uses electrical impulses to trigger nerve fibres along the spinal chord

EU approval and first European implant for ANS neurostimulation system
The Eon Neurostimulation System helps patients manage chronic, intractable pain by using low-intensity electrical impulses to selectively trigger nerve fibres along the spinal cord. 19 May 2006 Deutsch Francais Italiano

Legal simplification for medical devices in Germany and the EU
The German parliament will amend the restrictive Medical Devices Act and the simplification strategy of the EU Commissioner aims to cut legal red tape for medical devices. 18 May 2006

Uptake of doctors’ ideas is an important factor for success in medical technology.
The importance of proper use of doctors’ ideas for new medical technologies and procedures was made clear at the BVMed special conference in Munich. 18 May 2006

The Beta Sensatex SmartShirt makes it possible to remotely monitor a wearer's movement, heart rate, and respiration rate in real-time. (PRNewsFoto/ Sensatex, Inc.)SmartShirt for remotely monitoring human vital signs
The SmartShirt from Sensatex  can remotely monitor a wearer's movement, heart rate, and respiration rate in real-time through a patented nanotechnology conductive fibre grid that is seamlessly knit into the material of the fully washable shirt. 18 May 2006

Quality indicators for major endoscopic procedures defined
The objective measures that could be used to define high-quality endoscopic services have been compiled into a series of papers by the US Task Force on Quality in Endoscopy. 17 May 2006

Oxford BioSignals receives approval for BioSign patient monitor in US and Europe
The BioSign measures how abnormal a patient’s vital signs and helps healthcare professionals and outreach teams to identify patients in crisis and intervene earlier to correct the problem. 17 May 2006

The new towers of The Royal London HospitalLondon hospitals award Siemens £300m medical technology deal
Siemens will supply state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment technology in the new radiology, cardiology and oncology departments of two hospitals for 35 years from 2009. 17 May 2006

Gamma cameras to remain stable and PET to decline in European nuclear medical imaging markets
Innovative and enhanced imaging techniques such as SPECT will energise the saturated gamma camera segment and PET-CT scanners will rapidly replace existing PET systems. 15 May 2006

Cork for nano tubes gives drug-delivery potential
Scientists at the University of Florida have found a way to “cork”  nano tubes. The goal is a better way to deliver drugs such as for cancer treatment. 15 May 2006

Neuroscience Therapy Corp receives US approval to market pain-relief device
The device, called the P-Stim, which has already been used to treat patients in Europe, is a miniaturized electro-stimulation device that transmits low frequency electrical pulses via acupuncture-like needles inserted into the ear muscles. 15 May 2006

UK MRI scanning charity orders Ferrania imager
The UK medical charity the Cobalt Unit Appeal Fund has ordered a Ferrania UK LifeImager 6050 for its MRI Scanning Service to patients in the West of England. 15 May 2006

Dermasonics reduces manufacturing costs of needle-free drug-injection device
The company has completed a demonstration of a mass production system for the specialised ultrasonic transducers used in its U-Strip ultrasonic drug-delivery technology. 12 May 2006

Water key to millions of gigabytes of memory in a cubic centimetre
A computing principle popular in the 1960s, ferroelectricity, combined with the novel technique of insulation with water molecules, could provide computer memory of 12.8 million gigabytes in a cubic centimeter. 12 May 2006

German law hinders use of medical devices
German medical device manufacturers and healthcare providers have demanded a clarification of the legal conditions for the adoption of medical technical aids into the medical technical aids register. 11 May 2006

Cooled MRI probe doubles sensitivity of in-vivo animal imaging
Bruker BioSpin has developed a novel magnetic resonance imaging probe that improves image quality and can reduce scan time. 11 May 2006

Xograph adds Planmed digital mammography system to portfolio
The Planmed Nuance full field digital mammography system will be unveiled at Symposium Mammographicum 2006 in July. 11 May 2006

Accuray reports growing acceptance of CyberKnife robotic radiosurgery system
Accuray Incorporated has announced that spinal tumour treatments with its radiosurgery system grew more than 75% over the last year. The company has also announced the first installations of CyberKnife in Greece and Vietnam. 9 May 2006

University College London launches nanotechnology masters degree
University College London (UCL) is introducing a full and part-time nanotechnology master of science (MSc) course from September 2006 in response to mounting industry demand for highly skilled graduates. 9 May 2006

