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VMW Monthly -
July 2004
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ISSN 1388-722X
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IST 2004
November 15-17, 2004, The Hague, The Netherlands
This year's edition of the European Commission's most important Information Society Technologies (IST) event is designed in co-operation with the Dutch Presidency. The title of IST 2004 is "Participate in your future", with "People" and "Economy" as the main themes. This year the event will bring together not only researchers and companies, but also politicians and interested citizens of Europe.
IST 2004 will include a conference, networking facilities, an exhibition of research results and the IST Prize Village. The IST 2004 exhibition will be open to demonstrations of IST research projects from across Europe. It will comprise around 150 stands.
More info is available at the IST 2004 Web site.
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Virtual Medical Worlds is a monthly Virtual Magazine on Telemedicine and High Performance Computing and Networking for readers interested in computer applications in medical environments. VMW is produced by an editorial team composed of professionals in publishing, and an advisory board with professionals in telemedicine, providing the embedding into the everyday practice and research. Check out the VMW Web site for the calendar of events, the various services, and the friendly advertising rates.
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Breaking news - just a click away:
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Contents
July 2004
Issue
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| Cross-Atlantic state-of-the-art |
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| University of Toronto's Innovations Foundation commercializes promising cancer therapeutic
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| Sleep deficits do not hinder learning in surgical residents, according to Temple University researchers
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| NuVasive introduces new treatment advance for spine surgery at UCSD Medical Center
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| Video teleconferencing extends scarce paediatric diabetes specialist care
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| Meridian Holdings' CGI Communications Services subsidiary inks joint marketing and teaming agreement with Telemedicine Reference Center Ltd.
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| Grid for Health |
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| Vita Nuova supplies Inferno Grid to Evotec OAI to speed drug discovery process
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| Roche Diagnostics and Entelos receive Best Practices Award from Bio-IT World for predictive biosimulation
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| Health providing customers embrace EqualLogic's self-managing approach to IP SAN consolidation
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| Emory Healthcare benefits from Egenera's recently earned Oracle Certified Partner status
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| Callidus Software and IBM expand global strategic alliance to deliver incentive compensation solutions to the pharmaceutical industry
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| Healthcare compunetics |
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| Quest Diagnostics enters into agreement with Express Scripts to provide physicians with enhanced e-Prescribing capabilities
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| MobiHealth forms strategic alliance with Medco Health Solutions to connect physicians, patients, pharmacies and health care plans
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| PDSHeart moves aggressively into the Northeast for cardiac testing by acquiring part of TransMedEx
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| Misys Laboratory-Collection Manager uses handheld technolgoy to augment care delivery and enhance patient safety
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| Zix Corporation partners with SureScripts for e-Prescribing connectivity between pharmacies and physicians
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| Industrial Chemist's Corner |
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| Innovative operation room concept CORE integrated with VEPRO PACS
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| Cedara Software announces partnership with Medipattern Corporation to fight breast cancer
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| Siemens introduces new hybrid imaging product line at Society of Nuclear Medicine Conference 2004
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| Siemens launches 64-slice Computed Tomography scanner with enhanced performance for heart examinations
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| 1600 general practitioners and 750 pharmacists service six million Dutch patients through BEA WebLogic Platform 8.1
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| Planet Europe in Action |
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| EU-funded MEDICATE system ensures that patients follow their prescription
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| Sananet B.V. begins Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease pilot in Utrecht and Nieuwegein
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| Sheffield University computer cluster to help heart health and cancer patients
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| Frost and Sullivan sees achieving true continuity of care as vital to growth of European electronic medical records market
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| Italian researchers to develop and test wireless patient monitoring system
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| The 21st century hospital |
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| Texas Health Resources signs multimillion-dollar contract to expand Misys Radiology enterprise-wide
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| Henry Ford Hospital creates operating room of the future with 3D technology taking robotic surgery to new levels
|
| Integris Heart Hospital and Halifax Medical Center select Vericis from Camtronics for cardiovascular image and information management
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| OSF Healthcare System continues successful roll-out of IDX Carecast
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| Health care centres in Florida and Mississippi select Verity LiquidOffice to improve speed and efficiency of operations
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| Virtual snap shots |
