Medical Devices & Surgical Technology Week articles from July 2001

Medical Devices & Surgical Technology Week archives from July 2001

Fibrin Glue Has Several Benefits For Treatment Of Urinary Tract Fistulae.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... 2001 JUL 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A series of cases highlighting a potential, new treatment for individuals who experience urinary tract fistulae were presented by Loyola University Health System (LUHS), researchers at the annual...

3-D Dissection Of Human Pelvis Will Aid Understanding Of Structure.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... 2001 JUL 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A unique 3-D dissection of the human pelvis was introduced June 3, 2001, at the American Urological Association's Annual Meeting in Anaheim, California. The project, which was constructed at...

New Device Aids Surgeon During Procedures.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... 2001 JUL 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Applied Medical announced June 5, 2001, that it has received marketing clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a new generation medical device for use during hand-access...

Laser Thermotherapy May Preserve Blood Flow After Eye Treatment.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... 2001 JUL 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Special laser therapy effectively treats some patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) without harming blood flow in the eye, but the treatment...

Vaginal Ring Stops Ovulation.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... 2001 JUL 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in The Netherlands have reported the successful trial of a vaginal ring for contraception. The device contains hormones used in other contraceptives, but a ring inserted into the...

Gene Transfer Detected In Less Time By New Technique.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... 2001 JUL 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Chromos Molecular Systems Inc. (TSE: CHR) reported the publication of a scientific paper entitled "A flow cytometry technique for measuring chromosome-mediated gene transfer," in the June 2001...

New Publisher, Editor-in-Chief, Key Staff Announced.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... 2001 JUL 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- NewsRx Network, Atlanta, Georgia, the leading provider of life science databases and daily and weekly health news, has announced top staff appointments, including a new editor-in-chief and publisher...

Study Finds No Difference In Risk After Surgery Or Endovascular Treatment For Carotid Stenosis.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... 2001 JUL 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A non-surgical approach for preventing stroke for patients with partial blockage of the carotid artery might have similar long-term outcomes and fewer complications than standard surgical...

Transplant Pathologists In U.S. And Italy Consult Via Unique System.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... 2001 JUL 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A telepathology system developed by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) has been found to be an effective means for a transplant pathologist working alone in a UPMC-managed facility...

Stem Cells May Be Viable Solution For Patients With Limited Options For Urologic Reconstruction.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... 2001 JUL 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Embryonic stem cells may become a reliable cell source for patients in need of urologic reconstruction who have limited host tissue, according to Children's Hospital Boston researchers. ...

Minimally Invasive Surgery Recommended For Ureter Blockages.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... 2001 JUL 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Minimally invasive surgery should be considered a first-line treatment for patients with blockages occurring at the junction of the kidney and ureter, according to results of a Johns Hopkins...

Smart Suction Device Reduces Blood Damage.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2001... 2001 JUL 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in Switzerland say that blood trauma during heart bypass surgery can be reduced significantly by using a cardiotomy suction device that reduces...

Portable Machines Bring Echocardiography To Patients' Bedsides.
July 8, 2001... 2001 JUL 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Physicians who suspect their patients have cardiovascular disorders often turn to an imaging technique called echocardiography to aid in their diagnoses. Typically that means getting patients to the...

Experimental Prosthetic Disc May Be Alternative To Fusion Surgery.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2001... 2001 JUL 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- If there is one back-surgery patient who can put a new, experimental artificial disc to the test, his name is Karl Nusch, and there is a good chance he's walking, biking, or swimming somewhere near...

Computer Recognizes Abnormal Heart Sounds In Children.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2001... 2001 JUL 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- An electronic stethoscope and a personal computer can be used to distinguish innocent heart murmurs from those that may indicate a serious problem, and may help doctors render better medical...

Clinical Trial Of New Bionic Ear Is Enrolling Adults.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2001... 2001 JUL 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers have begun a clinical trial of the Clarion CII Bionic Ear cochlear implant to help adults with profound hearing loss to hear again. Adults with severe-to-profound hearing loss who...

