Medical Devices & Surgical Technology Week articles from September 2001

Medical Devices & Surgical Technology Week archives from September 2001

Clay Reduces Permeability Of Biomedical Polymer.
September 16, 2001... 2001 SEP 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A compound used in cosmetics and food supplements may help make artificial heart device polymer parts less permeable to air and water, according to a team of Pennsylvania State University...

'Imprinted' Gels Hold Promise For Future Medical Devices.
September 16, 2001... 2001 SEP 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Scientists at Purdue University are creating a biological sensor for glucose in research that ultimately may help to design "intelligent" drug delivery devices that could be implanted in the body...

Magnetic Fluid Seal Effective With No Power Consumption.
September 16, 2001... 2001 SEP 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in Japan have developed a magnetic fluid seal for rotary blood pumps, which they say performs safely and effectively with no power...

Transcranial Doppler Useful For Assessing Liver-Related Encephalopathy.
September 16, 2001... 2001 SEP 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Transcranial Doppler ultrasound is a useful tool for evaluating vascular indices in liver-related encephalopathy, medical investigators in Japan say. ...

Material Could Lead To Self-Healing Cavities.(Brief Article)
September 16, 2001... 2001 SEP 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Dr. Joe Antonucci, the polymer chemist, is with the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology, and Dr. Drago Skrtic, the physical chemist, is with the American Dental Association Health...

Hemodiafiltration Can Reduce Plasma Exchange Morbidity.(Brief Article)
September 16, 2001... 2001 SEP 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Plasma exchange treatment for patients with liver failure should be accompanied by hemodiafiltration to maximize safety and effectiveness, researchers in...

Ultrasonography Can Aid Subtype Determination.(Brief Article)
September 16, 2001... 2001 SEP 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Ultrasonography can be used to help differentiate different subtypes of Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, according to researchers in Japan. Satomi...

Heimlich Valve Reduces Mortality For AIDS Patients.(Brief Article)
September 16, 2001... 2001 SEP 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - AIDS patients who fail to respond to conventional treatments for collapsed lungs should be implanted with a Heimlich valve, which can provide prompt...

AbioCor Patient Experiences Minor Setback.(self-contained replacement heart patient)(Brief Article)
September 16, 2001... 2001 SEP 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The University of Louisville physicians who implanted the world's first self-contained replacement heart at Jewish Hospital on July 2, 2001, announced that the patient has experienced an...

Bipolar Coagulation Technology Augments Endoscopic Spinal Fusion.(Brief Article)
September 16, 2001... 2001 SEP 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Endius, Inc. announced the launch of its new Bipolar Sheath, which is designed to dramatically reduce blood loss during EndoFusion surgery - the new minimally invasive approach to posterior spine...

Mechanized Microfluidic Device Interacts With Red Blood Cells.(Brief Article)
September 16, 2001... 2001 SEP 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Silicon microteeth that open and close like jaws have been developed at Sandia National Laboratories, affiliated with the U.S. Department of Energy. The microjaws fit in a microchannel about...

First Heart Jacket Implant Performed In Kentucky.(Brief Article)
September 16, 2001... 2001 SEP 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Drs. Geetha Bhat and Robert Dowling of the University of Louisville School of Medicine, Kentucky, announced that they have performed Kentucky's first surgical implantation of the Acorn CorCap...

Expanded Enrollment Approved For Trial Of Ventricular Assist System.(Brief Article)
September 16, 2001... 2001 SEP 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Thoratec Corporation reports that, based on a review of the preliminary data from the REMATCH trial, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an Investigational Device Exemption...

Study Finds Fine Needle Biopsy Accurate In The Hands Of Trained Practitioners.(Brief Article)
September 16, 2001... 2001 SEP 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB), once performed extensively in doctors' offices to identify breast and other cancers, has been falling from favor for years as the medical community's...

FDA Approves New At-Home Thyroid Testing Method.(Brief Article)
September 16, 2001... 2001 SEP 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- BIOSAFE Laboratories, Inc., announced that it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for consumer use of its thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test. Used to screen for...

Tissue Aortic Valve Replacement Shows Excellent Long-Term Performance.(Brief Article)
September 16, 2001... 2001 SEP 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Patients who have received a pericardial tissue heart valve to replace their malfunctioning aortic valve continue to experience excellent long-term clinical results 17 years after their procedure....

Pacemakers, ICDs Prone To Silent, Dangerous Staph Infection.(implanted cardiovascular instruments)(Brief Article)
September 16, 2001... 2001 SEP 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Pacemakers and other implanted heart devices prolong the lives of people with heart rhythm problems. However, if an individual with one of these devices develops a Staphylococcus infection it could...

