New Technologies: Diagnoses Using Cell Phones

Created initially to make wireless verbal and then digital communication available to everyone, now cell phones are being used for everything from watching movies to social networking to ordering food and movie tickets and even shopping. The application potentials are limitless and now even medical applications have jumped on the cell phone bandwagon. This means that similar to telemedicine, smart phones can relay important information from remote locations to medical specialists.

For example, frequently occurring, potentially life-threatening conditions such as apnea and pneumothorax can be easily ruled out by performing an ultrasound that visualizes a respiratory motion known as lung sliding. Institutions from around the world collaborated on a study that assessed how economically and practically this information could be obtained remotely over a cellular network. ¹

In this study, remote expert sonographers taught remote providers with little to no ultrasound experience how to obtain the images needed to rule out apnea and pneumothorax. Through the use of handheld ultrasound units streaming images via Skype services on an iPhone, examinations were conducted between a series of remote sites and a base station. These included: two remote on-mountain sites, a small airplane in flight, and a Calgary household, with base sites located in Pisa, Rome, Philadelphia, and Calgary.

In every example, lung sliding could easily and quickly be seen. Furthermore, the respiratory motion was easily substantiated and documented through capture of color-power Doppler and M-mode images. Other ultrasound applications, such as the Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma examination, vascular anatomy, and a fetal wellness assessment were also demonstrated.

In another study, conducted in South Korea, a team of scientists from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science of Technology² demonstrated that touch screen technology can be used to detect biomolecular matter, in a similar way that standard medical tests are now conducted. Rather than spending hours waiting in lines at clinics and hospitals for tests, based on the idea that touch screens work by recognizing electronic signs based on the touch of a finger; the presence of DNA and particular proteins should be recognizable, as well.

 Biochemicals, including proteins and DNA molecules, carry specific electronic charges and touch screens on smart phones work by sensing the electronic charges from the user's body on the screen. The Korean team’s experiments showed that touch screens can recognize the existence and the concentration of DNA molecules placed on them.  They confirmed that touch screens are able to recognize DNA molecules with nearly 100 per cent accuracy just as large, conventional medical equipment can.

Eventually, the hope is that the touch screen will be able to identify bacteria or other disease from fluids as diverse as sputum, blood, saliva or even urine. And if along the way, researchers can find ways to overcome interference from things like sweat, moisture, etc., they'll be on the road to a whole new method of mobile diagnostics. Since putting blood or urine on a touch screen is undesirable, the sample would be placed on a strip, which would then be fed into the phone or a module attached to the phone through a designated entrance point.




1. “Simple, Almost Anywhere, With Almost Anyone: Remote Low-Cost Telementored Resuscitative Lung Ultrasound” The Journal of Trauma – December 2011
2. Dr Hyun-gyu Park and Dr Byongyeon Won - Korea Advanced Institute of Science of Technology - Angewandte Chemie Journal - January 2012

 

 

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Surgical Diathermy

Surgical Diathermy is defined as the therapeutic generation of local heat in body tissues by high-frequency electromagnetic currents. Also known as electrosurgery, surgical diathermy is a frequently used procedure that has been used in medical, dental and veterinary surgery for over two decades. Ultra high-frequency radio waves are transmitted through a fine wire electrode to a flat antenna on a ground plate. Principles of electricity are relevant in the operating room. The electrosurgical generator is the source of the electron flow and voltage. The circuit is composed of the generator, active electrode, patient, and patient return electrode. Pathways to ground are numerous but may include the OR table, stirrups, staff members, and equipment. The patient’s tissue provides the impedance, producing heat as the electrons overcome the impedance.

The high-frequency radio waves pass through tissue and make a precise surgical incision just like a scalpel blade. The surgeon chooses from varying radio waveforms that result in varying degrees of pure cutting to hemostasis.

The advantages of surgical diathermy are fine, precise incisions with hemostasis (a process which causes bleeding to stop). A key advantage is less blood obstructing the surgical field, making the procedure faster and easier.  Though electrosurgery has been with us for decades, few surgeons have received formal training in its potential uses. The incorrect belief that electrosurgery techniques increase scar formation or weaken healing processes, has led surgeons to other methods to deliver energy to the living cell. The “trick” is knowing how to calculate and administer that energy is the challenge.

