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| Complete female 3D human skeleton model available on PhysiomeSpace
EUROPE - (HealthTech Wire / News) - Super Computing Solutions –SCS- and the Computational Bioengineering Lab –BIC- (by the Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli in Bologna, Italy) are happy to announce the release of the first dataset that composes the Living Human Digital Library –LHDL- multiscale musculoskeletal data collection. The data represent the three-dimensional skeletal anatomy of the cadaver of a 78 years old woman with normal morphology (height: 171 cm, weight: 64 kg, (from now on referred to as “LHDL_Donor1”). The bone surfaces of LHDL_Donor1 were obtained from the segmentation of whole body Computer Tomography (CT) images, in three stages:
The bone surfaces can be downloaded from the PhysiomeSpace service at How to access the PhysiomeSpace resources
For more detailed instructions, please read the “How to get access to the service” section, at www.physiomespace.com/access. You are now ready to download the data repository. Go to www.physiomespace.com/ps_home and:
Related Content: Additional information on Biomed Town |
| (Book) "Informatics in Oral Medicine: Advanced Techniques in Clinical and Diagnostic Technologies” Author(s)/Editor(s): Andriani Daskalaki (Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Germany) Description : Advancing medical technologies are now developing cutting-edge computer applications useful to the field of oral studies. Informatics in Oral Medicine: Advanced Techniques in Clinical and Diagnostic Technologies provides innovative research techniques on current technologies in the management of problems in oral health and medicine. A unique and comprehensive reference source, this enriched collection contains valuable computational tools and the latest applications in dental and oral research topics such as artificial mouths, laser melting, and dentist appointment management. Preface: Informatics tools offer solutions to many problems in oral health clinic and research, but also face significant challenges, linking of data from the clinical diagnostic technologies. The field of bioinformatics will have several main areas of interest in oral medicine including the development of software and analysis tools for genomics and proteomics data related to oral tissues, in particular for the analysis of data from DNA arrays, mass spectrometry, and protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions in the analysis and interpretation of these data. Methodologies shall focus on methods from multivariate statistics, for example testing statistical hypotheses, cluster analysis and classification, and networks as well as functional annotation of sequence data. Organization of the book The book “ Informatics in Oral Medicine: Advanced Techniques in Clinical and Diagnostic, Technologies” contains text information, but also a glossary of terms and definitions, contributions from international experts, in-depth analysis of issues, concepts, new trends, and advanced technologies in oral medicine. This edition focuses more directly and extensively than ever on applications of informatics in oral medicine. The diverse and comprehensive coverage of multiple disciplines in the field of oral health informatics in this book will contribute to a better understanding all topics, research, and discoveries in this evolving, significant field of study. I hope will make this book a helpful tool-not only for the student who needs an expert source of basic knowledge in oral health informatics, but also for the advanced researcher who needs clear, concise, and balanced information on which to conduct his research. Table of Contents & List of International Contributors (16 Chapters) (please Click on this Title to access the Site where you will find the Book’s Chapters) ! Author's/Editor's Bio She completed her PhD in 2002 on working in the applications of photodynamic therapy in the area of oral medicine from the Free University of Berlin. She received a two-year DAAD scholarship (1996-1998) for her research in the field of PDT. Dr. Daskalaki received a MS in Medical Informatics from TFH Berlin with her work in “Development of a documentation software for robot-assisted intraoral operations” and a MS degree in bioinformatics with her work in “Variance analysis of multifactor models in gene expression experiments with application to the identification of genetic markers for hypertension.” She received a poster prize for her participation in the International Photodynamic Association Meeting in Nantes. She is the editor of the “Handbook of Research on Systems Biology Applications in Medicine” and has presented many oral presentations at national and international meetings. She is a founding member and committee member of the Greek Dental Laser Association. Her research interest areas include systems biology, PDT, and laser applications in dentistry. |
| EC Study: Robotics for Healthcare (Final Report) Study funded by the European Commission - INFSO For the last two decades the European Commission (EC), and in particular the Directorate General Information Society and Media, has been strongly supporting the application of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in healthcare. ICT is an enabling technology which can provide various solutions in the healthcare sector, ranging from electronic patient records and health information networks to intelligent prosthetics and robotised surgery. The EC funded the present study with the aim to investigate the potential of robotics in healthcare. Robotics for healthcare is an emerging field which is expected to grow in the face of demographic change (ageing), expected shortages of healthcare personnel, calls for improving quality of life for the elderly and disabled, and the need for even higher quality care, for example high precision surgery. All these factors stimulate innovation in the domain of Robotics for Healthcare. Several programs and networks dedicated to research on robotics are already focusing part of their efforts on applications in healthcare. The main aim of this study is to provide key research policy recommendations for the application of robotics in healthcare. Another objective of the study is to raise awareness about these important new developments among a wider audience. To this extent, a roadmap of promising applications of robotics in healthcare and associated R&D was developed, taking into account the state of the art as well as short and long-term future possibilities with a time horizon ending in 2025. Download Robotics for Healthcare Final Report (.pdf, 2.980 KB). |