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| Joint venture between IATRA Life Sciences and P2P Health Systems Inc. will not proceed
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| Queensland lecturer invents system to treat patients over the Internet via Web cam
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| Harborview Medical Center adopts Trestle technology to facilitate intra-operative consultations
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| First robotic heart operations performed in the southern hemisphere at Monash University in Australia
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| Estco Medical launches new Web site and resource centre for eHealth Initiative
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| VMWC news bites |
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| University of Ulster to develop a Virtual Reality technique for victims of stroke
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| Computer-assisted navigation positioning systems help orthopaedic surgeons perfect minimally invasive joint replacement surgery
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| Miniature SpineAssist robot for spinal surgery receives FDA approval
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| Virtual reality significantly reduces pain-related brain activity, as University of Washington study shows
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| Fluid dynamics research at Mississippi State University aids development of children's artificial heart
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Leads
July 2004
Issue
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| Cross-Atlantic state-of-the-art |
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| University of Toronto's Innovations Foundation commercializes promising cancer therapeutic
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|  | The University of Toronto Innovations Foundation (UTIF), University of Toronto's Commercialization Office, has entered into an exclusive agreement with LISI Therapeutics Inc., granting LISI sole rights to the patented technology, Verotoxin (VT-1). Discovered by Dr. Hannah Farkas-Himsley, University of Toronto; Dr. Cliff Lingwood, The Hospital for Sick Children; and Dr. Richard Hill, University Health Network, VT-1 is a member of the family of shiga toxins that targets cancer cells through its dual action structure identifying, and selectively killing cancer cells. VT-1 targets the Gb3 receptors expressed on the cell surface of certain types of cancer, such as ovarian, breast and brain cancer.
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| Sleep deficits do not hinder learning in surgical residents, according to Temple University researchers
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| | Last year, United States federal mandates capped the resident's work week at 80 hours, reducing the amount of time spent in the operating room and in the hospital treating patients. To insure that residents still gain the necessary skills, medical educators have had to adapt teaching methods and are increasingly turning to virtual training techniques and laboratories.
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| NuVasive introduces new treatment advance for spine surgery at UCSD Medical Center
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| | NuVasive Inc.'s new, minimally disruptive procedure is being performed at UCSD Medical Center to provide relief to those who suffer from back pain. The procedure, called Extreme Lateral Interbody
Infusion (XLIF), is currently being performed by William Taylor, M.D., Neurosurgeon, Division of Neurosurgery, UCSD Medical Center. |
| Video teleconferencing extends scarce paediatric diabetes specialist care
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| | An innovative programme that uses videoconferencing to bring paediatric diabetes specialists to families in underserved areas of Florida was introduced at the American Diabetes Association's 64th Annual Scientific Sessions. |
| Meridian Holdings' CGI Communications Services subsidiary inks joint marketing and teaming agreement with Telemedicine Reference Center Ltd.
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| | Meridian Holdings Inc.'s CGI Communications Services Inc. subsidiary, has entered into a teaming and joint marketing agreement with Telemedicine Reference Center Ltd. (TRCL), located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Under the terms of the agreement, both companies will jointly market and promote to current and prospective customers the sale of their complementary and compatible products for use in telehealth and telemedicine, as well as supporting the pursuit of mutually advantageous business opportunities, in the global telemedicine arena. |
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| Grid for Health |
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| Vita Nuova supplies Inferno Grid to Evotec OAI to speed drug discovery process
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| | Vita Nuova has supplied its Inferno Grid technology to Evotec OAI AG, a partner for integrated high value-added drug discovery and development solutions to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Evotec OAI is using the Inferno Grid to further speed up the drug discovery process. Around 250 of the company's PCs are connected to the Grid so that their spare computing cycles can be put to profitable use. A further 150 computers will be added in the near future.
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| Roche Diagnostics and Entelos receive Best Practices Award from Bio-IT World for predictive biosimulation
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| | The collaboration between Entelos Inc. and Roche Diagnostics using the Entelos PhysioLab technology for diagnostic test simulation and biomarker identification received a Best Practices Award from Bio-IT World Magazine. The award is designed to recognize innovative uses of life science
and information technologies aimed at streamlining and accelerating the drug discovery research and development process. |
| Health providing customers embrace EqualLogic's self-managing approach to IP SAN consolidation
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| | EqualLogic Inc., a provider of iSCSI-based, self-managing networked storage solutions, has surpassed the 100th customer deployment of its award-winning PeerStorage Array 100E. EqualLogic's 100th customer, Johnson Health Network (JHN) has installed EqualLogic's PeerStorage platform to consolidate and manage primary storage for a rapidly growing data centre and to create a comprehensive back-up and recovery plan for its network of health care operators.
