Extending the lifecycle of instruments

15.03.2012

When it comes to cleaning and disinfecting medical tools and instruments, the Robert Koch Institute leaves nothing to chance. DIN guideline 15883 and a host of other standards provide a complete set of specifications on how clinics and medical practices must disinfect and sterilise their instruments, endoscopes, forceps and probes. However, what happens in practice is another story: a lack of hygiene on hospital wards and in outpatient clinics is driving infection rates skywards although there are effective ways of extending the instrument lifecycle. [more...]

Technological help from afar

15.03.2012

In radiation diagnostics and therapy, medical success depends to a great extent on technology. It is only when imaging systems are functioning reliably and with precision that diseases can be effectively combated. So that equipment breakdown does not disrupt the clinical processes, manufacturers have created a closely meshed network of service organisations. [more...]

Success tooth by tooth

15.03.2012

Dental laboratory technicians are not specialist CNC staff. This simple fact necessitates a completely different design for CAD/CAM solutions in dentistry, different for example from EDP solutions for tool and mould construction operations. And even the manufacturers of dental milling equipment must properly address these facts. This is something the people at Datron AG are fully aware of. [more...]

New measurement technology cuts costs

15.03.2012

Medical advances rely on innovative measuring and test systems. This applies not only to analysis of material and product characteristics, but also to research on unknown processes inside the body. The latest developments show how trend-setting measurement technology is driving quality assurance at manufacturers, in laboratories and in clinics. Greater knowledge makes healthcare provision more efficient and cuts costs. [more...]

Reprocessing medical devices – Yes or No?

15.03.2012

The reprocessing of medical devices is neither explicitly prohibited nor allowed in the EU due to the fact that Appendix I of the Medical Device Directive (MDD) does not contain any specific wording on this matter. In edition 5/2010, we discussed the report of the European Commission to the European Parliament on reprocessing. In the meantime, the European Commission has received a mandate from the European Parliament to arrive at a common European solution by the middle /end of 2012. The latitude in this respect is currently interpreted very differently across the EU. [more...]

ECR 2012: First presentation of the combined Hitachi and Aloka ultrasound portfolio

02.03.2012

This year’s ECR – European Congress of Radiology (March 1-5) in Vienna – the largest and most important event in radiology, will see a Europe-wide premiere: for the first time at ECR and following the official integration of Aloka Holding Europe into Hitachi Medical Systems Europe Holding AG back in December 2011, the combined Hitachi Aloka ultrasound platform range will be showcased and combined key technologies brought to the fore during the Hitachi Medical Systems ECR lunch symposium on Saturday, 3 March. [more...]

Siemens’ SAFIRE Iterative Reconstruction Protocol Cleared by FDA

05.12.2011

Siemens Healthcare has announced that its computed tomography (CT) iterative reconstruction algorithm SAFIRE – Sinogram Affirmed Iterative Reconstruction – has been cleared for domestic sale by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). [more...]

New insights into the molecular level of cells

10.11.2011

Correct diagnosis demands maximum quality and reproducible results, which is why scrupulously accurate measurement is a must in the laboratory. Innovative progress in technology opens up new insights into the molecular level of cells. New opportunities for successful treatment. [more...]

Heaters on duty

04.11.2011

No need for Bisphenol A

04.11.2011

Since spring 2011 it has also in Germany no longer been allowed to sell articles for babies like soothers and feeding bottles containing suspicious softeners like Bisphenol A (BPA). A. Hopf GmbH Kunststoffverarbeitung have given proof of designing alternative 3-way Stopcocks in BPA-free material and to deliver them by serial production. [more...]