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| NEWS from MEDICA 2008 and COMPAMED Final Report Source: Medica.de News Putting the success of the two events in a nutshell, Wilhelm Niedergöker, Managing Director at Messe Düsseldorf, has concluded that despite the worldwide financial crisis MEDICA and COMPAMED have confirmed their leading rank as the World Forum for Medicine. With 137,000 registered visitors the four days of the trade fair (and three days of COMPAMED) including the accompanying MEDICA Congress and the Deutscher Krankenhaustag (German Hospital Congress) closed on par with the previous year's event. Just under 40% of visitors came from abroad . The 4,313 exhibitors participating at MEDICA presented the complete spectrum of new products, services and processes for use in doctors' surgeries and hospitals . In addition to those areas traditionally generating strong interest like medical device technology and electrical medicine, physiotherapeutic processes and medical IT, in particular, also triggered increasing demand. MEDICA, the 40th World Forum for Medicine, also lived up to its reputation of being the sector's foremost event for decision-makers. Almost 90% of trade visitors are involved in relevant investment decisions, at least in a consultative capacity, while 70% are decision-makers or at least have co-decision-making rights. In line with these findings in many interviews exhibitors reported that the audience displayed a high propensity to invest overall. In addition to the improved networking of health care stakeholders brought about by relevant hardware and software applications, there is an increasing trend towards compact medical devices that are also suitable for mobile deployment. Showcased at MEDICA 2008 was the world's smallest heart-lung machine, for example. The device even fits doctor-manned ambulances or helicopters. Congress programme offered many highlights "Quality has its price!" was the overriding theme of the lectures, forums and seminars organised for the 31st German Hospital Cong ress. Almost 1,800 participants from hospitals and the field of health care policy obtained information on hospital-relevant issues here against the backdrop of the structural change currently occurring within the German health care system. COMPAMED 2008 - suppliers showcased high-tech at its best The dates for the next MEDICA in Düsseldorf: 18 - 21 November 2009 (COMPAMED until 20/11/2009) . For further information, please visit : |
| New European Centre for Health Technology to be global 'showcase' in Healthcare IT News.eu ( http://www.e-health-insider.com ) OSLO, Norway -- The vendor of a Digital Hospital program in Norway says its "European Centre for Health Technology", which opened June 11, will exhibit state-of-the-art systems for the global healthcare market. Baldur Johnsen, HP's director, healthcare market development, told Healthcare IT News, "We want this to become a showcase of state-of-the-art leading edge technology in healthcare. We talk about it as a European centre, but it's really going to serve the global market." The result of a collaboration between HP, Microsoft, Cisco, Imatis and Telenor - a Norwegian telecommunications firm - the digital hospital project first launched roughly four years ago with a 900-bed hospital in St. Olaf, Norway. "It really became the underpinning initiative that triggered the Digital Hospital program," said Johnsen. "About two years ago, we started, especially in Europe, to bring this message to the market." Johnsen noted that the program started its global reach roughly 18 months ago. The Centre promises to offer "the latest within health technology" and will be used for research and development purposes and as an exhibition. The facilities include a patient care room, nurse station and adjacent demonstration room. Among the Centre's IT solutions implemented by the partner vendors are systems for network and infrastructure, advanced electronic warning systems and separate patient terminals containing entertainment and communication. "We are proud of this HP centre being opened in Norway, which is a clear result of Norway being world leaders in developing digital hospitals," said Roger Morberg, director of the Health Centre of Excellence. "This is now enabling us to display and export our knowledge to other European countries. Our goal for the centre is to be a window to the hospitals of the future," he added. Johnsen said the Digital Hospital project is currently in development in several other areas, including the United Kingdom's Leicester University Hospital and Germany's Asklepios Future Hospital. HP will be announcing future Digital Hospital implementations in coming months, he said. |
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| Keep it simple: User research driving eHealth adoption Source: HealthcareIT News.eu LUXEMBOURG -- Healthcare IT vendors say the greatest barrier to eHealth adoption in Europe these days may not be technology hurdles, regulatory issues or even the lack of proven financial models. With refreshing honesty, many are acknowledging that a certain "engineering arrogance" may be to blame. The silver lining to that arrogance, however, is new multidisciplinary research aimed at involving end users in the design and development of eHealth tools. "Too often we have developed software and pushed it on to providers," conceded Eric Maurincomme, Afga's vice president for eHealth, speaking at the "2008 Med-e-Tel" Conference in Luxembourg on April 17. "And we got push back. We have to work with users to meet their needs and develop solutions for them." And while Maurincomme was speaking about provider adoption, the same is true when the end user is the patient. Alcatel-Lucent's Casena project, which aims to support the elderly at home through technology, is currently responding to demographic trends which should prompt greater utilization of eHealth in Europe. But, said Alcatel's Johan Criel, study after study shows that in-home technology must respond to a set of considerations beyond simple costs or utility. "User research showed us how important the feeling of control is in a domestic space," he said. End users wouldn't adopt so-called ambient eHealth tools unless they were virtually invisible and didn't call attention to dependency. To tease out what will work and what won't, the lab is deploying multidisciplinary teams of scientists, engineers and ethnologists. Next month, the project is kicking off a house-based pilot project with users suffering from mild dementia. NEW PILOT PROJECTSIn the past, such pilot projects have often been criticized for delaying production-ready tools and taking up funds that could be used for larger scale deployment efforts, but even vendors say they are seeing now great value from the efforts. (read more....) |
