Otto Bock Healthcare has launched a new stimulator to help treat drop foot

STROKE sufferers with drop foot are being targeted with the launch of a new device which will help restore their self confidence and independence. ActiGait from Otto Bock Healthcare is an implantable drop foot stimulator that compensates for the lack of control of the ankle joints and aids stroke patients to restore a steadier and more-natural walking action. Implanted beneath the skin of the thigh, the device is linked to a control unit worn on the patient’s belt and can be operated even if there is impaired arm functionality. Dr Salim Ghoussayni, business development manager for neurostimulation at Otto Bock, said: “Each year approximately 110,000 people in England alone suffer from a stroke, making it the single most-common cause of severe disability. Around 300,000 people are living with moderate to severe disabilities as a result. Feedback from patient studies in Europe has revealed that ActiGait enables stroke patients to walk longer distances at an increased speed and with improved confidence. As it is implantable, it also offers a more cosmetic and practical user-friendly alternative for individuals who cannot use a surface device due to skin reactions, for example.”

 

The installation of Siemens' Mammomat Inspiration will enable the BMI Bath Clinic to carry out enhanced breast screening

THE BMI Bath Clinic is to install the very latest in digital mammography equipment after signing a contract with Siemens Healthcare. The private hospital will move from analogue to digital images in a bid to offer more comfortable examinations and improved image quality. The MAMMOMAT Inspiration uses isocentric rotation of the detector to make for smoother positioning and one-click-to-image functionality which helps to simplify patient set-up and the image reading process. “The Inspiration represents the latest technological advance in the field of breast imaging,” said Anna Stevens, imaging manager at the Bath Clinic. “Moving to digital mammography will ensure our breast care service can offer patients the reassurance of the highest quality examination.” Lynn Blackburn of Siemens added: “The Inspiration was designed with feedback from mammographers around the world and its ease-of-use and features for improved patient comfort really reflect this.  The system will enable BMI Bath Clinic to offer an enhanced breast care service now and into the future as upgrades for stereotactic biopsy and tomosynthesis modules can be easily applied.” The technology comes with a Siemens syngo MammoReport workstation which can load up to eight images in a second, and the Opdose feature which can select the optimum radiation dose for each individual patient.

 

RECORD numbers of companies from the UK will be showcasing cutting-edge innovations and ground-breaking products at this year’s Hospitalar 2010 – the largest medical exhibition in Latin America. This year 22 companies will be represented, including Paxman Coolers, which will be exhibiting equipment such as a pioneering scalp cooler for cancer patients; and Experia, manufacturer of sensory equipment. Leeds-based Surgical Innovations will also be showing off its Resposable instrumentation brand, while Advanced Global Health will unveil its iPulso heart monitoring device. Richard Paxman of Paxman Coolers said: “Latin America is a target market for us and we are eager to look for partners in this region. The exhibition will allow us to platform our products on an international stage and establish links with potential business partners, enabling us to expand on our already buoyant overseas market.” The event takes place from 25-28 May in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

 

The re-usable badges could save the NHS thousands of pounds every year

BADGEMASTER has launched a new range of re-usable name badges, which are 100% recyclable and could help save the NHS thousands of pounds a year. InstaBadge would help trusts keep up with high staff turnover without having to pay for new badges. Badgemaster managing director, John Bancroft said: “By far the biggest single user of name badges is the NHS and when the Patients Charter was introduced in the early 1990s it mandated the wearing of ID badges for all staff. InstaBadge can be printed to comply with any corporate image, is easily personalised and can be issued instantly when a new staff member starts. Because the wearer’s name is held within the badge, rather than engraved onto it, employers can control costs by re-using the frames and the materials are 100% recyclable, which helps the NHS with its carbon reduction strategy.”

 

A BRAND has been launched which will enable fabricators and manufacturers to offer infection control as standard on their products. Antimicrobial Copper was premiered at the 4^th National Joint Conference and Exhibition on Healthcare Associated Infection, organised by the Royal College of Nursing and the Department of Health. Scientifically proven to continuously kill microbes such as MRSA and C. difficile, the efficacy of copper has been demonstrated in rigorous trials undertaken at Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham and at health centres in the US, Germany, Japan and Chile. A spokesman for the Copper Development Association said: “Antimicrobial Copper and Cu+ are the unifying name and logo which will denote products made from materials capable of continuously reducing surface contamination and where efficacy will not diminish or wear away with time. Also, at the end of its service life, Antimicrobial Copper items are 100% recyclable without loss of properties, thus making an important contribution to sustainable design.” One of the first companies to adopt the brand in the UK is AS Hardware, where UK sales manager, James Pritchard, said: “With demand for antimicrobial copper growing, we can offer branded, DDA-compliant pull handles and lever handles with escutcheons, kick plates and signage to match, ensuring the market is well supplied with colour-co-ordinated panels that look beautiful and help fight infection between cleans. The new brand provides our customers with the reassurance of proven antimicrobial efficacy.” Manufacturers worldwide are now looking to adopt the brand.

ALSO IN THE NEWS: Stirling Royal Infirmary in the Forth Valley has installed four high-specification ACUSON S2000 ultrasound systems from Siemens Healthcare within its radiology and maternity departments…Vernacare has launched a new check-up service for its range of macerators….