Study Reveals New, Realistic Estimates for Surgery Survival in Older Americans.(Brief Article)
September 16, 2001... 2001 SEP 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- For older patients, the risk of death associated with elective surgery is far greater than previously estimated, and frequently higher than 10%, according to a new study. Reviewing major...

Machine That Simulates A Warm Human Body Keeps Kidney Functioning.(Brief Article)
September 16, 2001... 2001 SEP 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A machine that simulates a warm human body kept a kidney functioning for almost 24 hours in a test of a technique researchers say could longer preserve donated organs. The team at the...

Plastic Tube Promotes Nerve Growth, Restored Some Movement In Animal Model.(Brief Article)
September 16, 2001... 2001 SEP 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in Canada have created a plastic tube that fits around the spinal cord and restores some movement in paralyzed rats, according to research presented August 28, 2001, at the 222nd...

New Automated Surgery Helps Patients Read Without Glasses.(Brief Article)
September 16, 2001... 2001 SEP 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Dr. Barrie Soloway, director of vision correction at The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary and PresbyCorp, announced the first-ever successful surgery to eliminate reading glasses using the automated...

Pocket Weather Meter Helps Prevent Heat Related Illness.(Brief Article)
September 16, 2001... 2001 SEP 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Heat related deaths and illnesses have recently yielded tragic headlines. With the continuing dangerous heat wave gripping the country, prevention of heat-related deaths and illnesses has become a...

New Urinary Catheter Enters Clinical Trials.(Brief Article)
September 16, 2001... 2001 SEP 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Opticon Medical, Inc. (OPMI) announced that it is beginning a trial in women patients with its OPTION-vf Urinary Catheter, a device that maintains normal bladder cycling and doesn't require...

FDA Clears New Sling System As Treatment Option In Women.(Brief Article)
September 16, 2001... 2001 SEP 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- American Medical Systems (AMS) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared the AMS SPARC Sling System for commercial marketing in the United States. The system is designed to...

Microscopic Cantilever Aids Assay For Prostate Cancer.
September 23, 2001... 2001 SEP 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A clever technique for detecting proteins by inducing them to stick to and bend a microscopic cantilever - essentially a diving board the size of a hair - is sensitive enough to serve as a...

Porous Hydrogel Can Be Used For Controlled Anticoagulant Release.
September 23, 2001... 2001 SEP 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in the United States have developed a novel system for the controlled release of anticoagulant medication to dissolve pathologic blood clots....

First Major Trial Of Digital Mammography Launched.
September 23, 2001... 2001 SEP 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) are launching the first large, multicenter study to compare digital mammography to standard...

Researchers Offer Model Of Disease Showing Multicell Process.(breast cancer model)
September 23, 2001... 2001 SEP 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center are offering one of the first models of breast cancer as a multistep process, which involves more than one cell type, thanks in...

Cameras In Capsules Produce Images Detecting Gastrointestinal Disorders.(Capsule Endoscopy)
September 23, 2001... 2001 SEP 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In a procedure worthy of a scene in a futuristic movie, a patient at Mayo Clinic Scottsdale swallows a plastic capsule containing a disposable, miniature camera in order to visualize his digestive...

Echocardiogram Identifies Risk of Value Narrowing, Stroke.
September 23, 2001... 2001 SEP 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Standard echocardiograms which image the heart using ultrasound waves - much like the ultrasound images used during pregnancy to monitor fetal development - can be used as a screening tool to spot...

Laser Technique Examines Movement In Nucleus Of Living Cell.(measurement of chromatin (DNA packet) movement in cell nucleus)
September 23, 2001... 2001 SEP 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- By colliding two laser beams head-on, scientists at the University of Illinois can measure the movement of chromatin (tiny packets of DNA) in the nucleus of a living cell. "DNA, in the form of...

Novel Delivery Of Monoclonal Antibodies To Be Studied.(Image-Guided Neurologics and Peregrine Pharmaceuticals Inc. to join in study of Cotara tumor necrosis therapy drug)
September 23, 2001... 2001 SEP 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Image-Guided Neurologics (IGN) and Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (PPHM), have agreed to cosponsor a Phase I/II pilot study for Cotara, Peregrine's Tumor Necrosis Therapy drug, that utilizes IGN's...