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| Implementing the ELINCS Standard: Technical Experience from the Field Oct 2007 This issue brief details the results of the pilot implementations. The project helped to identify several important challenges in adopting the ELINCS standard, including the need to learn new coding schemes, the lack of a standard for message transport, and difficulty in resolving incompatible data fields. By the end of the project, four of the five pilot sites had successfully implemented ELINCS and were using it to transmit their lab test results. The feedback they provided helped to validate ELINCS v1.0 and to inform the minor changes incorporated into ELINCS v1.1 (released in October 2006). The complete issue brief is available under Document Downloads below. |
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| Medical implants: the inside story Source: CORDIS - ICT Results The EU's Healthy Aims project includes partners from seven EU countries, Switzerland and Israel, all of whom were already members of a medical devices industry association. “We started with a very strong group of people,” recalls Diana Hodgins of European Technology for Business Ltd, the project coordinator. “We looked at the clinical needs and the end manufacturers' requirements and married those up to the technologies that we had available.” In its four years, the project has pioneered three powered implants and three diagnostic devices . Six products |
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| New institute to assess value of medical technology Source: eHealth Brief NewsPublished: Friday 5 Oct 2007 A new institute will aim to bridge the gap between medical technology, innovation and healthcare policy to provide policymakers with evidence of the social and economic value of medical technology, and medical devices in particular. Brief News:The European Health Technology Institute for Socio-Economic Research (Research Institute) was officially launched on 6 October 2007 at the European Health Forum Gastein , the most important annual health policy event in the EU. Founded and funded by the European medical technology industry association (Eucomed) for an initial three-year period, the institute will bring together industry and the health departments of three European universities - Technische Universität Berlin, Università Bocconi and London School of Economics (LSE) - to conduct socio-economic research on the impact of medical technology. Each university will be granted €200,000 a year, bringing the total budget of the institute to some €1.8 million. According to the consortium, researchers will "have complete scientific and editorial independence". The aim of the institute is to "address the lack of evidence on the socio-economic value of medical technology to produce appropriate research and reputable evidence to raise the level of knowledge about medical technology and enhance prospects for informed policy decision making." There are two main research topics. The first topic will examine how medical technologies are currently financed in major European countries and consider how existing financing systems could be improved. The second will review the benefits of technological innovations in the healthcare sector. The aim is to provide evidence of, for example, improving quality of life and decreasing disability and mortality rates, as well as higher employee productivity or higher GDP output per worker. "Current discussions on healthcare reforms mostly focus on the costs associated with medical innovation and technology, and how these can be contained," states the consortium press release. Initial results of the research will be published in early 2008. Links
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| Virtual hospital opens doors in "Second Life" Virtual Hospital ( Second Health ) Aims To Explain London's Health Care Plans The collaborative project between the National Physics Laboratory ( NPL ) and Imperial College London ( ICL ) was originally designed to showcase future plans for healthcare to the public in the capital. The Healthcare for London plan, published by the National Health Service in July, calls for creating a network of 150 compact medical facilities called polyclinics. The virtual hospital, called Second Health, was created to explain the plan to the public. The Second Health project allows visitors to explore a three-dimensional model of a clinic, created within the online world of Second Life . ICL surgeon Dr James Kinross: ‘Second Life allows us to do things that have not been possible before, particularly with regard to visualising abstract concepts'. ‘We wanted people to understand what a polyclinic was without them having to sit down and read a 300-page document. ‘In Second Life we can create that place and have it function as a building, so people can walk around and see how it fits together,' said Kinross. But the virtual building also houses other information. The Second Health hospital has been used to create films showing how patients with different conditions move through London's healthcare system. One film tells the story of a heart attack victim, detailing treatment at each stage. There are also potential training applications .‘Students learn to become doctors by role-playing in a hospital environment,' said NPL Second Health managing director Dave Taylor. ‘You can role-play extremely efficiently with Second Life, so we expect to be able to train medical students and GPs.' Remote access technologies are playing an increasing role in healthcare. The global market for telehealth systems will be worth $8bn (£3.97bn) by 2012, according to a report last week from analyst Datamonitor. In May the government put up £12m for trials in Kent, Newham in London, and Cornwall. |