Philips adds EDDA Technology's chest analysis software to radiography portfolio
Royal Philips Electronics has licensed EDDA Technology's IQQA-Chest software to help clinicians identify, quantify, evaluate and report pulmonary nodules. It will be available as part of the Philips digital radiography portfolio. 8 May 2006

Biophan to study MRI safety with US Food and Drug Agency
Biophan Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB: BIPH; FWB: BTN) has entered into a research partnership with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help improve patient safety in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) environments. 8 May 2006

Industry and government leaders to analyse EU medical device regulations
Top-level European government and industry leaders will meet to dissect European policy on health product innovation at a regulatory affairs conference in Portugal in June. 6 May 2006. Francais Deutsch Italiano

Varian develops new probes for nuclear magnetic resonance of solid materials
Varian has launched the FastMAS and UltraFastMAS probes for analysing solid materials and the BioStatic probe for determining the molecular structures of proteins and other biomolecules in a solid state. 6 May 2006

invivodata introduces wireless electronic diary for patient reporting in clinical trials
invivodata has added the Enfora Wireless Portfolio to its line of global ePRO solutions for capturing critical PRO data across global clinical trials. 6 May 2006

GE Healthcare's wide-bore computed tomography system gets US FDA go-ahead
The 16-slice CT system will be available in two configurations. The LightSpeed RT16 enables advanced imaging for radiation therapy planning, and the LightSpeed Xtra is designed for radiology needs such as trauma, interventional and bariatric procedures. 6 May 2006

Rostering software forecast to save Bedford Hospitals £500,000
Bedford Hospital NHS Trust has ordered Manpower Software’s MAPS Healthroster ward-rostering software to replace its paper-based rostering system. It is expected to reduce the temporary spend on both bank and agency staff, to improve establishment control and objectively measure and manage its nursing workforce. 4 May 2006

Mercury Computer Systems introduces integrated 3D PACS
Mercury has integrated its web-based Visage PACS software with the Visage CS thin client/server 3D visualization system, enabling users to seamlessly utilize the 3D functionality of Visage CS within the workflow of Visage PACS, throughout the hospital enterprise. 4 May 2006

Visualizer for heart surgery training
The visualizer enables a consultant to demonstrate, describe and discuss surgical procedures with a student audience and ensures the heart is perfectly illuminated so that students can see all the heart detail on screen. 3 May 2006

Breakthrough in biological fuel cells
A team of researchers at the University of Oxford has developed an enzyme-based biological fuel cell that uses oxygen and hydrogen to power electrical devices. The enzyme technology is tolerant of gases that poison traditional fuel cell catalysts, removing the need for separation membranes. 3 May 2006

Siemens enters in-vitro diagnostics market with acquisition of Diagnostic Products Corporation
Siemens and Diagnostic Products Corporation (DPC) have entered into a merger agreement under which Siemens will acquire DPC for approximately $1.86 billion. 2 May 2006

The Elekta Neuromag magnetoencephalography scanner. Photo: ElektaElekta to supply 3-D brain mapping device to Cambridge brain science unit
Swedish company Elekta has won a tender to deliver its Elekta Neuromag, a magneto-encephalography (MEG) scanner for the non-invasive registration of nerve cell activity in the brain to the the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit (MRC CBU) in Cambridge, UK. 1 May 2006

Bruker Daltonics obtains Russian medical device registration for mass spectrometers
Bruker Daltonics has obtained registration of its complete MALDI-TOF product line of mass spectrometers, and its ClinProRobot sample preparation platform. This will allow the Institute of Physico-Chemical Medicine in Moscow to develop a novel system for the identification and characterization of clinically relevant microorganisms. 1 May 2006

Medtronic announces clinical trials strategy for neurological and urological therapies
Medtronic will invest in at least six new major clinical trials of therapies that use its neuromodulation or radiofrequency technology to treat a range of neurological and urological conditions such as Parkinson's disease, depression, chronic pain, severe spasticity. 1 May 2006

Shock wave therapy for kidney stones linked to increased risk of diabetes
Researchers at Mayo Clinic in the USA have issued an alert about the side effects of shock wave lithotripsy, a treatment for breaking up kidney stones. The treatment significantly increased the risk for diabetes and hypertension later in life. 1 May 2006

April 2006 ...

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