U.S. Patents Awarded For Sci-Pro Distal Protection Device.(from Scion Cardio-Vascular Inc.)
September 23, 2001... 2001 SEP 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Scion Cardio-Vascular, Inc., has received two U.S. patents covering its Sci-Pro Distal Protection Device. The Sci-Pro is a guide wire-based filter designed to provide protection during...

Programmable Pacemaker Allows Physicians To Fine Tune Treatment.(InSync programmable cardiac pacing system from Medtronic Inc.)
September 23, 2001... 2001 SEP 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- It's the "fine-tuning" and programmable capabilities that make Medtronic's InSync system, newly approved by the Food and Drug Administration, so unique in the treatment of congestive heart failure...

Imaging Modality Provides Real-Time Cancer Images.(optical coherence tomography)
September 23, 2001... 2001 SEP 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new imaging modality may dramatically improve the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The modality, optical coherence tomography (OCT), is based on beaming safe infrared light into soft...

Risk Of Lung Damage From Ultrasound Greater Than Once Thought.
September 23, 2001... 2001 SEP 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Pumping more energy into a beam of diagnostic ultrasound could produce a better image - and therefore a better diagnosis - but studies at the University of Illinois suggest the risk of...

Saliva-Based Rapid Test Kit Hits Market.(Saliva Rapid Test Kit from Medical Services International Inc.)
September 23, 2001... 2001 SEP 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Medical Services International Inc. (MSITF) is pleased to announce that it has added a saliva-based HIV test kit to its current inventory of rapid test kits. Rather than using the invasive...

No Benefit Seen From Orbital Radiotherapy.(for the treatment of Graves eye disease)
September 23, 2001... 2001 SEP 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new Mayo Clinic study of patients who have mild or moderately severe Graves ophthalmopathy, also known as Graves eye disease or thyroid eye disease, demonstrated no benefit from orbital...

School Systems Prepare To Attack With A New Weapon.(MagiCombs for head lice treatment)
September 23, 2001... 2001 SEP 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- One of the nation's largest school systems is preparing for war when school opens in September 2001. The enemy is head lice. This year the mangy little critters can cost schools across the...

FDA Approves Next Generation Technology For The Hearing Impaired.(Combi 4O+ Cochlear Implant System)
September 23, 2001... 2001 SEP 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- MED-EL has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the advanced Combi 4O+ Cochlear Implant System. This system allows severe to profoundly hearing impaired people to gain...

New Sound Processors Released, Trial Data Reported.(Clarion CII BTE (behind-the-ear) sound processor)
September 23, 2001... 2001 SEP 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Advanced Bionics Corporation announced the commercial release of two U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved behind-the-ear (BTE) sound processors for use with its line of new Bionic Ear...

Baby Boomers May Carry Personal Defibrillators.
September 23, 2001... 2001 SEP 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new study indicates that seniors can effectively learn to use an automated external defibrillator, which accurately analyzes cardiac rhythms and, if appropriate, delivers an electric countershock...

Device Recalls Should Not Cause Panic For Patients.(recall of pacemaker and implantable cardioverter defibrillator devices)
September 23, 2001... 2001 SEP 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) on pacemaker and implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) recalls may be causing undue concern for the tens of...

Inpatient Surgery Reduces Healing Time, Improves Quality Of Life.(Fast Tract surgical therapeutic technique from TransTracheal Systems Inc.)
September 23, 2001... 2001 SEP 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- TransTracheal Systems Inc. of Englewood, Colorado has developed an inpatient surgical procedure called Fast Tract that makes it easy for otolaryngologists to provide life-extending transtracheal...

Long-Term Data Proves Safety And Efficacy Of GYNECARE TVT Tension-Free Support.(urinary stress incontinence treatment)
September 23, 2001... 2001 SEP 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The first long-term study of GYNECARE TVT Tension-free Support for Incontinence, a minimally invasive surgical option for stress urinary incontinence (SUI), shows that four to six years after...

Horizon Medical Products Introduces New Triumph VTX Port.(vascular access port)
September 23, 2001... 2001 SEP 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Horizon Medical Products, Inc., announced an expansion of its line of vascular access ports featuring the proprietary Vortex (VTX) technology, with the introduction of the new titanium Triumph VTX...

Tissue-Engineered Vascular Graft Receives Product Certification.(SynerGraft Model 100 tissue-engineered vascular graft from CryoLife Inc.)
September 23, 2001... 2001 SEP 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- CryoLife, Inc. announced that it has received a CE (product certification) Mark allowing the commercial distribution of its SynerGraft Model 100 tissue-engineered vascular graft within the...