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| NGNS: A Key Stroke Analyser Professional typewriting can cause severe problems on fingers, hands, arms and even shoulders. One of such problems is the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, which is the leading cause of occupational illness in the United States , costing the industry thousands of dollars every year. Until now, the investigation of causes and consequences has been difficult, mostly due to the inexistence of a practical and reliable way of analysing the typist movements. This work developed a solution to detect and identify the typist's fingers while typewriting, and then calculate the statistics concerning pressed keys and fingers used to do so. To capture the typist's movements, an USB camera was used, with a fluorescent light to guarantee correct keyboard illumination. The system then records a video and memorizes the frames where a key was pressed. After the video capture, the system processes the needed frames and detects the fingers used for each pressed key. To distinguish the several fingers, coloured self-adhesive markers cover the patient's nails. Fuzzy logic was used to classify the used finger, by evaluation of a set of rules that take into account the average R, G and B channels from the area of interest. The system showed an accuracy of 91% in fully automatic mode, and it is possible to achieve 100% in the advanced mode, where the user can confirm the software classification. Future developments may include a second camera to record another keyboard image, therefore enhancing the chances of correct classification
Contact: Pedro Vieira, NGNS pmv@fct.unl.pt |
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| St Mary's Hospital pioneers world's first robotic arm to navigate heart for common cardiac procedure Source: St Mary's Hospital / Connecting for HealthDate: 26 July 2007 St Mary's Hospital in London is pioneering the world's first robot able to navigate the human heart during a popular procedure to eliminate heart rhythm disorders - catheter ablation. The robotic device, used to treat the world's most common heart rhythm disorder –atrial fibrillation (AF), could dramatically reduce clinical risk for patients. The advancement has the potential to simplify complex procedures and not only increase patient safety but also the availability of the procedure. The Sensei Robotic Catheter system, by Hansen Medical, was launched globally in May with St Mary's announced as the World's first centre for training and development. More than 20 St Mary's patients have already been operated on by the robotic surgical hand, which is controlled by a doctor from a nearby console station. ( Read more...) |
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| Free version of medavis DICOM Importer Source: MEDICA.deDate: 21 Sept 2007 "Medavis" released a free tool to import medical image data into PACS Archives |
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| Paris hospital first in EU to implement Picis CareSuite Source: Healthcare IT News.EU A private hospital in the heart of Paris stands as the first European medical center to implement Picis Inc.'s CareSuite Total Perioperative Automation software package. Picis , a U.S.-based healthcare IT vendor, and Institut Mutualiste Montsouris in Paris have reached an agreement to integrate patient booking, surgical scheduling, supply chain management, revenue management, operating room clinical workflow and critical care through the automated healthcare IT software system. Patients, surgeons, operating room nurses, and anesthesia providers will all benefit from this technology, said Philippe Mabille, general director of Picis S.A.S. in France, French-speaking Belgium and Switzerland. The Paris hospital will also implement Picis' point-of-care information system for intensive care units. (read more...) |
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| Biocomputer: Tiny Implantable Molecular Devices In: MEDICA.de (www.medica.de)Source : Harvard University Date: 11 June 2007 Researchers at Harvard University and Princeton University have made a crucial step toward building biological computers, tiny implantable devices that can monitor the activities and characteristics of human cells. 31/05/2007. The information provided by these "molecular doctors," constructed entirely of DNA, RNA, and proteins, could eventually revolutionize medicine by directing therapies only to diseased cells or tissues. |
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| Philips and Misys collaborate to offer technology solutions to the homecare marketplace Source: eHealth News - EC Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG; AEX: PHI) and Misys Healthcare Systems, a leader in healthcare IT, announced a plan to join forces to provide a comprehensive solution for the homecare market. The companies intend to develop an integrated software platform that enables homecare agencies to provide high quality care to chronically ill patients, while benefiting from operational efficiencies in monitoring and managing their patients' health status. |
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| More research needed into health effects of electromagnetic fields, Source: eHealth News - EC Further research is needed to determine the impact of electromagnetic fields on health, particularly in the long term, according to the latest Opinion published by the European Commission's "Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks" (SCENIHR). |
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| Digital pen points to healthcare Source: California Healthcare Foundation LUND, SWEDEN - It's been said that the pen is mightier than the sword. It may also be more powerful than the laptop. |