 

As the technique became more widespread, there was a rise in the number of injuries and complications reported and especially, of burns directly associated with diathermy. These were generated by the increasing use, in the interest of patient safety, of other electrical devices, coupled with ignorance of current flow interactions brought about by the associated use of a variety of medical devices. The potential explosion of combustible gases in anesthesia, endogenous intestinal gas, the induction of arrhythmias and the effect on pacemakers as the result of alternating current frequency, create extra risks in electrosurgery.

Additionally, muscle fibers can be activated by the direct electrical stimulation of diathermy and also by blocked motor endplates. This can lead to contraction of the major muscles, which may in turn be misinterpreted as insufficient anesthesia.

The use of electrosurgical plasma to effect the incisions and coagulation of blood combines the advantages of the scalpel’s cutting precision and conventional  coagulation capability, while minimizing collateral thermal damage. These advantages have been shown to result in stronger healed wound strength, equivalent scarring to a scalpel, reduced serous drainage, and lower inflammatory cell counts in healing incisions.

MedWOW, the global medical equipment marketplace portal, has a wide selection of electrosurgery and surgical diathermy devices from a variety of manufacturers. As the main global eCommerce platform for all kinds of medical equipment, MedWOW features a comprehensive searchable catalogue that allows you to filter for make, manufacturer, continent, condition, price range and seller’s business type. You can currently find many hundreds of electrosurgery units from: Aaron Bovie, ArthroCare, Bard,

Berchtold, Birtcher, Boston Scientific, Cameron-miller, Codman, ConMed,  

Erbe, Eschmann Equipment, Gyrus Acmi, Microvasive, Pentax, Richard Wolf,

Siemens, Storz, Valleylab, Wallach Surgical, Zimmer and many more. 

Shortwave Diathermy Emerges as Treatment of Choice

Diathermy was once the most popular of all rehabilitation modalities and is now, once again, becoming a popular way to treat tissue and muscle disorders.


Diathermy uses high-frequency energy to provide deep heat to tissues. In 1921, Tesla and d'Arsonval won a Nobel Prize for work associated with diathermy to treat various diseases of the body. The method gained a significant following, but by the late 1950s, fell out of favor with most physical therapists and clinicians. 

The reasons for the decline in the popularity of diathermy are many. One was a surge in pharmacological agents that treated many of the conditions indicated for diathermy. In addition, the discovery of therapeutic ultrasound, which is considered a safe alternative to diathermy, also contributed to the near disappearance of diathermy from the rehabilitation scene. 

In addition, many safety issues were raised about diathermy for patients and clinicians. One, in particular, is the possible undesirable effects of shortwave diathermy on pregnancy. Finally, the diathermy equipment was large and difficult to move around, leading clinicians to seek other, more comfortable treatments for their clinics. 

Currently, however, the need for an effective deep heating treatment modality for physical therapy settings and the introduction of modern, more effective and safer diathermy units have led to a resurgence in the use of this method.
Three types of diathermy have been used in rehabilitation: microwave, shortwave and longwave, each being named for its position in the radio frequency continuum. Generally speaking, the longer the wavelength, the deeper the depth of penetration of therapeutic heat, and the more effective the treatment.  

The FCC currently approves frequencies for shortwave diathermy and microwave diathermy for treatment of patients.  Longwave diathermy, which is the oldest of the three types, fell into disfavor during and immediately after World War II, because of the frequent occurrence of electrical burns.
In the current medical equipment market, shortwave diathermy is most popular, since its wavelength offers a deeper, safer more effectively penetrating treatment. 


Shortwave diathermy can increase soft tissue extensibility, decrease pain and muscle spasm, and accelerate collagen tissue repair. Recent studies indicate that diathermy also may stimulate healing in cartilage and bone, as well as collagen. Additionally, it can reduce pain and promote tissue healing. It also can be commonly used to treat patient discomfort. Therefore, pulsed shortwave diathermy often is the treatment of choice. 