New Hand-Assisted Technique Makes Kidney Removal Surgery And Recovery Time Shorter.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2001... 2001 JUL 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new technique that lets surgeons remove cancerous kidneys through a small incision with the help of their hands and special cameras and instruments gets patients out of the operating room faster...

Monitoring System Revolutionizes Surgery.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2001... 2001 JUL 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Physiometrix Inc. (Nasdaq:PHYX), developer of the patented Patient State Analyzer (PSA 4000), a novel anesthesia-monitoring system that enables clinicians to assess and manage a patient's level of...

Clinical Pathway For Gastric Bypass Cuts LOS, Costs.(length of stay)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2001... 2001 JUL 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - The institution of a clinical pathway for gastric bypass patients led to savings of $1,600 per case, without increasing postoperative complications, say...

Needle-Less Device Is Available In U.S.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2001... 2001 JUL 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cell Robotics International, Inc. (OTC:CRII), announced the availability of the second-generation Lasette, called the Lasette(R) Plus. The hand-held Lasette is a U.S. Food and Drug...

Study Finds Most Doctors Do Not Position Resuscitation Paddles Correctly.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2001... 2001 JUL 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Among the unfortunate results of having your heart stop is being unable to ask your doctor if he or she is sure how to resuscitate you. It's a question worth asking, suggest results of study in the...

Test Evaluated In Clinical Trial.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2001... 2001 JUL 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE:STJ) and Cambridge Heart, Inc., (Nasdaq:CAMH) announced the initiation of the Alternans Before Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ABCD) trial. The ABCD trial is intended...

Stents May Reduce Neurological Complications During Surgery.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2001... 2001 JUL 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Surgical removal of an artery's inner layer - a procedure called an endarterectomy - can reduce stroke risk in patients with occluded carotid arteries. Unfortunately, up to 9% of patients suffer...

Pilot Trial Shows Positive Results.(fecal incontinence surgery)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2001... 2001 JUL 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Curon Medical, Inc. (Nasdaq:CURN) reports positive one-year follow-up results from a pilot study in which the company's Secca(TM) System was used for treating fecal incontinence. Dr. Takeshi...

FDA Approves First OSHA-Compliant, All-In-One Delivery System.(vaccination equipment)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2001... 2001 JUL 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) announced that it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for Safety Tip-Lok(TM): prefilled Tip-Lok(R) syringes packaged with BD SafetyGlide(TM)...

New Drug-Coated Device Evaluated.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2001... 2001 JUL 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Physicians on staff at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, recently began a new clinical research trial using a drug-coated stent to treat patients with severe coronary artery...

Recombinant t-PA Is A Safe Way To Clear Blocked Central Venous Catheters.(tissue plasminogen activator )(Brief Article)
July 8, 2001... 2001 JUL 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A large national study coordinated through The Cleveland Clinic shows that a drug used for heart attacks can be safely used to clear blocked central venous catheters. The study evaluated the...

Excellent Results Reported From Simultaneous Procedure.(pancreas-kidney transplant)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2001... 2001 JUL 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) transplantation is emerging as the state-of-the-art treatment for diabetic patients scheduled to receive a kidney transplant. At the joint American Transplant...

Patients May Expect Better Outcomes From Surgery.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2001... 2001 JUL 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new study indicates that prostate cancer patients who have their prostate removed today have a better prognosis than patients who underwent the procedure 10 years ago. "The analysis...

Optical Imaging Technique Augments Tools For Diagnosing Eye Disease.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2001... 2001 JUL 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - An imaging technique called optical coherence tomography (OCT) can provide information about the eye that complements other methods used for screening and...

Peripheral Arterial Tone Signal Is Diagnostic.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2001... 2001 JUL 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Several news studies presented at the meeting of the Associated Sleep Professional Sleep Societies (APSS) reveal that peripheral arterial tone, or PAT, plays an important role in early diagnosis and...

Transplanted Pig Islet Cells Keep Baboon Off Insulin.
July 8, 2001... 2001 JUL 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Specially encapsulated insulin-producing pancreas cells from pigs have kept a diabetic baboon from needing insulin for more than nine months, according to researchers. A research team from Duke...