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| ERCIM: developing a new Pathophysiology Modelling WG The Digital Patient (VPH)by Ioannis Tollis and Nicholas Ayache Initiated by the European Commission as a major multidisciplinary scientific challenge, the Virtual Physiological Human (VPH) aims to develop robust, in silico models of human physiology and pathology. The desired outcomes include the identification of novel diagnostic biomarkers, the optimization of clinical decision-making and the discovery of innovative therapies. In this way, individualized models of human function could serve as virtual testbeds for a better understanding of pathophysiological processes (ie the disturbance of normal mechanical, physical and biochemical functions), as well as evaluating potential therapeutical strategies in silico. This scientific direction is reflected in the recent calls for projects for the European Union's 7th Framework Programme on VPH, which will target:
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| Computer Pump Makes Chemotherapy 'Kinder, Gentler,' Doctors Say Source: ECT TechNewsWorld www.technewsworld.com By Gene J. Koprowski
In the art house film, "Wit," Emma Thompson plays an always-acerbic college English professor whose approach to life is challenged by the sudden onset of cancer, and the resultant treatment of chemotherapy. The chemotherapy regime is often worse than the cancer itself, what with countless visits to the hospital, as the film demonstrates, quite ably. New computer technology is changing all that. A portable, computerized pump small enough to fit in a fanny pack is altering the way cancer patients can receive their chemotherapy. The technology, developed in Europe and imported to the U.S. by the Block Center for Integrative Cancer Care (BCICC), based in Evanston, Ill., enables cancer patients to receive their chemotherapy at a time when it will be most effective and least toxic. (more…) |
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| Sweden's largest Hospital targets improved patient care with Cisco technology Cisco networking technology to advance Data Center Network Architecture, improve data storage, support a hospital merger and connect multiple locations around Stockholm Gartner Data Center Summit, Amsterdam, and Stockholm, Sweden, November 30, 2005 - Cisco Systems today announced that Karolinska University Hospital - Sweden's largest - is deploying a Cisco Medical-Grade Network solution to help improve healthcare services delivered to patients and streamline IT management. Karolinska, in Stockholm, expects realise significant savings by using Cisco technology to help hospital doctors and home-based medical specialists share patient information quickly and with a high degree of security, making diagnosis and treatment faster and more efficient. (more....) |
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| Magic Key Project The Magic Key Project , developed at the Superior School of Technology and Management of Guarda (Portugal), aims at the development of simple, economical and functional solutions that facilitate the access to the new information and communication technologies by people whose physical difficulties hinder or make this access very difficult. (more….) |
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| Graphical world opens for visually-impaired people Source: IST Results A new tactile device will allow the widespread use of graphical interfaces for visually-impaired people. The tactile graphical display will open up new avenues of employment, communication and personal expression. Conceivably it could do for graphics what Louis Braille did for text in 1824. Current Braille displays generally show one line at a time using electro-magnetic or piezo-electrical forces to raise and lower the dots that make up Braille letters. Larger multiline displays were developed but never sold commercially because they cost over €200,000 to produce. The new display uses electro-rheological fluids and will cost about €15,000 when it enters production, a comparable price to current top-of-the-range single line readers. (more….) |
New Solution for Cardiac Care Suites Designed To Enhance Diagnosis and Treatment Source: HEALTH Informatics NHS ( Connecting for Health) www.informatics.nhs.uk Philips is introducing innovative, networked equipment for recording patient data in acute hospital settings. The new HeartStart MRx can be operated without a mains supply and streams patient's waveforms and vitals in real time. Information is collected and logged at an IntelliVue Information Centre, where it can be analysed by clinicians. All data registered by the equipment can be transported with the patient and is recorded straight onto the patient chart. Oran Muduroglu, CEO of Healthcare Informatics for Philips Medical Systems, commented that this is the first combined patient monitor and defibrillator for use in acute settings. He remarked: "When physicians can accurately and quickly make a diagnosis, the patient benefits through earlier treatment options." Philips is also developing a completely integrated software suite for cardiac wards, which collects data from intervention, ultrasound, CTs and MRs, nuclear cardiology and electrophysiology. Other solutions in progress are currently being displayed at the 2007 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) annual conference in New Orleans . Recent research published in Health Affairs suggests that electronic management of patient care can improve treatment quality. | |
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| Technology Enables Nurses To Spend More Time With Patients Source: HEALTH Informatics NHS (Connecting for Health) www.informatics.nhs.uk A new device based on Intel Corporation's mobile clinical assistant (MCA) platform is now ready for use, allowing nurses to remain connected to information on patients and manage the administration of medications while on the move. Motion Computing's C5 is the first product to be based on the MCA platform and has been welcomed by clinicians and nurses around the world. The system, which is lightweight, spill-resistant and easy to clean, provides up-to-the-minute access to patient records via wireless connectivity and allows the user to document a patient instantly, aiding workflow and reducing the administrative burden placed on medical staff. Rapid user logon is enabled by the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, and the device also incorporates a digital camera to help keep track of wounds as they heal, as well as Bluetooth technology to help capture a patient's vital signs. Paul Otellini, president and CEO of Intel, said that the MCA was "defined and shaped by the clinicians who will use it". "They have told us it will improve their decision making and patient care while easing overall workloads. This is a great example of putting innovative technology to work solving real needs," he remarked. Motion Computing's president and CEO, Scott Eckert, added: "Delivering solutions that improve the quality of care is a strategic priority for Motion, and we have heard directly from clinicians how technology can help them spend more time caring for their patients." The UK 's Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust was one of a number of hospitals across the world involved in trialling the MCA. |