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| Emory Healthcare benefits from Egenera's recently earned Oracle Certified Partner status
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| | Egenera Inc., specialized in utility computing, has been granted the status of Certified Partner in the Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN). Oracle reserves the status of Certified Partner for companies that have demonstrated a high level of Oracle product understanding and technical knowledge, as well as an ongoing commitment to Oracle solutions. This elevated designation helps ensure that Egenera customers receive new levels of reliability, performance and support for Oracle products running on the Egenera BladeFrame system.
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| Callidus Software and IBM expand global strategic alliance to deliver incentive compensation solutions to the pharmaceutical industry
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| | Callidus Software, specialized in Enterprise Incentive Management (EIM), and IBM have signed a global strategic alliance to deliver comprehensive incentive compensation solutions to the pharmaceutical and life sciences markets. This initiative builds on Callidus and IBM's existing alliance and track record of success with customers in the insurance, banking and telecommunications industries. Callidus Software and IBM offer life sciences customers comprehensive and industry-specific incentive compensation solutions that align employee and channel partner performance with corporate objectives.
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| Healthcare compunetics |
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| Quest Diagnostics enters into agreement with Express Scripts to provide physicians with enhanced e-Prescribing capabilities
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| | Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, a provider of diagnostic laboratory testing, information and services, has entered into an agreement with Express Scripts, one of the largest pharmacy benefit management companies in North America, to provide physicians with on-line access to Express Scripts' pharmacy benefit management services. The electronic prescribing, or e-Prescribing services, will be available through Quest Diagnostics' eMaxx electronic health record, developed by MedPlus, the health care information technology subsidiary of Quest Diagnostics. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. |
| MobiHealth forms strategic alliance with Medco Health Solutions to connect physicians, patients, pharmacies and health care plans
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| | MobiHealth Inc., a provider of wireless clinical solutions and premier technology firm offering cutting-edge solutions to the health care industry, has formed a strategic alliance with Medco Health Solutions Inc., one of the United States' largest pharmacy benefit managers. Through the new alliance, MobiHealth will connect with Medco via RxHub LLC, facilitating an electronic data exchange enabling health care practitioners who use MobiHealth's m-Rx clinical prescription software to link to pharmacies, pharmacy benefit managers and health plans.
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| PDSHeart moves aggressively into the Northeast for cardiac testing by acquiring part of TransMedEx
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| | PDSHeart Inc., specialized in the delivery of cardiac telemedicine, has acquired the cardiac event, holter and pacemaker monitoring business of TransMedEx LLC, of Long Island, New York. The move continues PDSHeart's expansion of its cardiac monitoring services in the Northeast, combining its commitment to quality and technological expertise with the long-standing reputation of TransMedEx for premium remote cardiac monitoring services.
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| Misys Laboratory-Collection Manager uses handheld technolgoy to augment care delivery and enhance patient safety
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| | Misys Healthcare Systems, an expert in health care information technology, has made available the Misys Laboratory-Collection Manager. The clinical lab software application uses handheld technology devices to assist health care professionals in automating specimen collection and print labelling at the bedside. The result is increased accuracy of patient identification, specimen data entry and tube labelling at the point of care leading to improved outcomes, reduced errors and enhanced patient safety. |
| Zix Corporation partners with SureScripts for e-Prescribing connectivity between pharmacies and physicians
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| | SureScripts, a private company founded by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores and the National Community Pharmacists Association, signed an agreement to connect ZixCorp's PocketScript e-prescribing system to its SureScripts Messenger Services, the largest national e-prescribing network to link physician office applications and pharmacy management software. The arrangement provides direct, two-way communication between pharmacists and PocketScript-enabled physicians via computer or handheld devices. This computer-to-computer arrangement, enabled by the SureScripts' network, improves communication, including new prescriptions and renewal authorizations, by eliminating time-consuming phone calls and fax communications.
