New technology discovery at Mount Sinai Hospital holds promise for improved breast

cancer treatment

(Toronto, ON, January 29, 2009) – In a study published by Nature Biotechnology online on
February 1, 2009, Mount Sinai Hospital researchers have unveiled a new technology tool that
analyzes breast cancer tumours to determine a patient's best treatment options. The tool can
predict with more than 80 per cent accuracy a patient's chance of recovering from breast cancer.

"Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Canadian women," said Dr. Jeff Wrana, Senior
Investigator and the Mary Janigan Research Chair in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics at the
Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital, and an International Scholar of
the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. "Our hope with this technology is to eventually provide
individualized analysis to breast cancer patients and their oncologists so that they are better
informed and empowered to select a treatment best suited to them."

The technology, called 'DyNeMo' analyzes networks of proteins in cancer cells. Analysis of
more than 350 patients found that those who survive breast cancer have a different organization
of the network of proteins within the tumour cells, compared with patients who succumbed to the
illness. DyNeMo can be used to predict the outcome in a newly diagnosed breast cancer patient
and then assist clinicians and patients in making informed decisions on treatment. The study was
led by the Mount Sinai Hospital team and co-authored by researchers at the University of
Toronto and London, England's The Institute for Cancer Research.

In the future, this tool may be used to analyze other types of cancer and could be used to predict
an individual's response to particular drugs.

"This research brings us one step closer to delivering individualized medicine in which
healthcare professionals will be able to provide more accurate and personalized diagnoses and
treatments," said Dr. Jim Woodgett, Director of Research for the Samuel Lunenfeld Research
Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital.

The research was funded by Genome Canada with funds from Ontario Genomics Institute, and
the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF) – Ontario Region. The CBCF's Interim CEO
Beth Easton said the Foundation, "is pleased to play a role, along with others, in supporting the
basic science behind this exciting development for breast cancer patients."

To bring this technology to patients, Mount Sinai Hospital is working to partner with the
biotechnology industry, and estimates that the tool will be available to healthcare providers
within the next five years.

###

About the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital

The Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital, a University of Toronto
affiliated research centre established in 1985, is one of the world's premier centres in biomedical
research. Thirty-four principal investigators lead research in diabetes, cancer biology,
epidemiology, stem cell research, women's and infants' health, neurobiology and systems
biology. For more information on the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, please visit
www.lunenfeld.ca

The Institute of Cancer Research

The Institute of Cancer Research is Europe's leading cancer research centre with expert scientists
working on cutting edge research. In 2009, The Institute of Cancer Research marks its 100 years
of world leading research into cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment. The Institute is a
charity that relies on voluntary income. It is one of the world's most cost-effective major cancer
research organisations with over 95p in every £ directly supporting research. For more
information visit www.icr.ac.uk.

Genome Canada

Genome Canada is a private, non-profit corporation, and the primary funding and information
resource relating to genomics and proteomics research in Canada. Its principal goal is to position
Canada among the world leaders in genomics and proteomics research. Its mandate is to develop
and implement a national strategy in genomics and proteomics research for the benefit of all
Canadians in key selected areas such as agriculture, environment, fisheries, forestry, animal and
human health, and new technology. For this purpose, it has received $840 million in funding
from the Canadian government and co-funding from other partners over eight years, allowing it
to invest a total of $1.6 billion in 131 innovative research projects and technology platforms. To
learn more about Genome Canada, please visit the website at www.genomecanada.ca.

Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation – Ontario Region

The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation was founded in 1986 as the first organization in the
country devoted exclusively to the funding of breast cancer research, education and awareness
initiatives. The Foundation continues to blaze new trails by directing donor dollars to world-class
researchers and clinicians who are contributing to groundbreaking progress in breast cancer
prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care. Since 2000, the Foundation has directed more than
$50 million to the cause in Ontario alone. For more information visit www.cbcf.org/ontario.

NOTE to media: If you wish to refer to the paper, it is Nature Biotechnology article
10.1038/nbt.1522

Two Florida Hospital Physicians First in Central Florida to Use New Technology to
Correct Irregular Heart Beat
Stereotaxis technology uses huge magnets to guide catheter into the heart
ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 19, 2010 - A catheter about the circumference and flexibility of a cooked
spaghetti strand, along with a set of two-ton magnets, are part of the latest technology to treat
irregular heart beats.  Florida Hospital electrophysiologists, Dr. George Monir and Dr. Scott
Pollak, corrected a patient's irregular heart beat with this technology for the first time in Central
Florida this week.  They accomplished this with a video-game-type joy stick, while sitting in an
adjoining room from the patient.  This unique technology is called Stereotaxis.

