In order to help surgeons perform image-guided open and minimal-invasive spinal surgery, Royal Philips works on an surgical navigation technology based on augmented-reality.
According to a company statement, the technology is significant for cranial and trauma surgeries, pediatric spine surgery, and thoracic spine fusion surgery in adults. Because the thoracic spine is located in the mid- to upper part of the back, the vertebrae are smaller than that of the lower lumbar spine. This makes thoracic fusion surgery more difficult and risky for the surrounding nerves and tissue.
In a preclinical study, more accuracy in placing screws in spines of cadavers, was obtained by neurosurgeons using augmented reality. The accuracy rate of pedicle screw placement in thoracic cadavers’ spines versus freehand placement was increased from 64% to 85% according to the study result.
Less complications are implied by better accuracy according to the business leader of image-guided therapy systems at the company located in Amsterdam.
Since the release of Google Glass in 2013, surgical applications for augmented and virtual reality have gained attention. A London surgeon and the co-inventor of a VR company used the low-cost VR system Google Cardboard to livestream a procedure removing a colon tumor from a patient in April 2016.
In order to add its latest technology, for clinical trials scheduled at about 10 global testing sites, together with its existing low-dose X-ray systems, Philips will need regulatory approval. After full approval by FDA and EU, Philips can expand its use to countless hospitals around the world.
To image the surface of the patient a high-resolution optical camera is placed on a flat X-ray device. The technology constructs a 3D augmented reality vision of the internal and external anatomy, by combining the internal 3D X-ray view and the external camera view. This actual 3D image of the spine of the patient improves procedure planning, surgical tool navigation, accuracy of the implant, and reduces procedure time.
Especially in cranial surgery the technology could be useful, because of brain shape change after releasing the pressure in opening of the cranium. This makes actual images more important than pre-surgical MRI or CT scan images.
Because of the extensive experience in the field of designing image guiding systems Philips needs to tailor them to specific procedures. Starting with spinal surgery, fine tuning the system for trauma surgery will follow, and in the future there is the possibility of the system assisting in brain surgery.
A real innovative surface technology, known as the Sharklet, has been introduced by Sharklet Technolgies Inc. This surface design is inspired by the skin of a shark and reduces bacterial growth without causing resistance, and thus helps protecting for damaging biofilms and microorganisms.
The shark skin technology consists of a series of micro-sized bars interlocking in a diamond pattern. The most important and unique feature of the material is that bacteria accumulation is prevented purely by its surface structure and no chemicals have to be added.
The technology will be mainly used for hospital surface coatings and medical devices.
For which products the Sharklet micropattern design could be beneficial are momentarily being evaluated. Sharklet Technologies has currently partnered up with a medical device firm from China in order to clinically test the micropattern surface technology. This Chinese firm called Peaceful Union wants to advance developing the Sharklet for medical purposes and the surface is now going to clinical trial.
The Sharklet micropattern has shown promising results in clinical pilot studies for further products in the near future.
Sharklet Technologies created the Sharklet in 2007 when a research started about prevention of the coating by algae of marine surfaces, like Naval ships, led to the shark skin pattern. By researching which marine animals skin were not fouling, the unique structure of the sharks skin became apparent.
By experimenting the skin structure was transformed in the Sharklet pattern, It was discovered that no bacterial biofilms were forming on the sharklet pattern and this lead to discovering that no E. coli bacteria were sticking to the pattern and this led to Sharklet Technologies Inc.
The conventional way of killing microorganisms by using disinfectants and antibiotics has led to the creation of resistant bacteria like MRSA for instance. This makes new strategies for managing bacterial growth necessary. By the prevention of bacterial accumulation and growth to begin with, the Sharklet is the perfect solution for this problem.
Friday the 19. May the first patient was treated using the high-field MR-guided linear accelerator (MR-Linac) at the University Medical Center (UMC) in Utrecht/Netherlands. This latest radiotherapy device provide accurate and actual visual images enabling precise irradiation with minimal damage to surrounding tissue even in case of a moving tumor while treating.
This MR-Linac system, installed by Elektra and Royal Philips, is emerging as a promising appliance in the field of oncology, for locating and quantifying the tumor tissue, for planning the appropriate therapy, for treatment guidance and therapy evaluation.
According to The Netherlands Cancer Institute, precise and correct dose of radiation is potentially reducing side effects of radiation sessions and improves the quality of life, and ultimately regulating the radiation dose increases tumor control ability.
By combining a MRI device and a radiation device, cancer patients would need less radiation because of the greater effectiveness of the radiation. A further great advantage is that less healthy surrounding tissue is affected by the radiation.
The new device, developed by some Utrecht professors, is currently being tested on people for the first time, after its development period of 18 years. Groundbreaking the experts call this new device and it is expected to be used in hospitals and cancer centers and clinics on a word-wide scale in future. Showing crystal clear images during the treatment, the device can accurately irradiate the tumor, even when moving while the patient is breathing for instance. In this way the treatment can be adjusted to the patient while being in the device. The irradiation times can be lowered so the patient does not have to spend so much time at the hospital.
The experimental irradiation method is currently applied to five patients with bone tumors. When this radiation turns out to be successful, patients with tumors in the abdomen or pelvis are next to receive the treatment.
Digital dentistry which includes state-of-the-art technologies is no longer a fashion, but a necessity.
It offers significant advantages over conventional dental medicine like a more efficient and precise treatment and a much higher predictability level of the final result.
X-rays with a much lower radiation level, a perfectly integrated smile with the face’s features, dental reconstructions performed in record time, even less than 24 hours; these are just a few examples of what modern dental technology can do.
