Patient implants for Deep Brain stimulation tested
ST. PAUL, MN - New patient implants for use in deep brain stimulation as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease are being tested by St. Jude Medical Inc, a medical technology developer based in St. Paul, Minn. The Libra and LibraXP systems are constant current technology that incorporate battery-operated neurostimulators. These devices are surgically implanted and generate small electrical pulses and leads that carry pulses back to a specific area in the brain. A study being conducted at 15 U.S. hospitals, is evaluating the systems to determine the level of safety and effectiveness the devices have in controlling some of the motor symptoms of advanced Parkinson’s disease. The study involves 136 participants who have had the disorder for more than five years and have symptoms that were inadequately controlled by medication.

New Tablet PC meets medical equipment certification
IRVINE, CA - American Industrial Systems Inc. has developed a new 8.4” and 10.4” screen tablet PC. The Rugged Tablet PC has passed UL60601-1 Medical Equipment Certifications for approved electronic compatibility and reliability in the medical field. The PC comes with an aluminum-magnesium alloy case with sealed ports to adhere with waterproof and dustproof standards and has a high capacity lithium ion battery for indoor and outdoor use. Other feature include integrated WI-FI and Bluetooth modules for Internet connections to wireless networks and Bluetooth devices. The Rugged Tablet PC also incorporates an integrated PCMCIA slot to allow access to other wireless modems and third party devices.

Life-Support ventilator to improve quality of care
MURRYSVILLE,  PA - Royal Philips Electronics has introduced a portable at home life-support ventilation solution. Trilogy 100 is designed to provide volume and pressure-control ventilation for adults and pediatric use. The ventilator’s design allows for quick access to device settings and patient information, and its easy-to-read, easy-to-navigate screens and clear, concise directions offer simplified patient views. Its optional DirectView patient data management software also allows clinicians to more efficiently manage ventilation therapy with access to full patient information, including waveforms, trends, usage patterns and summary statistics.

PACS architecture platform is put to the test
PITTSBURGh - A new PACS platform that is designed to improve workflow and reduce costs of care is being tested by the West Pennsylvania Allegheny Health System. The SuperPACS Architecture, created by Carestream Health, provides a common reading and reporting interface. The new architecture is designed to create workflow efficiencies by allowing current and prior exams, with related DICOM and non-DICOM data. Patient data is imported from pre-existing archives into a central database without the process of migrating pixel data.

T-System updates Primary Care solution
DALLAS - T-System, a provider of clinical documentation and information solutions for emergency departments, has developed an upgrade for the T-System for Primary Care. Changes to the system include updated clinical content and reimbursement guidelines and Physician Quality Reporting Initiative criteria. The solution also incorporates upgraded Level 5 coding, updated content (revisions to HPI, physical exams and wound repair sections) and removed shading for predicted better reproduction and scanning.

Siemens’ PET-CT system receives FDA clearance
HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL - Siemens Healthcare’s new Biograph TruePoint 16-slice PET-CT system has received FDA clearance. The imaging technology features High-Definition PET and 10-minute, whole-body imaging in addition to a 2 mm PET resolution which is designed to enable physicians to detect small lesions in a patient. The Biograph system is available with TrueV extended PET view field technology, allowing increased
imaging speed. The system provides a 500-pound capacity patient bed and a 70-centimeter patient bore and workflow system and is mobile-ready.

Carestream ships its new CASSETTE-SIZE DRX-1 system
ROCHESTER, NY – Shipments of the industry’s first wireless, cassette-size digital radiography (DR) detector are now under way as planned and on schedule, Carestream Health announced last month. The CARESTREAM DRX-1 System is designed for general radiology, trauma, orthopedic and many other X-ray exams. It incorporates a console and a wireless, cassette-sized DR detector that provides a rapid, affordable conversion for users of radiographic film or computed radiography systems.