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Display and embedded solutions provider Review Display Systems has announced the availability of a nano-silver anti-bacterial laminate film that can be used to enhance the safety of touchscreen-based healthcare equipment. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has brought the continued use of touchscreen-based display systems into sharp focus during recent months. The cleanliness and hygiene of touch monitors used by the public or located in healthcare facilities has become significantly more important. Interactive touchscreen-based display systems are known hotspots for bacteria and germs. Review Display Systems anti-bacterial technology can help to eliminate 99.9% of microbial bacteria traditionally found on these high-contact touch surfaces. Without the film, bacteria can live on the touchscreen...

The Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) will work with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to help strengthen regulatory standards for medical technology across Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia. The multi-year partnership will see AdvaMed providing direct contribution for training, as well as staff time and technical expertise, all aimed at increasing regulatory “convergence” across the regions through 2023. The project is part of a matching grant program, with USAID providing funds matching AdvaMed and partner contributions dollar for dollar up to $3 million. In part, it is designed to help strengthen efforts against COVID-19, with Scott Whitaker, AdvaMed president and CEO highlighting the need for co-operation across borders when it comes to getting ...

HOPR, a blockchain-based data privacy company, and Sedimentum, a Swiss healthcare start-up, have announced a technological partnership in a bid to protect privacy in healthcare emergencies. Sedimentum aims to ensure unattended vulnerable and elderly people get immediate care in the event of health threatening events, while alleviating the burden on nursing staff and relatives. Sedimentum’s solution consists of a sensor device – the size of a smoke detector – which is installed on the ceiling and utilises AI-software and a data anonymisation procedure. Dr. Sebastian Bürgel, founder of HOPR, said: “We’re honoured to work with Sedimentum in ensuring that families have peace of mind when it comes to their loved ones without compromising their privacy. Our unique privacy technology is...

Wearable technology company Shimmer Research is providing updates on its Verisense wearable sensing platform for clinical trials, and OWEAR, the Open Wearables Initiative, which it co-founded in 2019 with Dr. Vincent van Hees and Nextbridge Health at the DPHARM virtual conference. The Verisense platform was built from the ground up to monitor clinical trial participants’ activity and sleep levels remotely. It was developed to satisfy the needs of, and place minimum burden on, all the stakeholders – sponsors, clinical research organisations (CROs), trial sites, and participants.  Verisense provides sponsors with raw sensor data from clinical trial participants, allowing them to drill down to resolve any anomalies and also to reanalyse their results whenever algorithms used to interpret...

Edwards, a supplier of vacuum and abatement services and solutions to the semiconductor industry, is establishing a new Service Technology Centre (STC) in Blanchardstown, Dublin to support the semiconductor manufacturing industry in Ireland. The new centre and associated field service operations are expected to employ up to 120 people across activities such as technology, engineering and support. The development represents an investment in the region of $7.5 million. Semiconductor manufacturing can support developments in the healthcare sector including in medical devices. Troy Metcalf, president, Edwards Semiconductor Service, said: “This is an exciting development for Edwards and for our customers. Our new Dublin site will become a flagship facility in our global network of STCs, utilisi...

Whitespace, the innovation engineering studio, has launched of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Histopathology Tech Innovation Challenge. Whitespace, in partnership with IBM, is seeking a new generation of AI solutions from across EMEA to help Pfizer Healthcare Hub:London address the challenge of bringing histopathology innovations to healthcare services and accelerate digital pathology development.  Currently, much of the analysis and reporting in pathology laboratories is being performed manually. This can be an expensive, labour-intensive and time-consuming process for healthcare organisations. The development of an AI/Machine Learning (ML) Vision solution could be a potential approach in addressing such issues.  Dr Hamish Graham, Pfizer Healthcare Hub:London manager, said:...

Dr. Amitabh Chak, professor of medicine and oncology at Case Western Reserve University’s School of Medicine, explains his involvement in the development of a new device to treat Barrett’s Oesophagus and oesophageal cancer. Imagine you are diagnosed with a cancer that is known to be fatal within five years. This is a reality for many — oesophageal cancer is one of the fastest growing cancer diagnoses in the United States. Its incidence rate has increased four- to six-fold in the past 30 years. As a Gastroenterologist, this is what I am up against each day. Most patients don’t discover their oesophageal cancer until symptoms develop, at which point the cancer is advanced. But what if there was a precursor that was treatable if detected before the cancer formed? There is, it’s a little-known...

Medical device quality management software platform Greenlight Guru, has launched Visualize, which aims to redefine the way medical device manufacturers approach closed-loop traceability. Today, medical device professionals need to rely on tribal knowledge and manual processes across disconnected, silo’d systems to understand the connective-tissue of traceability that holds their quality system together. Over time, as the complexity of the company’s quality system grows, this often leads to enormous personal stress for those managing the system, productivity loss, and can increase the likelihood of regulatory problems and recalls for the company. Greenlight Guru Visualize provides a platform for users to achieve closed-loop traceability through a fully connected quality ecosystem. The mach...

Diagnostics company, Glyconics has been awarded internationally recognised quality certification for the design and development of its medical device product range. Following a review by BSI Glyconics has been awarded ISO 13485:2016 and EN ISO 13485:2016 certification for its quality management system. The scope of the certification includes the “design and development of medical devices for the diagnosis and monitoring of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and the screening of diabetes mellitus.” As part of the certification process, Glyconics participated in an independent audit and was able to demonstrate a robust and consistent quality management system to meet the regulatory requirements of the medical devices industry. The certification paves the way for CE certification i...

CardieX Limited has announced that its subsidiary ATCOR was granted a new patent by the European Patent Office (EPO) for the company’s SphygmoCor technology used in cuff-based blood pressure devices.   EPO Patent Number EP2566387 further protects the company’s intellectual property in relation to the measurement of a central blood pressure (BP) waveform with cardiovascular features using a brachial cuff. Patent EP2566387 specifically covers non-invasively estimating the heart’s pressure and pressure waveform related to cardiac function and arterial properties using a conventional BP cuff inflated to low pressure. The patent provides a simple tool to clinically diagnose and estimate the risk of heart disease.  Examining officers from the EPO refe...

Ian Bolland spoke to Tom Downes, CEO of Quali Digital, about the use of wireless headsets his company manufactures can be used in a clinical setting. Downes began by explaining that the headsets were originally deployed in fast food restaurants. Anyone who had visited one of the many outlets will recognise the devices being used by staff behind the counter. This also managed to find its way into the retail sector before eventually being adopted by health services. Downes explains: “It’s simply to make their operation more efficient, because otherwise people would spend the whole time waiting for something to happen that they could’ve easily resolved immediately if they could have spoken to the right person.” The principle is the same in health as it is in hospitality and retail – though en...

A UK medtech firm has developed a companion app for a COVID-19 test that could help governments and health agencies manage and control the Coronavirus pandemic. Wales-based Bond Digital Health is part of a global consortium that is producing a rapid diagnostic test for COVID-19. The antigen test, produced by Canadian company Sona Nanotech, uses a nasal swab to provide a result in 15 minutes without the use of either laboratory equipment or a reader system. The test can be used as a tool to rapidly identify patients infected with the virus. It is currently being assessed for approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Health Canada for emergency use authorisation. Bond developed a complete end-to-end system with a mobile app for test users and a web dashboard providing geo-mapped...