medical

A new portable device lets doctors conduct a quick, non-invasive pediatric eye exam--and hopefully detect vision problems early.

The PediaVision Assessment Solution (PAS), scheduled to be demonstrated at the American Academy of Pediatrics meeting in Boston this week, uses an infrared camera to take digital images of the eye in children as young as six months. The screener consists of a small, handheld unit; a printer; and a laptop with preinstalled software.

Basically, the PAS projects an infrared light through the pupil onto the retina from a distance of 3 feet (good for shy kids who don't like people … Read more

Genetic analysis start-up 23andMe, known for its star-studded "spit parties" and a controversial investment from Google, announced Thursday the debut of a new initiative to bring together women who have been affected by breast cancer or who may be genetically at risk.

October is the 23rd annual National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Using its Web-based social network, 23andMe hopes to "reach out to, and build a community around, women who have encountered breast cancer, thereby increasing the scientific understanding of the inherited aspects of a disease that affects 200,000 newly diagnosed individuals per year." Women … Read more

Is there anything you can't see on the Web?

Don't answer that. I don't want to know.

I came across this press release from Friday afternoon, touting a Webcast of a cesarean section at a Wisconsin hospital next week.

Figuring that it was a first, I did a Google search for "cesarean section video." And guess what, this one can't even come close to claiming that honor.

The only twist is that the Webcast is live, which offers an added layer of tension. No clue whether that's been done before.

The Webcast is … Read more

This product is so new, it doesn't even have a name. Yet.

During the announcement of the new ToughBook notebooks, Panasonic also took the opportunity to show off one of its upcoming Intel Atom-based tablets. This white unit is meant for use in the medical field. Aside from a touch-screen display, it has features like RFID and a fingerprint sensor built in. You probably won't see this ToughBook in stores anywhere but don't be surprised if you see a nurse keying in your particulars and medical history on something like this in the future.

The company will … Read more

University of Oklahoma researchers are working on a high-tech breath test that could one day help detect cancer.

The team is using mid-infrared laser technology to measure suspected cancer biomarkers in the breath, such as ethane, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde, and to establish the relationship between those gas molecules and the disease. Ultimately, they hope their work will lead to easy-to-use detection devices that don't emit radiation.

But it may take a while before doctors have such devices in hand. Patrick McCann, an OU professor of electrical and computer engineering who's leading the team, predicts that it will take … Read more

Inhalers may not just be for asthma sufferers anymore. If an Israeli start-up called Aespironics has its way, small, cheap inhalers could soon deliver all sorts of other medications, as well.

Aespironics has developed a novel disposable dry-powder inhaler that it says has the attributes of the highest-performing inhalers but only costs a fraction of the price. The patient's breath activates a tiny turbine inside the device that scrapes or brushes micronized particles into the airflow, quickly and evenly delivering the dose to the lungs without leaving particles sticking to the inside of the mouth.

Because the turbine is … Read more

Technology seems to be able to do many things. Yet sometimes it is the simple things that elude it the longest.

We can send a man to the moon- and afterwards he will tell us what aliens look like- but we still struggle with making people thinner or fatter. Or taller.

So I suppose we should be grateful for the Ilizarov Scientific Center in Siberia. For, if you are able to salt away at least $40,000 (I suspect it might be a cash business) you can take a trip to the Salt Mines State and become taller.

I … Read more

Microsoft and Google have joined a collection of insurers and health care providers in endorsing privacy standards intended to protect medical records stored online.

The new "Connecting For Health" guidelines, which are also intended to reassure people that storage of their medical records online is safe, aim to break the "typical logjam in health care," according to a statement released by the Markle Foundation, which organized the consensus framework.

The move comes as Google and Microsoft ramp up their efforts to create portals where consumers can l upload, store, and view personal information, as well as … Read more

If you want more proof that software as a service and ad-supported business models are shaking things up, check out Practice Fusion. This week the small company announced the availability of its free, on-demand suite for physician practices.

Practice Fusion CEO Ryan Howard touts the software suite as Google Apps for physicians. It's a radical departure from the established and costly software packages used by physicians to manage their offices and patients records.

Practice Fusion includes practice management, scheduling, patient management (electronic medical records) and e-mail applications. The Web interface takes advantage of Flex 3, Adobe's rich Internet … Read more