MedWOW offers a comprehensive selection of new, used and refurbished shortwave diathermy systems from an array of manufacturers and distributors throughout the world. As the main global eCommerce platform for all kinds of medical equipment, MedWOW features a comprehensive searchable catalogue that allows you to filter for make, manufacturer, continent, condition, price range, seller’s business type, frequency, maximum output and more when looking for the shortwave diathermy device best-suited to your particular medical facility.
 
Currently MedWOW features shortwave diathermy units from the following manufacturers: Birtcher, Bosch, Bosch & Sohn, Chattanooga, Cosmogamma, Ems, Enraf-Nonius, Gaymar Industries, Gbo, Henley, International Electro Medical, Mettler Electronics,  Olympus, Rank Stanley Cox, Siemens, Spacelabs Burdick, Tecar and Tur.

New Medical Uses for Flat Panel Digital X-Ray Technology

Digital flat panel x-ray detectors are an excellent example of how an established technology can enter into a new market. This is apparent in their use in medical imaging, where flat panel digital x-ray technology continues to show great promise in diagnostic and treatment capabilities.

Keeping this in mind, medical imaging has become the focus for flat panel digital applications and solutions, replacing traditional film radiography in hospitals and clinics as it improves efficiency, accuracy and productivity. For example, hospital technicians can position a patient, take an image and review it immediately. The technology takes only minutes to process information that with older technologies took hours or even days, delaying important and even life-saving treatments.

High-performance, flat panel digital x-ray technology is based on amorphous silicon (a-Si) fabricated on a glass substrate, using thin-film processing. An x-ray scintillator, which converts x-rays to visible photons, is grown directly on or is attached to the a-Si panel. These photons are converted into an electrical charge that is, then converted into a digital value for each of several million pixels on the panel to create the final x-ray image.

Flat panel digital x-ray technology not only saves valuable time, but valuable space, as well. Hospitals can often replace two film rooms formerly used in traditional radiography with just one digital unit. In addition, there is no longer a need for expensive and often hazardous chemical processing.

Another related application within the healthcare environment is real-time imaging for diagnosis in cardiology and angiography. In this imaging setting, flat panel digital detectors are universally replacing traditional image intensifiers. Medial professionals can view blood flow in the body in real-time at the rate of 30 images per second. The image from the flat panel digital x-ray detector is much sharper than those created with traditional image intensifiers.

Digital subtraction angiography which is defined as subtracting an image taken without a contrast agent from an image taken with one, is also is more easily achieved using flat panel digital detectors. The subtraction process further emphasizes the vascular system by removing other elements, including bone, from the desired image to be viewed. On the other hand, even this process might be unnecessary as a result of the flat panel digital detector’s capacity in achieving adequate visibility using only one image, by way of using a contrast agent. This is beneficial as it provides a work-flow benefit, as well as lowering the x-ray dosage to the patient.
Flat panel digital detectors also offer patient imaging for radiotherapy systems. Online image acquisition controls the patient’s position during a cancer treatment. Because they distinguish even the smallest contrast differences in bone and tissue, flat panel digital detectors can provide treatment at lower applied doses. Their high frame rates also provide improved treatment methods, such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy.

In diagnostic medical applications, a 1000 × 1000-pixel image at 30 images per second can be achieved. There are detectors available that can produce a 2000 × 2000-pixel image, although some speed is traded for image size. Future applications may require 3-D imaging at the same high speeds, and products that can satisfy such applications are in development. Also, as costs begin to drop for flat panel digital technology, lower-priced, portable x-ray systems may be moved from room-to-room in healthcare settings, saving time and money.

Applications for flat panel digital detectors have increased, and their use in current medical imaging settings continues to grow at a fast pace. Such growth is anticipated to continue to guide the next generation of medical imaging diagnostic treatments.

The MedWOW online marketplace, the only international, multilingual (10 languages, including Chinese) medical equipment portal, offers a large selection of flat panel digital detectors systems and flat panel digital detector parts. You can find flat panel digital detector equipment for sale through MedWOW’s comprehensive online catalogue from: Adani, GE Healthcare, Philips, Shimadzu, Siemens and Toshiba and thousands of flat panel digital x-ray parts made by Camtronics Medical Systems, Esaote, GE Healthcare, Infimed, Philips, Shimadzu, Siemens and Toshiba.