The number of people who have requested complex dental treatments, especially from the field of dental aesthetics has increased in recent years and with demand the supply has also improved. To meet the high demands of the patients, the dental services market has turned to the development of implantology and dental aesthetics through the specialization of doctors and endowment with the latest generation equipment through which they can offer integrated services at international standards.
The aim of a completely computerized way to deal with replicating functional and aesthetic parameters in full arch implant supported restoration procedure is to fully digitalize the entire process.
Digital Technology Benefits
No digital technique is perfect and cannot replace the human hand but the digitalization of dentistry and techniques greatly improves the quality of the prosthetic work greatly fluidizing the steps the patient goes through.
- The tests done are much less as well, as few as two sessions needed to obtain the desired prosthetic work, so the time is reduced to a minimum.
- The processing of prosthetic parts, faster and more accurate, can be done with the help of digital processing equipment and new materials such as zirconium or ceramic type E- Max.
- The finishing of the prosthetic parts is more precise being done by the most advance CADCAM technology. Moreover, nowadays there are special software systems and all digital protocols for dental aesthetics.
- The benefits of digital technologies are felt by the patient from the first session when instead of the classic impression with classic materials hard to bear in the oral cavity he will have a digital scanning.
- Better communication with the patient by being able to visualize their own images and analyze together the contour, symmetries and proportions of the teeth and discuss about possible problems and expectations; in one word, involving the patient in all the steps of the process.
Most Innovative Dentistry Technologies
CADCAM - innovation that enables dental restorations, for example, crowns, veneers, trims and on-lays to be manufactured utilizing electronic processing technology. Dental specialists work with in-office CADCAM to finish same-day tooth rebuilding, efforts that would otherwise require at least two visits to finish. On the other hand, if your case is more complicated, the specialist may work with a dental research facility that uses CADCAM innovation to make the restoration.
There is no cure for type 1 diabetes and many find it challenging to manage this condition. Scientists have come up with a new technology to help better control your type 1diabetes.
Statistics show an alarmingly increased rate of this disease, especially in children.
Type 1 diabetes can fundamentally affect an individual's life, as individuals need to screen their glucose levels consistently to guarantee they are not dangerously high or low.
Individuals with type 1 diabetes measure their glucose levels by pricking a finger a few times each day or wearing a glucose screen. Contingent upon the estimations, they may need to direct insulin utilizing an infusion or insulin pump.
But now scientists are trying a new technology that could replace the traditional methods.
Automatic Insulin System
They targeted a particular kind of artificial pancreas, a closed circle control. These gadgets consistently screen and regulate blood glucose levels. At the point when the screen identifies that an individual needs insulin, a pump discharges the hormone into the body. This trial included the utilization of the Control-IQ system, another kind of fake pancreas that utilizes calculations to modify insulin dosages consequently for the duration of the day.
Specialists needed to replicate everyday life, so they didn't screen the system remotely. Members however contacted researchers at regular intervals to check information from the gadget.
By simplifying the type 1 diabetes management, this innovation could diminish the every day burden of this condition, while likewise conceivably lessening diabetes complications, such as eye and kidney diseases.
Relieving the Burden
The specialists wanted to measure the time that blood glucose levels reached the targeted 70 to 180 milligrams for each deciliter.
The outcomes indicated that the glucose levels of the individuals who utilized the Control-IQ system were in the objective range for about 2.6 hours per day longer than before.
Fundamentally, the system likewise improved the blood glucose control at night just as during the day. This is an essential progression for individuals whose levels drop altogether when sleeping.
More importantly none of the members experienced extreme hypoglycemia when glucose levels become low.
According to researchers these discoveries show that this innovative system can possibly improve the overall health of individuals living with type 1 diabetes, while likewise posibly relieving the burden from those with the disease and their guardians.
The device was just approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration. It will reach patients in January 2020.
FDA approval was just granted for a new device combining a digital stethoscope and electrocardiogram for home use. This gadget that patients can use at home to automatically alert them and the physicians of aggravated cardiac functions. By developing machine-learning algorithms, in future also a suspected decline in the heart activity is detected.
The handheld device, called the Eko Duo, contains a smartphone app for wireless transmission of heart noise and electrical activity to a specialist as a warning for heart problems.
The stethoscope intensifies heart sounds up to 60 times, contains four digital audio filters and has an enclosed noise reduction. The electrocardiogram (ECG) is to be connected by two electrodes, patients can select between using the 50 Hz or 60 Hz primary filter.
Berkeley’s Eko Duo is a monitoring and warning device for possible heart failure and atrial fibrillation. It detects possible problems, but this doesn’t mean, it could not give a false alarm. According to the company, doctors can use the Eko Duo at the bed or in medical telecommunication consultations with other clinicians.
In developing machine-learning algorithms Eko expects to combine this with Duo to automatically alert care teams and patients of presumed decrease in heart function.
As studies have shown that approximately one quarter of the patients with heart failure are readmitted to hospital within 1 month and half are readmitted within 6 months it’s obvious that cardiac failure cause extremely high costs for the countries.
Cardiologists consider the device as a great way to gather electrocardiographic findings and heart sounds in a user-friendly manner. It may supply cardiologists with data and information from patients concerning the heart sounds that they couldn’t detect by ears in the past.
It is planned to start studies focussed on valvular heart disease, to see if it’s possible to develop an algorithm to reliable recognize of patients with serious valvular disease versus those without. Specialists see a great potential for future development.
