The award-winning E-MAG Active

A LEADING supplier of innovative solutions for people with limited mobility has picked up an industry award for its electronically-controlled knee joint system. Otto Bock Healthcare received the prestigious 2009 Award for Prosthetic or Orthotic Product Innovation from The Limbless Association for E-MAG Active. The newly-launched orthosis is the first electronic knee joint system, providing a greater level of mobility, reliability and safety compared to traditional devices. Its unique design works independently of the ankle joint or sole of the foot, meaning that even users with no ankle functionality caused by partial or complete paralysis are still able to achieve a natural, smoother gait when walking. The system opens and closes automatically while walking, locking in the stance phase and unlocking when swinging using an intelligent sensor system. Craig Stevens, product manager at Otto Bock, said: “E-MAG Active has ushered in a new era in orthotics. The secure stance and free swing phases give users a more-natural walking pattern which enhances confidence and leads to a freer range of movement. The integral feedback system also eliminates a host of secondary problems often related to industry caused as a result of a fall. We are extremely pleased with the award, which recognises this significant innovation in orthotics.” The joint is suitable for a body weight of up to 85kg.

 

The CLINITEK Status Connect

SIEMENS has launched a new range to improve efficiency for urinalysis and pregnancy testing at the point of care. CLINITEK Status+ automatic self checks will help to improve the accuracy of clinical information including automatic checks for common sample interferences and a check for humidity over-exposure for selected urinalysis test strips. The analyser saves valuable time by automatically identifying the type of urine strip test it is evaluating, eliminating manual information entry. It can also be upgraded to support connectivity to patients’ electronic medical records or other data management options. Siemens has also launched the new CLINITEK Status Connect device, which combines the Status+ analyser with a connector platform to integrate data directly to Laboratory Information Systems of other generic point-of-care systems. This helps to streamline documentation, eliminate manual transcriptions, improve productivity and reduce errors. “Improved quality checks and automation capabilities will help clinicians to achieve greater levels of efficiency and accuracy in urinalysis,”said Catherine Spurgeon, product manager for urinalysis at Siemens. “With the addition of QC management technology for ensuring appropriate use of the unit, both innovations represent the next generation of point-of-care testing.”

Nigel Harness, manager of the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic and District Hospital's laboratory, with the new tissue processor

THE Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic and District Hospital has significantly improved turnaround times after selecting Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Excelsior ES tissue processor for the preparation of samples in its histopathology laboratory. The device has set new standards for the efficiency of tissue processing, slashing turnaround times by 38% for bone specimens, from a total of 52 hours to 32.5 hours. In addition, the advanced re-agent management system incorporated into the new instrument brings objectivity to the rotation of re-agents, further enhancing reproducibility of processing. Nigel Harness, manager of the hospital’s laboratory, said: “The Excelsior ES was selected for its efficiency and ability to meet our most-demanding processing applications. The implementation has considerably enhanced laboratory productivity and sample turnaround has been accelerated while ensuring optimum results. The impact in our processing time for bone samples means diagnoses are achieved more quickly and patients can be treated faster.”

 

THE UK’s Alliance Pharma has revealed it is buying Cambridge Laboratories’ assets, including 18 prescription products. Alliance, which buys rights to established products, said in a statement that it is paying up to £16.4m for the assets. The products cover a range of therapeutic aids including ImmuCyst, an immunotherapy for superficial bladder cancer; Gelclair, an oral gel for the management of oral mucositis caused by chemotherapy and radiotherapy; procarbazine for Hodgkin’s lymphoma as part of chemotherapy treatment; and a liquid formulation of vitamin E. The portfolio also includes an unnamed toxicology product which is bought by the UK government for a stockpile and replaced on a two to three-year cycle. It said Cambridge Labs has been awarded the £5.6m contract for the current stockpile replacement. Cambridge Labs’ sales in 2009, excluding the toxicology product, amounted to £10.6m, while Alliance reported a pre-tax profit before one-off charges for the year end to December 2009 of approximately £31m.

 

Copley Scientific's new DUSA shaker

COPLEY Scientific has launched its new DUSA shaker, which automates the rinsing of DUSA collection tubes. The small-footprint unit, which is ideal for laboratory desks, aims to increase productivity and enhance the reproducibility of drug recovery, especially for low-solubility formulations. It also reduces the risk of operator exposure to repetitive strain injury. A Copley Scientific spokesperson said: “Dose uniformity testing is mandatory for all inhaled products to confirm consistency from batch to batch and across the product lifetime. Individual shots are recovered from a DUSA collection tube by thorough rinsing, post-testing, with an appropriate solvent. This manually-intensive agitation process is prone to inter- and intra-operator variability and any failure to adequately wet all internal walls compromises drug delivery and the integrity of the results.” The DUSA shaker holds up to 21 MDI or 12 DPI collection tubes on a series of rollers, subjecting them to a controlled lateral shake and rolling action. Shaking frequency and duration can both be set according to test requirements.