Pressure Test Better Predicts Need For Procedure.(blood flow pressure indicates balloon angioplasty need)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2001... 2001 JUL 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The pressure of blood flow through moderately clogged arteries, rather than the amount of blockage, may be more indicative of which individuals need balloon angioplasty. In an international...

Ultrasound Technique Detects Genetic Abnormalities Noninvasively.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2001... 2001 JUL 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Physicians at the University of Maryland Medical Center are using a new ultrasound technique to detect increased risk of genetic abnormalities like Down syndrome and heart disorders in unborn...

Invasive Procedures Still Performed On Conscious Children Despite New Techniques.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2001... 2001 JUL 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Many invasive bone marrow procedures are still carried out in conscious children despite the safety and effectiveness of modern anesthetic and deep sedation techniques, palliative care experts...

Pediatricians Support Elimination Of Mercury-Containing Thermometers.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2001... 2001 JUL 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new technical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) addresses the hazards of mercury and the measures pediatricians can take to reduce children's exposure. One of the chief...

First Major Study Of Screening Digital Mammography Gearing Up.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2001... 2001 JUL 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Nineteen medical institutions in the U.S. and Canada have been selected to take part in the first major study assessing the value of digital mammography versus standard mammography. The study,...

Laser 'Scalpel' Improves Popular Procedure.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2001... 2001 JUL 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers have developed a procedure for using an ultrafast laser to make clean, high-precision surgical cuts in the human cornea. The procedure is expected to advance the popular LASIK eye...

Device Detects Mismatches In DNA Strands.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2001... 2001 JUL 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Detection and diagnosis of diseases could be simplified and made more accurate with an instrument being developed by researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory,...

Technology For Hepatitis B Virus Is Patented.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2001... 2001 JUL 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- ViroLogic, Inc. (Nasdaq: VLGC) announced the issuance of 42 separate claims in U.S. Patent No. 6,242,187 related to hepatitis B virus (HBV) drug-resistance testing. The issued claims relate to...

Radiosurgery And Embolization Are Effective Treatment.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2001... 2001 JUL 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers have found that a less-invasive treatment is safe and effective for select patients who have an abnormal connection between an artery and a vein on the surface of the brain. The...

Government Agencies Target Online Health Fraud.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2001... 2001 JUL 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- As part of an ongoing and comprehensive law enforcement and consumer education campaign begun in 1997, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced a new round of enforcement actions...

VerticalNews Launch Uses NewsRx Artificial Intelligence Technology.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2001... 2001 JUL 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- NewsRx, the leading provider of life science databases and daily and weekly health news, has leveraged its technology platform to create a new media company, VerticalNews. VerticalNews'...

NIAID Collaboration Yields New Diagnostic Test.(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)(Lyme disease antibodies)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2001... 2001 JUL 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new test developed with funding from the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has been shown to be highly accurate and sensitive for detecting antibodies to Lyme...

Conference Explores Computer-Assisted Surgical Tools.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2001... 2001 JUL 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Orthopedic surgeons, researchers, and other medical professionals from around the world gathered recently to explore advances in computer-assisted surgical tools. The fifth annual North...

Hemodialysis Technology Advances In Preclinical Study.(Brief Article)
July 15, 2001... 2001 JUL 15 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- CryoLife, Inc. (NYSE: CRY) presented the results of an animal study on the use of animal tissues to create A-V (arteriovenous) access grafts in hemodialysis applications using the company's...

Conventional And Alternative Styrene Assays Suitable For Use.(Brief Article)
July 29, 2001... 2001 JUL 29 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Two techniques for measuring styrene levels in blood samples are accurate and sensitive enough for use with workers exposed to this environmental hazard,...

Percutaneous Intramyocardial Injection One Way To Target Therapeutics.(Brief Article)
July 29, 2001... 2001 JUL 29 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Medical investigators at Stanford Medical Center in California believe one way to induce therapeutic angiogenesis in the heart may be with the use of...

New Flexible Lens Implant Permits Better Focusing.(Brief Article)
July 29, 2001... 2001 JUL 29 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A lens implant that can change focus like a natural lens promises to make cataract patients' eyesight almost as good as it was when they were young. The device, which is being developed by...