"There are 2.5 to 3 million Americans who suffer from atrial fibrulation or irregular heart beat,"
said Dr. George Monir.  "Stereotaxis is going to enhance safety and accuracy to cure this kind of
irregular rhythm."

Using Stereotaxis technology, two large magnets guide a catheter through the heart while the
physician sits in an adjoining room with a controller in hand and 3-D imaging to direct the
catheter where to go.  When the physician locates the areas of the heart causing the irregular
rhythm, he uses the catheter to disable those parts that are working incorrectly. 

Arrhythmias, commonly known as an irregular heart beat, can be minor and treated with
medication, while others are much more serious and can require techniques that zap portions of
the heart that are causing the irregular rhythm. 

For years, electrophysiologists have been correcting hearts that beat too fast or slow with
electricity through a catheter.  Doctors maneuvered the catheter in the heart by hand with a long
wire, which is not as accurate as Stereotaxis.  Some physicians have described this method as
trying to write with a pencil by holding onto the eraser.  They compare the new Stereotaxis
technology to writing while holding a pencil correctly.

"One of the risks when we move the catheter by hand is we could puncture or put a hole in the
heart," said Dr. Scott Pollak.  "With Stereotaxis, there have been no instances of holes or
punctures because the catheter is very flexible."

Stereotaxis also shortens the length of the procedure and decreases the amount of radiation the
patient, doctor and staff is exposed to.  The first patient who benefited from the Stereotaxis
technology says he would recommend it to others.

"I was excited, not in any way did I have apprehension of being the first patient at Florida
Hospital to take advantage of this technology," said Bill Martin.  "I knew I was in good hands."

For media inquiries only, contact Florida Hospital Media Relations at 407-303-8217.

 www.floridahospitalnews.com

###

 
Related Videos: 
Stereotaxis
http://www.floridahospitalnews.com/doctors-first-use-new-technology-correct-heart-beat

New technology helps hospitals

reduce medical mistakes
Flo Healthcare’s 1750 Mobile Cart allows nurses and clinicians to access and update electronic
medical records at the point of care NNorcross-based Flo Healthcare, a privately held company
that provides wireless and mobile clinical workstations for the healthcare industry, is helping
hospitals across the country decrease medical mistakes by offering a system that allows nurses
and clinicians to access electronic medical records at a patient’s bedside. Flo Healthcare’s 1750
Mobile Cart is a totally wireless computer workstation that is lightweight and mobile, and
designed to work with any hospital IT application. “The mobile cart allows users to go room to
room with a computer to access and update records right at the point of care,” says Keith
Washington, vice president of business development at Flo Healthcare. “Nurses can become
more efficient and records will be updated instantly at the patient’s bedside.”In most hospitals,
nurses still have to read hand-written prescriptions, notes and lab results,and update them into the
computer system generally located at a nurse’s station. That’s when many unintentional mistakes
are made. “The mobility of the system eliminates several steps [in the medical record data
process], and helps reduce those errors,”Washington says. Michele Cacdac, director of marketing
for Flo Healthcare, says decreasing medical mistakes is one reason why the healthcare industry is
moving so quickly toward improving patient safety. “Having technology at the point of care
where the treatment is happening is part of that process,”she says. Tom Denmark,president and
CEO for Flo Healthcare, says the aggressive came out as the clear winner with our maintenance
people, IT staff and clinicians.”
CHOA’s system will eventually let a doctor pick from a list of meds and write an order, and it
will automatically go to the pharmacy and then populate the patient’s record for the nurse.
CHOA’s two hospitals will begin using the carts this month.Washington credits Flo Healthcare’s
success to the number of hospitals like CHOA transitioning from paper
records to electronic systems. “Healthcare is pretty far behind when it comes to automation,” he
says. “Eventually,the goal is for doctors to be able to access and update patients’
records online-that’s the direction everyone is going.” Denmark agrees and says the healthcare
technology market has picked up speed but Flo Healthcare stands apart from its competitors for
other reasons. “We offer a totally customizable system that’s easy to use and
integrate.” Safety standards are another area that sets them apart. Although the carts aren’t
regulated as medical equipment (they’re still considered computers),Flo Healthcare ensures its
carts meet the same standards as medical equipment.“We feel like it needs to
be just as safe as anything else that comes in contact with a patient,”Denmark says. Flo
Healthcare’s systems are so cutting edge,it applied for a patent in 1998 when the market was just
evolving.The company received the patent in 2002, and that, Washington says, has also
given it a significant advantage in the business. The mobility of the FloCart system allows
Corinne Braender, RN to move the equipment directly to the point of care.growth the healthcare
technology sector is experiencing has been good for Flo Healthcare,which has added nearly two
to three hospitals per week to its client list since 2003. “We’ve grown 40 percent and 75 percent
in the last two years, and have had a 400-percent employee growth during that same
time,”Denmark says. “We expect that same kind of growth in foreseeable future.” To date,Flo
Healthcare has approximately 35,000 units in 700 hospitals across Canada and the United
States,including several major hospital systems in Atlanta. Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
(CHOA) was one local system that recently purchased 300 mobile carts to help facilitate and
simplify the hospitals’ transition from paper to electronic medical records. The changeover will
require nurses and clinicians more access to computers. “We didn’t want them to have to go back
and forth from the patients’ rooms to a fixed computer station,” says Ellen Hansen, director of
clinical informatics at CHOA. “We needed a product that would be portable and easy to use, and
one that didn’t disrupt their workflow.” Hansen says Flo Healthcare’s ability to customize the
1750 Mobile Cart to CHOA’s needs was key. “They were able to tailor the carts and meet our
specific requirements,” she says.“They even
worked on the things we didn’t like.Flo