If you don’t find exactly what you are looking for on MedWOW, you can post a free buying request, and as thousands of international sellers use the site daily, you are sure to find the exact model of flat panel digital detector that best suits your clinical setting.

Avoiding Electromagnetic Interference in Hospitals

Over the past 2 decades, there has been remarkable growth in the sources of RF energy. Twenty years ago, people did not have cell phones, pagers, or laptop computers with wireless modems installed.

Over the years, many incidents of suspected electromagnetic interference (EMI) with medical devices have been documented. Defibrillators are one type of medical implant that has had problems due to electromagnetic interference that has been well-documented in medical journals. There is increased concern for the safe and effective use of devices in an environment that has become crowded with potential sources of electromagnetic interference (EMI).

Because of its concern for public health and safety, the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH), which is part of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in the US, has been at the forefront of examining medical device electromagnetic interference and providing solutions. Extensive laboratory testing by CDRH and others has revealed that many medical devices can be susceptible to problems caused by EMI.

According to the CDRH, the key to addressing electromagnetic interference (EMI) is the recognition that it involves not only the device itself, but also the environment in which it is used, and anything that may come into that environment. More than anything else, the concern with EMI must be viewed as a systems problem requiring a systems approach. In this case, the solution requires the involvement of the medical device industry, the EM source industry (e.g., power industry, telecommunications industry), and the clinical user and patient.

The public must also play a part in the overall approach to recognizing and dealing with EMI. Electromagnetic compatibility, or EMC, is essentially the opposite of EMI. EMC means that the device is compatible with (i.e., no interference caused by) its EM environment, and it does not emit levels of EM energy that cause EMI in other devices in the vicinity. The wide variation of medical devices and use environments makes them vulnerable to different forms of EM energy which can cause EMI: conducted, radiated, and electrostatic discharge (ESD). Further, EMI problems with medical devices can be very complex, not only from the technical standpoint but also from the view of public health issues and solutions.

 It is important to make sure you have the right kind of EMI/RFI filtering for your medical devices and hospital equipment. RFI filters play an especially important role in high-frequency and medical equipment applications. The typical frequency filtered is 10,000Hz to 30,000,000Hz for noise picked up and conducted through external wires or power cords. 30,000,000Hz to 1GHz is the frequency filtered for noise that is radiating and being picked up through the air. Low-leakage filters are used for medical equipment and devices, as they provide low levels of leakage current to meet patient safety requirements.

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) and Radio Frequency interference (RFI) are disturbances that can affect the electrical circuit because of electromagnetic induction or electromagnetic radiation from external sources. These disturbances can interrupt, degrade and/or limit the performance of the circuit itself. Many countries have requirements for products to meet Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) standards.

MedWOW, the multilingual global medical equipment platform, offers medical equipment professionals a selection of RFI filters for a variety of different devices. If there is a particular RFI filter or part that you can’t find in MedWOW’s international inventories, you can post an RFI filter request or take advantage of MedWOW’s efficient part finder service. Currently filters are available from Siemens, GE Healthcare, Philips and more.

Remote High Dose Rate (HDR) Afterload Brachytherapy for Precision

Remote high dose rate (HDR) afterload brachytherapy is a highly-effective outpatient option that minimizes harmful side effects of oncology treatment, significantly reduces treatment and recovery times and most importantly, minimizes recurrence of many types of cancer. Brachytherapy is the standard term used for a radioactive source applied in or near a tumor. Brachy means near and therapy means treatment.

Brachytherapy is delivered by placing the radiation sources (Ir192) near the tumor. A multichannel Microselectron HDR with TCS remote afterload system is a dedicated machine which delivers radiation in and around the tumor. Brachytherapy can be used in the following:

• Intracavitary for cancer of the cervix and uterus
• Intraluminal for esophagus and bronchus cancer
• Interstitial for breast cancer, soft tissue sarcoma (after initial surgery), prostate and pancreatic tumors
• Surface mold for superficial cancers, especially skin cancer

These procedures may require anesthesia, a surgical procedure and a brief stay in the hospital. Patients with permanent implants may have a few restrictions at first and then can quickly return to their normal activities. Temporary implants are left inside the patient's body for minutes, hours or days, as indicated.