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| Industrial Chemist's Corner |
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| Innovative operation room concept CORE integrated with VEPRO PACS
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| | A modern operation room has been equipped with a multiplicity of highly developed and specialized devices. Endoscopic camera systems, HF devices, insufflators and lights are only a few examples. Due to the complexity, the handling of the devices often proves to be difficult and can become an additional exposure for physicians and personnel during an interference. The RICHARD WOLF GmbH, innovation carrier in the minimal invasive surgery, recognized this problem already early and realized with the PACS of the VEPRO AG an innovative complete operation room concept "CORE" - complete operating room endoscopy, which can be simply implemented for the endoscopy. Thus the two experts aimed at ensuring a fatigue-freer working to the surgeon and an operational sequence optimization for the well-being of the patient.
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| Cedara Software announces partnership with Medipattern Corporation to fight breast cancer
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| | Cedara Software Corporation, an independent developer of medical software technologies for the global health care market, has signed a strategic partnership with Medipattern Corporation. Under the terms of the partnership agreement Cedara will be the exclusive global channel for Medipattern's breast ultrasound computer aided diagnosis (CAD) and detection technology. Cedara will use its extensive industry contacts to promote and market this technology to medical imaging companies worldwide. Cedara will also integrate Medipattern's CAD technology into its existing families of mammography and ultrasound products and will market these directly with end-users such as hospitals, imaging centres, radiologists and physicians. |
| Siemens introduces new hybrid imaging product line at Society of Nuclear Medicine Conference 2004
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| | Siemens Medical Solutions has unveiled a new concept in hybrid imaging technology at the 51st annual meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNM), held June 19-23, 2004 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The new TruePoint Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography-Computed Tomography (SPECT-CT) technology is the first to combine the functional sensitivity of SPECT with the rich, anatomical detail of diagnostic multi-slice CT, providing clinicians with true imaging clarity and diagnostic confidence. |
| Siemens launches 64-slice Computed Tomography scanner with enhanced performance for heart examinations
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| | Siemens Medical Solutions has introduced the SOMATOM Sensation Cardiac 64, the first 64-slice computed tomography (CT) scanner particularly optimized for cardiac, thoracic and vascular imaging, at the Stanford University's 6th Annual International Symposium on Multidetector-Row CT. With a standard gantry rotation speed of 0,33 seconds, the new scanner routinely achieves a temporal resolution up to 83 milliseconds (ms), and thus facilitates scanning of patients even with
higher heart rates, virtually freezing the heart's motion. |
| 1600 general practitioners and 750 pharmacists service six million Dutch patients through BEA WebLogic Platform 8.1
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| | PharmaPartners B.V., one of the largest independent software vendors (ISVs) in health care in The Netherlands, has selected BEA WebLogic Platform 8.1 as the foundation for its technological infrastructure, eHealth Information Concept, which can allow approximately 1600 general
practitioners, 750 pharmacies and 50 health centres in The Netherlands to communicate and collaborate seamlessly. |
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| Planet Europe in Action |
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| EU-funded MEDICATE system ensures that patients follow their prescription
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| | Strange as it may seem, many people fail to take the medications prescribed by their doctor. To help patients comply with their medication regimes, MEDICATE uses dispensers with intelligent labels that communicate with a server. Non-compliance, in other words not following medication regimes, is a serious problem: the patient's symptoms persist, and the medications are wasted, as is the doctor's time spent diagnosing the condition. In the United Kingdom alone, the waste is estimated at 120 billion euro. |
| Sananet B.V. begins Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease pilot in Utrecht and Nieuwegein
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| | Patients in The Netherlands are now using Health Hero Network Inc.'s Health Buddy system as part of a Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) pilot programme. Patients in the programme were selected from hospitals in Utrecht (Mesos Medisch Centrum) and Nieuwegein (St. Antonius Ziekenhuis). The pilot is the result of a joint effort between Sananet B.V., Epping Consultancy, Stichting Rhijnhuysen, Nederlands Astma Fonds, and Health Hero Network. The Netherlands was selected as the site for Health Hero Network's first international pilot based on its progressive medical system, which is receptive to technological advances in health care.
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| Sheffield University computer cluster to help heart health and cancer patients
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| | A new computer cluster funded by the University of Sheffield and located within the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, will help scientists to improve their understanding of how human cells and organs work. This will ultimately lead to more effective ways of treating cardiovascular disease and cancer as well as other diseases. It will also eventually allow doctors to tailor treatment in a way specific to that patient rather than a "one-size-fits-all" approach.