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| Hospitals to Start Scanning Patients for Implanted Chips Source: e-Week.COM ( www.eweek.com ) U.S. hospitals are gearing up to scan unconscious and disoriented patients for implanted microchips. To encourage patients to get tagged, VeriChip, the chip's maker, plans to give away scanning equipment to hospitals . Because the chips could be scanned without people's consent or knowledge, the news has sparked visions of a world where a Big Brother government (or employer) monitors people's movements. The real danger is much more low-tech: the use and abuse of patients' medical information. (read more...) |
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| Faster, more efficient searching of medical images In: EC - IST Results A Danish-led research project has made encouraging progress toward using advanced mathematics as the basis of an improved method for indexing and searching medical images in the huge digital databases of clinics and hospitals. Completed in November 2005, the DSSCV consortium's long-term goal was to contribute to software tools allowing doctors and hospital technicians to quickly search and match X-rays, magnetic resonance images and computed 3D tomography scans, particularly of the craniofacial region. "Let's say a doctor has a new patient with a broken bone," says coordinator, Mads Nielsen, a professor of computer science at the IT University of Copenhagen . "He remembers seeing a similar fracture and wants to recall how he treated that patient, but doesn't remember the case number. By inputting the X-ray of the new patient, this computer system would allow finding the relevant, digitally stored image of that kind of fracture." "Anybody that needs to compare or search images for specific features could use the technology," says Nielsen. However, he estimates that practical use will require five to 10 more years of development. (more …) |
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| 3D Computer: Virtual Limbs Ease Amputees' Pain Published by: MEDICA.de www.medica.de Source: The University of Manchester www.manchester.ac.uk Date: 27 Nov 2006 Scientists are using 3D computer graphics to combat the pain suffered by amputees. They have developed a virtual reality system, which gives the illusion that a person's amputated limb is still there. The computer system immerses patients into a life-size virtual reality world. (more...) |
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| Semantic Interoperability to Boost Data Sharing NHS Connecting for Health Source: NewsWire Newsletter www.informatics.nhs.uk Date: 15th November 2006 Health informatics experts think the semantic interoperability concept can improve communication and data sharing through the health industry. The concept involves harmonising disparate applications easily – bypassing the typical problems of computer languages being incompatible. In fact, semantic interoperability breaks down the problematic search queries that produce multiple meanings on a single term, essentially negotiating with systems to find the appropriate terms that are relevant. Quovadx vice president Mike Epplen said: "By using a regularly updated consistent clinical terminology, errors can be reduced and patient care improved." He added: "This enables us to continue to bring the best technology partners together to enhance our customers' investment in our products." The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has been moving semantic technologies to the commercial arena since 2005 and interest in the technology from the US healthcare industry has been apparent by the data sharing and consolidation potential. |
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| Grids to aid breast cancer diagnosis and research The millions of mammography exams performed each year in Europe save thousands of women's lives, but if the data from all breast cancer screening procedures was made available to clinicians and researchers across the continent they could save many more. That is the vision that has driven MammoGrid . (more) |
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| IMI path around bottlenecks to R&D efficiency Source : EC -CORDIS Express (http://cordis.europa.eu/express/home.html)Date: 9 September , 2006 The Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) has published a new version of its strategic research agenda (SRA), outlining strategies to overcome specific 'bottlenecks' to efficient R&D for new medicines. Central to this would be a new European Medicines Research Academy (EMRA), with some similarities to the proposed European Institute of Technology (EIT), to promote excellence in medicines research in Europe. |
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| Accenture , SAP To Develop Health Care Software Source: iHEALTH Beat (www.ihealthbeat.org) The consulting firm Accenture and software producer SAP on Wednesday announced that they will co-develop software for the health IT industry that is intended to improve patient care and reduce costs, Reuters / CNET News reports. ( Reuters / CNET News , 9/20). |
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| EUROSTAT: Small growth in European R&D investment (EuropeanTechWire) According to Eurostat's latest figures on research and development (R&D) spending, overall investment in the EU is approaching the 2 per cent mark.(more) |
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| French Tech Research for Disabled People - a "Top Priority" Origin: French Government (www.recherche.gouv.fr) Date: May, 2003 The French government has launched a set of research measures aimed at developing new technologies for people with disabilities. (more) |