 

TimestripPlus helps validate 'cold chain' products

AN INNOVATIVE device was unveiled this week aimed at pharmaceutical products that need to be kept cold, both while in storage and in transit. Currently there is no inexpensive method of tracking the temperature of so-called ‘cold chain’ items once they have left a pharmacy or validated refrigeration unit. Examples of where this is important is with Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) manufactured in aseptic pharmacy, which must be kept refrigerated and not left at room temperature for lengthy periods of time as this could result in compromising the safety of immune-deficient patients. Now, Timestrip has launched the TimestripPlus, a device which is activated at room temperature and applied to the TPN bags using self-adhesive backing. The device is triggered during refrigeration, then when it is delivered to the patient and reaches 12°C, an indicator will travel along the window displaying the amount of time it has been at the higher temperature. If the bag remains unused and is returned, the indicator will stop. A company spokesman said: “Using TimestripPlus for TPN offers peace of mind that the bag has not had a temperature breach before use and significant cost savings can be achieved if unused and chilled products can be returned to the pharmacy for re-use. It is the only device that not only records a breach in the cold chain, but also indicates how long that breach has occurred.”

 

INCONTINENCE sufferers will experience a smoother transition between hospital and home with the launch this week of a new single-use night bag. Bard’s URIPLAN range provides patients with urine collection products, access to bed bag stands and information on managing their urine drainage systems. And now it has launched the URIPLAN D1MT, which has a single-use tap to control and direct flow, making it more hygienic for patients to empty. Draining the night bag involves no cutting, tearing or splashing and the tap has been designed with a push/pull system which prevents the bag from being re-used, helping promote best practice. “Leaving hospital with an indwelling catheter is a daunting experience and providing the necessary follow-on care for patients is essential,” said a Bard spokesman. “The introduction of the URIPLAN D1MT single-use night bag forms part of the company’s ongoing infection control strategy and through improving hygiene we aim to improve the patient experience.” The product is available in Bard starter packs with either medium or long tube leg bags.

 

The new bariatric range from Knightsbridge Furniture is aimed at overweight and obese patients

IN RESPONSE to the growing demand from hospitals and care homes for furniture to accommodate the needs of overweight and obese users, Knightsbridge Furniture has extended its healthcare portfolio with a selection of specialist seating. The three models - Ashton, Dalton and Hamilton - have been designed specifically for bariatric patients weighing up to 50 stone. The Ashton is a sturdy upholstered motorised rise recliner for users weighing up to 35 stone and comes with a remote control which allows the back of the chair to be poised at any angle, with additional support provided by the padded arms and wings. In addition, Knightsbridge has extended two of its established ranges – the contemporary Dalton and the classic Hamilton – to incorporate bariatric versions, with high-back, mid-back and upright models available. All have supportive arms and handgrips to aid rising and waterfall seats to reduce pressure on the backs of the legs. They also have lumbar support, removable seat cushions and a hygiene gap between the seat and the back to aid with infection control. A spokesman at Knightsbridge said: “As with all our furniture, the bariatric models are available in a wide range of stock and customer-specified fabrics and in waterproof and anti-bacterial for hygiene-critical environments.”

 

Guest speaker, Dr Thomas Scheuring, and event organiser, Paul Carter, at the press day

EDITORS of health and science publications were treated to a sneak preview of up-coming medical innovations at a special event last week. The event at Clare College in Cambridge offered members of the press the opportunity to learn more about the products and services that will be seeking to make headlines in 2010 in the laboratory, life science and biotechnology sectors. Among the companies presenting their innovations were Bibby Scientific, The Brady Corporation, Camlab, Eppendorf, IKS International, Quality Systems International, Asynt, Spectro and Starna Scientific, many of which gave pre-launch demonstrations of their latest devices prior to the start of this year’s medical conference season. Products shown included an advanced electronic pipette, chemical synthesis reaction equipment, an enhanced flow chemistry system, a new entry-level spectrophotometer and a space-saving energy-efficient thermal cycler to support PCR research. Paul Carter of Phoenix MarCom, the agency which organised the event, said: “We attracted delegates from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands as well as the UK and they were able to listen to discussions, watch presentations and view exhibition materials highlighting a wealth of new bioscience techniques and applications.”

 

A NEW product range has been launched aimed at patients with sleep disorders. ResMed’s new sleep apnoea platform – the S9 Series – combines climate control and humidification to deliver comfort to patients by controlling both the temperature and humidity of the air they breathe. Michael Farrell of ResMed said: “The most-effective treatment for sleep apnoea is Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), which is a non-invasive treatment where air is pressurised by a small device and delivered to the airway of the patient through a mask that fits on or over the nose or nose and mouth. The pressurised air keeps the upper airway open and helps the patient experience a restful night’s sleep without the interruptions caused by apnoeas. We are convinced the S9 Series will contribute to improved patient comfort, compliance and outcomes and in the long-run should lead to more healthcare savings.”