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| Frost and Sullivan sees achieving true continuity of care as vital to growth of European electronic medical records market
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| | The overwhelming need for cost-effective and high-quality health care delivery is motivating the implementation of IT solutions such as the electronic medical records (EMR) system. But while EMR systems undoubtedly offer multiple benefits, their potential is likely to remain unfulfilled unless true continuity in terms of information exchange is attained. Misdiagnosis due to incomplete medical information and extended hospital stays caused by complications from adverse drug events (ADEs) have resulted in considerable financial losses for the European health care industry. As efforts are made to reduce error rates and increase levels of patient safety, IT solutions such as the EMR are emerging as enablers of high-quality, cost-effective health care delivery.
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| Italian researchers to develop and test wireless patient monitoring system
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| | Researchers, who have written an article in BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making 2004, 4:7, have developed and tested a wireless patient monitoring system that could help detect patient suffering at a distance. Keeping up-to-date with a patient's condition once they have left hospital can help doctors to "detect patient suffering earlier and to activate a well-timed intervention".
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| The 21st century hospital |
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| Texas Health Resources signs multimillion-dollar contract to expand Misys Radiology enterprise-wide
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| | Texas Health Resources (THR) has signed a multimillion-dollar agreement to extend the Misys Radiology information system (RIS) across inpatient and ambulatory settings to streamline access to medical imaging reports and diagnostic data enterprise-wide. THR is one of the largest faith-based, nonprofit health care delivery systems in the United States and serves more than 5,4 million people in north central Texas. The 13-hospital system includes the Harris Methodist, Presbyterian and Arlington Memorial hospitals of North Texas. |
| Henry Ford Hospital creates operating room of the future with 3D technology taking robotic surgery to new levels
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| | Henry Ford Hospital has designed and built a new operating room with three-dimensional technology that takes modern robotic surgery to new levels. Surgical teams are now performing robotic surgery for prostate cancer with enhanced efficiency, comfort and communication using this unique technology. Aided by two 60-inch by 80-inch flat projection screens, advanced lighting, and a data monitoring and intercom system, the entire surgical team works in 3D wearing special polarized glasses. |
| Integris Heart Hospital and Halifax Medical Center select Vericis from Camtronics for cardiovascular image and information management
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| | The Integris Heart Hospital at Integris Baptist Medical Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and the Halifax Medical Center (HMC), Daytona Beach, Florida have selected Vericis, developed by Camtronics Medical Systems Ltd., a subsidiary of Analogic Corporation, for cardiovascular image and information management. Integris Baptist is the flagship of 15-hospital Integris Health, Oklahoma's largest not-for-profit health care system. HMC is recipient of a HealthGrades 2004 Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence award. Its cardiology programme earned a HealthGrades five-star rating, placing it among the top five percent of cardiology programmes
nationwide. |
| OSF Healthcare System continues successful roll-out of IDX Carecast
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| | With a successful technology activation at the 254-bed OSF Saint Anthony's Medical Center in Rockford, Illinois, earlier this month, OSF Healthcare System is now live on IDX Carecast at five of its six hospitals located in Illinois and Michigan. The large health care organisation, which employs over 10.000 people and serves a population of 1,5 million in its six service areas, is approaching a paperless environment through the use of Carecast, the enterprise clinical system provided by IDX Systems Corporation. OSF is deploying Carecast to support organisation-wide electronic medical records and on-line charting by clinicians. In addition, the organisation is deploying Carecast's integrated patient accounting capabilities to support a clinically-automated revenue cycle by automatically creating billing information from clinical events. |
| Health care centres in Florida and Mississippi select Verity LiquidOffice to improve speed and efficiency of operations
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| | Two very different health care facilities have opted to deploy the Verity LiquidOffice Web-based business process automation software. Verity partner and systems integrator MedSeek facilitated the
implementation of this Web-based eHealth solution at both health care centres. One, the Rush Foundation Hospital, is the hub of a health care delivery system serving east Mississippi and west Alabama through a network of 29 clinics, several in rural areas. The other is University Community Health (UCH), a network of four hospitals serving Florida's Tampa metropolitan area. |
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| Virtual snap shots |
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| Joint venture between IATRA Life Sciences and P2P Health Systems Inc. will not proceed
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| | Due to various business and economic factors, IATRA Life Sciences and P2P Health Systems Inc. have agreed not to proceed with the formation of a joint venture to develop and commercialize P2P's diagnostic telehealth and telemedicine technologies. IATRA had announced the signing of a Letter of Intent regarding this proposed joint venture on May 4, 2004. |
| Queensland lecturer invents system to treat patients over the Internet via Web cam
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| | Dr. Trevor Russell, a software creator and University of Queensland physiotherapy lecturer, has invented a system to treat patients over the Internet via Web cam. His telemedicine rehabilitation package is for people in country towns or isolated areas who would normally be without physiotherapy. Patients and physiotherapists can see and hear each other in real-time using a camera and standard dial-up Internet connection. The software allows physiotherapists to guide their patients to administer their own physical assessments and treatment.