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| Who Pays For Tech Innovation Source: E-Commerce Times (www.ecommercetimes.com) Date: 07.10.2002 The dollars spent by tech sector heavyweights on research and development number in the billions. For example, in the semiconductor space, Intel(Nasdaq: INTC) will have spent US$4 billion on R&D by the end of 2002. The company operates more than 75 labs staffed with 7,000 researchers, and it increased its R&D spending by 412 percent between 1991 and 2001. Determining a company's return on its R&D investment is not a clear-cut exercise. Until ROI is achieved, companies often find ways to pass the costs on to consumers or suffer reduced profits. (more) |
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| NTT Sreams Super High
Definition Video From Midwest toWest Coast Over High-Speed Network Source: CAnet-News Date: 30.10.2002 Japan's Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT), in collaboration with the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Electronic Visualization Laboratory (EVL) and the University of Southern California (USC) School of Cinema-Television, successfully demonstrated Super High Definition (SHD) full motion digital imagery streaming in real time from a server in Chicago to a projector in Los Angeles. (more) |
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| The Mobile Home of
the 21st Century Source: Redherring.com Date: 30.10.2002 R&D teams at many of the world's major tech organizations are developing new ways for humans to interact with their digital environment. Wireless data and voice networks are popping up everywhere. Like the stems of proliferating weeds, their antennae can be found now in the darndest of places: inside local Starbucks coffee shops, as well as on residential rooftops in cities like New York and San Francisco, where empty Pringles cans broadcast Internet data throughout local neighborhoods. (more) |
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| Connectivity
Alters the Way Business Compete Source: NewsScan Editors innovation-digest@newsscan.com Date: 08.05.2002 Businesses used to be able to decide what operations
they needed to convert supplies into products, then set things up in a
sequence that resembled a production line. They could cover as many steps
in the production process as possible, or focus on one step, usually near
the end or beginning of the process. But increased connectivity in today's
world makes such thinking obsolete, says Cap Gemini Ernst & Young.
Businesses today can coordinate complex production processes that aren't
owned by the same company, or specialize in operations that occur
in several parts of a production process - which doesn't even have to
be organized in a linear fashion. Such changes drastically alter the way
businesses compete. For example, customer value is understood as something
created by a network of companies. And only after the overall configuration
of this "value web" has been taken into account can a business
make wise choices about its own boundaries. Instead of choosing a certain
segment of the production line running from raw materials to consumers,
they can select any bits of the value web where they are able to excel,
leaving the other operations to companies that can do them better. (Center
for Business Innovation Journal Issue 7) |
| | Innovation
vs. Optimization Source: NewsScan Editors innovation-digest@newsscan.com Date: 08.05.2002 Are you really innovating? Or simply "optimizing"
- figuring out how to do what you already do better, cheaper, and faster?
Optimization can be a trap, says Jack Stack of SRC Holdings, if you don't
make the investments required to come up with new products, services and
businesses that can address your weaknesses and help you grow. Relentless
optimizing can actually strip your capacity to innovate. To save money,
you've gotten rid of engineering, market research, human resources,
and every other support function, and you no longer have the people or
the culture needed to come up with the breakthroughs that can save you.
To avoid that trap, Stack says, you've got to realize that your real product
is your company itself. There's more value in building companies, he says,
than in building products. "If you sell a pen, you can make a dollar.
If you sell a pen company, you can make $10 million." Stack's innovation
insights have created dozens of spin-off companies and a set of rules
about innovating. First, use leverage, not cash, for a spin-off company.
Hoard your equity and borrow what you need. Understand that the new venture
is an experiment, and don't jeopardize the mother company. Find the right
leader and give them a significant equity stake to encourage bootstrapping.
Then find a cash-flowgenerator- a customer with a specific problem who's
willing to pay to solve it - and an overhead absorber - a product that
will meet the customer's need that you can begin selling immediately.
(Inc. Magazine 1 Apr 2002) |
| | Advice on Leadership
from Tom Peters of "Excellence" Fame Source: NewsScan Editors innovation-digest@newsscan.com Date: 08.05.2002 While there is no sure way to predict the future, certain facets of tomorrow's organization can be envisioned. There may not be one company today that exemplifies the Enterprise of the Future in every respect, but there are a growing number of companies that have been functioning in a consistently progressive and new way. The tools to help any business become more like such an organization already exist. By making itself more like the Enterprise of the Future, a business can make sure not only that it's ready for the new competitive challenges, but that it's ready and adaptable to succeed in the world beyond. (more) |
| | The
Rarity of Common Sense Source: NewsScan Editors innovation-digest@newsscan.com Date: 08.05.2002 Much has been written about the qualities
necessary to succeed in business - everything from technological competence
to an ability to adapt to change. But one often overlooked - yet critical
- factor is common sense. By its very name, common sense is assumed to
be, well, common. "It is possessed by any human being who bears even
a modicum of sanity and rationality," writes Henry Astorga. "What
is it then that makes people up and down organizational ranks and in their
professional lives - accomplishments and erudition notwithstanding - succumb
to behaviors and actions that reduce them to asinine nincompoops?"