Remote high dose rate (HDR) afterload brachytherapy involves the remote placement of the powerful radiation source, accurately directed by the radiation oncologist and team, into the tumor for several minutes through a catheter. It is usually given in multiple doses once or twice daily or once or twice weekly. The doctor and team control the remote high dose rate (HDR) afterload brachytherapy treatment from outside the treatment room, monitoring the patient as the therapy is being given. The high-dose-rate remote afterloading machines allow radiation oncologists to deliver a brachytherapy treatment quickly, in about 10 to 20 minutes. The patient can usually go home shortly after the procedure.

Most patients feel little discomfort during remote high dose rate (HDR) afterload brachytherapy. If the radioactive source is held in place with an applicator, the only discomfort during the procedure may come from the  applicator.

Depending on the type of remote high dose rate (HDR) afterload brachytherapy given, the patient may need to take some precautions following treatment.

Remote high dose rate (HDR) afterload brachytherapy may be used alone or in conjunction with external radiation treatments.

MedWOW, the multilingual global medical equipment platform, offers a buyers a selection of remote high dose rate (HDR) afterload brachytherapy  units for sale from inventories all over the world. Currently featuring remote high dose rate (HDR) afterload brachytherapy units from Varian and Nucletron Oldelft, with more being added all the time,   locating even difficult-to-find items is easier than ever.

If there is a particular Remote high dose rate (HDR) afterload brachytherapy system or part that you can’t find in MedWOW’s representative inventories, you can post a request or take advantage of any of MedWOW’s location services.

A New Medical Imaging Technology: Terahertz Radiation

Terahertz technologies harness sub-millimeter-wave radiation at frequencies from 0.1 to 10 terahertz, known as t-rays, corresponding to the spectrum between the infrared and microwave bands. Many scientists regard t-rays as the last great frontier of the electromagnetic spectrum, but finding “killer” applications outside the traditional niches of radio astronomy, Earth and planetary remote sensing, and molecular spectroscopy—particularly in biomedical imaging — has been relatively slow.

Residing at the lower end of the electromagnetic spectrum, t-rays behave like radio waves. When excited, they propagate and focus via traditional quasi-optical techniques, but utilize lenses typically made of low-loss plastics or crystals rather than the glasses prevalent at optical wavelengths.

Radiologists find this area of study fascinating, because t-rays are non-ionizing, which suggests no harm is done to tissue or DNA. They also offer the possibility of performing spectroscopic measurements over a very wide frequency range, and can even capture very broad signatures from liquids and solids. In some non-biomedical applications, t-rays have already yielded impressive gains, such as: airport security, protecting valuable art, detecting surface cracks in space flights, improving telecommunications and more.

Terahertz t-rays have traditionally been used to detect lightweight molecules and atoms. Until now, nearly a dozen spaceflight instruments have measured these signatures, which are critical tracers for such processes as ozone depletion, global warming, and pollution monitoring, as well as in furthering research in basic astrophysics, planetary composition, and cosmology.

Terahertz radiation has key strengths, but also limitations. Most notably, t-rays cannot penetrate water or metal. Some terahertz frequencies can penetrate fatty tissue a few millimeters thick, leading some researchers to speculate about their use in detecting epithelial cancer.

Terahertz-radiation imaging is just one of several methods under investigation for use in detecting early cancer of the GI tract. However, these findings open up exciting new medical applications for Terahertz technology. With further development the goal of the professional imaging community is for the technology to be used during endoscopic and surgical procedures to enable complete removal of diseased tissues. Further work is required to fully understand the contrast between diseased and healthy tissue.

MedWOW, the multilingual, global medical equipment eCommerce marketplace, features a huge variety of new and used imaging equipment. MedWOW’s comprehensive catalogue facilities easy buying and selling of every category of medical equipment: both complete systems and hospital parts.
MedWOW provides a number of methods to guarantee that you get the very best imaging equipment at the best price, with all the features you need. MedWOW attracts international sellers of imaging, so you have a wider range of competitive offers. You can also take advantage of the Market Value Calculator tool, which gives you high, low and average prices for all types of new and used imaging equipment.