Calcium Build-Up Tracks Heart Disease in Diabetics.
July 29, 2001... 2001 JUL 29 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Carol K. Kohn, MS, ELS(D), senior medical writer - Diabetes patients, usually at high risk for coronary artery disease, may have heart problems and not even know it - a knowledge gap that could...

Five-Year Lung Volume Reduction Surgery Study Shows Physiologic Improvements in End-Stage Patients.
July 29, 2001... 2001 JUL 29 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In one of the first five-year studies to be completed on lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) in both lungs, researchers found that nine individuals had durable clinical and significant physiologic...

Electromechanically Regulated Active Shunts Are Being Developed.
July 29, 2001... 2001 JUL 29 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in Germany are improving on current implant technology to maintain water balance in the brain. Thoughts are not the only product of the human brain; it also produces water....

Lumbar Fusion Device Launched.
July 29, 2001... 2001 JUL 29 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Sulzer Medica Ltd. has started marketing the BP(TM) lumbar interbody fusion cage, the first new lumbar fusion device since the introduction of the BAK/Proximity device in 1997. In the United...

New Risk-Assessment Technology Now Available.
July 29, 2001... 2001 JUL 29 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Genesis Bioventures (officially Biolabs, Inc.) (GBI) announced that one of its portfolio companies, Biomedical Diagnostics, LLC (BMD), has signed an agreement with ARUP Laboratories of Salt Lake...

Glucose Monitoring Device Effective In Pediatric Patients.
July 29, 2001... 2001 JUL 29 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Data from a pilot study, conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the GlucoWatch(R) Biographer in monitoring glucose levels of pediatric patients with diabetes, suggests that the device's...

No-Stick Glucose Monitoring Technology Makes Life Less Painful.
July 29, 2001... 2001 JUL 29 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- MicroSense International, LLC, announced the completion of the first phase human feedback trial comparing Pushita(TM), an innovative, painless, minimally invasive technology, to the leading blood...

Technology Aids Doctors In Early Cancer Detection.
July 29, 2001... 2001 JUL 29 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A major advance in imaging technology will help physicians effectively see and treat cancer faster than ever before. GE Medical Systems, a unit of General Electric Company, has introduced the...

Children Can Receive Growth Hormones With Needle-Free System.
July 29, 2001... 2001 JUL 29 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new, needle-free drug delivery system makes taking growth hormones less painful for pediatric patients. Nobody likes needles - especially children. But for an estimated 10,000-15,000...

Speech Comprehension Project For People With Cochlear Implants Is Funded.
July 29, 2001... 2001 JUL 29 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Scientists at the University of Warwick and Keele University, U.K., have been awarded a major 333,000 pounds sterling grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) for a...

Multiphoton Laser Scanning Microscopy Offers Look Inside Cancerous Tumors.
July 29, 2001... 2001 JUL 29 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A powerful new with high resolution, three-dimensional imaging tool is providing researchers with never-before-seen views of what goes on deep within a living tumor. Scientists at...

Radiolabeled Agent Helps Identify Prostate Cancer With Greater Accuracy.
July 29, 2001... 2001 JUL 29 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new study by doctors at New York University (NYU) School of Medicine found that it is possible to identify recurrent prostate cancer with greater precision by using the radiolabeled imaging agent...

Revolutionary Bioabsorbable Screw Aids Surgery.(Brief Article)
July 29, 2001... 2001 JUL 29 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- dj Orthopedics, LLC signed a distribution agreement with British-based biotech company Biocomposites, Ltd. that designated dj Orthopedics' new surgical division, Alaron, as the exclusive U.S....

Evidence Increasing On Successful Treatment With Uterine Artery Embolization.(Brief Article)
July 29, 2001... 2001 JUL 29 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A study in the July 2001 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology provides additional evidence that uterine artery embolization (UAE) is a safe and effective procedure for reducing symptoms of uterine...

Radiant Heat Reduces Staphylococcus Aureus In Wounds.(Brief Article)
July 29, 2001... 2001 JUL 29 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers, using an animal model of wound therapy in which local radiant heat is delivered by a noncontact bandage, found that the heat did not accelerate bacterial growth. In fact, bacterial...