Stereo mammography a big leap in breast imaging

10
mar
Categories: Diagnostics, Imaging, News and Updates
Comments: 0

Stereoscopic digital mammography, a new diagnostic technique capable of producing three-

dimensional, in-depth views of breast tissue, could significantly reduce the number of women
who are recalled for additional tests following routine screening mammography. Results of a
clinical trial being conducted at Emory University Breast Clinic in Atlanta were presented
Thursday at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

Stereoscopic digital mammography consists of two digital x-ray images of the breast acquired
from two different points of view separated by about eight degrees. When the images are viewed
on a stereo display workstation, the radiologist is able to see the internal structure of the breast in
three dimensions. In the ongoing clinical trial, researchers use a full-field digital mammography
unit modified to take stereo pairs of images. The workstation enables the mammographer to fuse
the stereo image pair and to view the breast in depth.

In the study, stereo mammography reduced false positives by 49%. This huge drop in percentage
has strong implications with regard to needless cost in time and money. BBN Technologies and
Planar Systems developed the stereo display workstation used in the trial.
http://latestmedicaltechnology.net/diagnostics/

Painless vaccines?
Not everyone is a fan of needles. In fact, there are probably more people who are averse to
having needles stuck into their skins. This isn’t surprising as needles are most always associated
with pain, sickness, and medication.

Since it’s a part of many medical procedures however, there’s no way around getting shots until
new ways of dispensing specific medicines or vaccines can be found. This might soon change
though thanks to the medical researchers at Georgia Tech and Emory University who have
teamed up to create a flu vaccine that is painless, convenient, and hassle-free.

“We’re developing a technology we like to call microneedles. These are needles that we make by
using the technology that’s used to make integrated circuits for computers,” said Georgia Tech
Professor Mark Prausnitz.

Prausnitz says microscopic needles are coated with flu vaccine that can be barely seen or felt. It
allows the vaccine to get into the body.

“Without those tiny needles, if you put the flu vaccine on your skin, none would go in,”
according to Prausnitz.

Emory University’s Dr. Ioanna Skountzou says the technology is promising and easy to use.
“This is something we hope to put in practice in the very near future.You c

http://latestmedicalbreakthroughs.com/2010/01/
Stereo mammography a big leap in breast imaging
10mar

Categories: Diagnostics, Imaging, News and UpdatesComments: 0

Stereoscopic digital mammography, a new diagnostic technique capable of producing three-

dimensional, in-depth views of breast tissue, could significantly reduce the number of women
who are recalled for additional tests following routinescreening mammography. Results of a
clinical trial being conducted at Emory University Breast Clinic in Atlanta were presented
Thursday at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Stereoscopic digital mammography consists of two digital x-ray images of the breast acquired
from two different points of view separated by about eight degrees. When the images are viewed
on a stereo display workstation, the radiologist is able to see the internal structure of the breast in
three dimensions. In the ongoing clinical trial, researchers use a full-field digital mammography
unit modified to take stereo pairs of images. The workstation enables the mammographer to fuse
the stereo image pair and to view the breast in depth.