Astorga cites notable examples of business, political and religious personalities
who, despite a wealth of talents and professional accomplishments, have
fallen from public adulation and grace because of their utter lack of
common sense. He writes that while highly competent people share certain
traits, such as being decisive, ethical, perceptive and empathetic, "we
can also find common traits among those people who, in spite of their
intelligence, appear to be devoid of commonsense. They are self-absorbed,
arrogant, insensitive, and unethical among others. Thus, might it be fair
to contend that skills and competencies may propel us to untold heights
of fame, fortune and mastery but it is commonsense that allows us to stay
there?" (Asia Pacific Management Forum 29 Apr 2002) |
| |
The Enterprise
of the Future The Enterprise of the Future seizes the
opportunities presented by new technology so decisively that it regularly
creates new kinds of businesses where none existed before. Often it has
no close competitors, because it stakes out the key relationships, technologies
and operating standards before other companies have even figured out what
they are. It makes value capture and pricing strategies part of its basic
decisions about the kinds of goods and services it produces. The Enterprise
of the Future operates and adapts at speeds that have only recently become
possible. It functions almost entirely in real time, so it's accessible
to customers and suppliers around the clock. It can reorganize itself
to profit from a new opportunity while other companies are still
doing feasibility studies. The Enterprise of the Future aggressively applies
its know-how, brand, and human resources to new opportunities and new
markets. Ponder these key questions to become an EoF: How can you create
new value for the customer and make sure you capture this value? How should
you configure the components of your business for maximum effectiveness?
How can you increase the speed at which you operate and adapt? How can
you leverage your intangible assets better? (Center for Business Innovation
Journal) |
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Enhancing
Customer Service with Technology The most basic element in a customer
relationship management (CRM) program is still a living, breathing customer
service representative, according to Arthur M. Hughes, spokesman for the
Database Marketing Institute. But add a few key technologies and software
and your business can take a quantum leap in customer recognition and
loyalty. One such basic is a database with customer names, addresses,
phone numbers and purchase histories, which may also include personal
preferences and events that trigger purchases (like anniversaries or birthdays).
Caller-ID linked to the database can take CRM to a higher level by immediately
displaying reams of customer information, and Automatic Call Director
(ACD) software routes calls directly to the customer's regular service
representative. Other software programs automatically alert customer service
reps to make specific purchasing suggestions to callers. Such technologies
are a boon, says Hughes, but companies still must measure return on technology
investments - specifically in how much additional business is generated
from satisfied, loyal customers, as well as tracking opportunities for
higher sales and profits through cross-selling, repeat purchases, up-selling
and referrals. (South China Morning Post 6 Apr 2002) |
| |
Loyal Employees Create Loyal Customers If you want to keep customers loyal
to your company, make sure your management policies are designed
to keep customer service employees happy. Jonathan Copulsky,
a partner in the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) practice
of Deloitte Consulting, says his firm's research and client experience
point to a strong correlation between employee satisfaction and customer
satisfaction and, in turn, between employee loyalty and customer loyalty.
Copulsky says it's no coincidence that companies that often end up on
lists of the best places to work are also considered customer-service leaders.
To create loyal employees, experts say a company must do a couple of
things. First, managers must lay out a growth path for each employee
in the company, so employees know from the start how learning
various skills will help them move up the ladder. Then, employees
need to be moved up the ladder as they master those skills. Finally,
the most crucial step is to assign the most well-trained, highly
motivated employees to serve the company's most valuable customers,
assuring them the best possible customer service. |
| |
Better Teamwork Through Emotional
Intelligence When a team isn't coming together, managers
often look to classic team-building exercises as a cure. But according
to the authors, understanding the emotional reality of the team's environment
is critical to finding a real solution. "Part of understanding
the emotional reality is uncovering the particular habits ingrained
in a team or organization that can drive behavior," they write.
"Often these habits make little sense to people - and yet they
still act on them, seeing them as 'just the way we do things around
here.' Emotionally intelligent leaders look for signs that reveal whether
such habits, and the systems that support them, work well. By exploring
and exposing unhealthy group habits, leaders can build more effective
norms." That's where the hard part comes in. In order to get at
the truth, leaders must be willing to hold honest conversations about
what's working, what's not, and why. Too often, discomfort over where
these kinds of conversations might go - and the emotional issues they
might bring up - prevent them from ever taking place. But, write the
authors, "by not taking on the problem, the leader actually magnifies
it. It takes courage to break through that barrier, and it takes an
emotionally intelligent leader to guide a team through it. (HBS Working
Knowledge 8 Apr 2002) |
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