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| Harborview Medical Center adopts Trestle technology to facilitate intra-operative consultations
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| | Harborview Medical Center (HMC), a 368-bed patient care, teaching and research facility located in Seattle, has purchased MedMicro, a live digital imaging product, developed by Trestle Holdings Inc., a supplier of digital imaging and telemedicine applications. HMC, managed by the University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC), will use MedMicro to connect its neuropathology lab to the Internet, allowing HMC neuropathologists to interactively view and navigate slides in real-time from any remote location with Internet access. |
| First robotic heart operations performed in the southern hemisphere at Monash University in Australia
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| | Monash University Department of Surgery staff have made history by performing the first robotic heart operations in the southern hemisphere. Senior lecturers Mr. Aubrey Almeida and Mr. Randall Moshinsky, both experienced cardiac surgeons, have performed more than a dozen operations in the past few months using the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System, a highly sophisticated device that allows complex operations through a 4 cm incision.
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| Estco Medical launches new Web site and resource centre for eHealth Initiative
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| | Estco Medical has launched a revamped Web site for eHealth Initiative. EHealth Initiative and its Foundation are focused on the improvement of health care through information and information
technology. Estco redesigned the look and feel of the site and incorporated Medigent Content Management System (CMS) Version 2.5. The CMS allows eHealth to update and maintain the site navigation and incorporate the latest news, events and industry information. Additionally, the site features membership applications, on-line newsletters, information sign ups and serves
as the main portal to eHealth's subgroups. |
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| VMWC news bites |
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| University of Ulster to develop a Virtual Reality technique for victims of stroke
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| | Researchers from the University of Ulster and the Royal Hospitals have developed revolutionary techniques to help people with stroke regain use of their upper limbs, with the help of virtual reality. The School of Rehabilitation Sciences, in conjunction with the School of Computing and Information Engineering and staff from the Stroke Unit at the Royal Hospitals, has launched a pilot study employing a low cost, virtual reality system, which allows people with stroke to be immersed in a virtual world. |
| Computer-assisted navigation positioning systems help orthopaedic surgeons perfect minimally invasive joint replacement surgery
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| | Rush University Medical Center, USA, is among the first hospitals in the country to use a computer-assisted navigation system in orthopaedic joint replacement surgery. The image-guided navigation system is similar to the location and directional tracking systems used for cars and ships today. It is, in effect, a global positioning system (GPS) for the surgeon. Informative positioning calculations are displayed on a graphically intuitive screen, which dynamically changes with the individual patient's anatomy. |
| Miniature SpineAssist robot for spinal surgery receives FDA approval
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| | A miniature robot for fail-proof spinal procedures has received FDA approval. Named SpineAssist, the
robot is the brainchild of Technion-Israel Institute of Technology Mechanical Engineering Professor Moshe Shoham. It will be manufactured and marketed by Mazor Surgical Technologies, the company founded by Professor Shoham in 2001. |
| Virtual reality significantly reduces pain-related brain activity, as University of Washington study shows
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| | Virtual reality appears to dramatically change how the brain physically registers pain, not just how people subjected to pain perceive the incoming signals, according to a new study by a group of University of Washington researchers. The work, which used a specialized type of magnetic resonance imaging to track pain-related brain activity, showed drops of as much as 97 percent in such activity in some brain centres. The study marks the first time that scientists have documented a link between virtual reality and pain reduction in terms of an actual physiological response. |
| Fluid dynamics research at Mississippi State University aids development of children's artificial heart
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| | A Mississippi State University (MSU) scientist is playing a key role in a national research effort to develop an artificial heart small enough for use in children and infants. Mechanical engineer Greg Burgreen, an authority in computational fluid dynamics, is concentrating on the "complexities of blood flow" as part of a Jarvik Heart/University of Maryland project to design implantable ventricular assist devices for children.
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© 2004, Genias Benelux
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