In the study, stereo mammography reduced false positives by 49%. This huge drop in percentage
has strong implications with regard to needless cost in time and money. BBN Technologies and
Planar Systems developed the stereo display workstation used in the trial.
Nuclear Physics Promises Earlier Detection of Brain Tumors With
Just One Scan
ScienceDaily (Mar. 4, 2010) — Time taken to detect brain tumours could soon
be significantly reduced thanks to an ongoing pioneering project led by the
University of Liverpool with the Nuclear Physics Group and Technology
departments at the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) at
Daresbury Laboratory. Project ProSPECTus is developing the technology for
next generation SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography)
imaging that is set to revolutionise the medical imaging process, improving
future diagnosis of cancer and the probability of successful cancer therapy
whilst enabling a higher throughput of patients in hospitals.
Project ProSPECTus is based on a form of imaging known as SPECT which detects gamma rays emitted
by a tiny amount of a radioactive pharmaceutical which is injected into the body. SPECT is a widely used
method of imaging in many areas of medicine providing 3D functional information about the body, which
is typically presented as cross-sectional slices through the patient. It is most commonly used to test the
functioning of the heart or for the detection of tumours. Conventionally, SPECT imaging uses what is
known as an 'Anger Camera' which relies on a collimator, a filtering device with many small holes, which
lets just some gamma rays through and relies on geometry to identify exactly where they are coming from
in order to build a picture of a biological process happening inside the patients.

However, ProSPECTus has taken a fundamentally different approach and has developed its technology
based on what is known as the 'Compton Camera'. This identifies the origin of the gamma rays without
the use of a collimator, meaning that much less of the radiation used in the process is wasted, so the
radiation is used more efficiently. It has not been possible to do this successfully before. However, using
brand new, cutting edge detector systems, ProSPECTus is now building a prototype SPECT imaging
system, using the Compton Camera principle, that is one hundred times more sensitive than existing
clinical SPECT systems. This increased sensitivity offers two benefits- either the dose of radiation
administered to the patient could be reduced or alternatively more patients could be scanned by one
machine in a day if the current dose is used.
These new cutting edge detector systems, designed by the University of Liverpool's Nuclear Physics
research group alongside the Nuclear Physics Group at STFC Daresbury Laboratory, are a direct spin out
of AGATA (Advanced Gamma Tracking Array), a nuclear physics research and development project with
the aim of building the next generation gamma-ray spectrometer. ProSPECTus is funded from STFC's
Particle and Nuclear Physics Applied Systems (PNPAS) programme, a scheme aimed at exploiting
techniques developed in blue-skies basic research projects like AGATA so as to generate knowledge
exchange into the areas of health, security and energy applications.
Dr Andy Boston, the project spokesperson, at the University of Liverpool said: "Not only is ProSPECTus'
technology a hundred times more sensitive than that of the traditional Compton camera, it is unique in
that it will also be possible to operate it simultaneously with MRI (Magnetic resonance Imaging), which
has never been an option due to the MRI's strong magnetic field. In fact, it will be possible to fit this
SPECT system retrospectively to the 350 or so existing MRI scanners across the UK. For patients this
means fewer appointments, earlier and more effective diagnosis of tumours, which means higher
probability of effective treatment. The higher sensitivity camera also offers the scope for shorter imaging
time and lower doses of radiation, which is highly beneficial for patients who require frequent scanning.
For clinicians, this means that more patients can be seen in a day. This is a truly collaborative effort
between the Nuclear Physics Groups both at the University of Liverpool and STFC Daresbury Laboratory,
working with STFC's Technology teams who will design and build the detector cryostat and with the
essential support from Liverpool's Magnetic Resonance & Image Analysis Research Centre (MARIARC)
who provide the MRI expertise."
Ian Lazarus of STFC's Nuclear Physics team at Daresbury Laboratory said: "ProSPECTus has taken the
abilities of the Compton imager to a new level. This is a particularly exciting example of how technology
emerging from one nuclear physics project, in this case, AGATA, can have a direct and positive impact on
the future wellbeing of our society."

Brain talk
10apr
Categories: InformationComments: 0

There is a latest technology out in the market today which allows the human brain to make a
direct contact with a computer. This will really help those who are obsessive multi-taskers as
they would no longer have to be in direct contact with a computer to avail of its services. This
could also help patients who are in a coma as the computers can direct interaction when there is
one from the sleeping brain. With the digital automatic consciousness, patients can now stop
relying on people to interact with slumbering patients and also, unlike people, computers
don’t lose hope as they are programmed to do their job which is to awaken brain power in
the patient. It becomes necessary to hope for this kind of computer to proliferate if only to help
the medical community cope with almost hopeless cases.