The Department of Health is making £8m available for regional NHS organisations to fund local campaigns that improve early diagnosis of cancer.

PCTs are invited to bid for up to £100,000 to run campaigns targeted at one or more of the three biggest killers: breast, colorectal and lung cancer.

The money can be used for advertising, outreach work and public information, as well as measuring the impact of the campaign so that effective ideas can be rolled out nationally.

The campaign is part of a wider programme of investment in cancer screening and diagnostic services.

Health Minister Ann Keen said: “As a nurse I know that to give patients the best chance of survival we need to catch cancer early. Our aim is to save up to 10,000 extra lives a year through early diagnosis and intervention.

“These local campaigns will encourage patients with symptoms to seek help earlier, and build on the Prime Minister’s recent pledge to give patients the results of their diagnostic tests within one week.”

National Cancer Director Mike Richards said: “This money will enable the NHS locally to raise awareness of the symptoms of the biggest cancer killers and to encourage patients to visit their GP earlier.

“Local campaigns and investment in new diagnostic services will also encourage GPs to ‘play it safe’ and refer patients for tests if they have any doubt.”

To help them develop their campaigns, PCTs will be given a pack of social marketing examples – including the Doncaster Cough Campaign, which used a virtual bus shelter with sound chips to promote awareness that a persistent cough could indicate lung cancer. The campaign increased the proportion of patients diagnosed early from 11% to 19%.

 
Ann Keen

A unique self-expanding stent to treat acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has received CE Mark approval for sale in the EU.

The Stentys platform is designed to ensure optimal apposition of a stent in the critical hours and days following an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) procedure. By maintaining continuous contact with the vessel’s internal surface, the stent avoids being shifted out of place.

“For European regulatory approval, we have demonstrated how the Stentys stent perfectly conforms to a variable vessel anatomy after AMI stenting,” said Gonzague Issenmann, CEO and co-founder of Stentys.

In December 2009, Stentys started enrolling patients in the randomised APPOSITION II clinical trial to compare the Stentys self-expanding stent against conventional stents in treating AMI patients.

Based in Princeton (USA) and Paris, Stentys is a cardiac device specialist that aims to extend successful stenting procedures to the treatment of complex blocked coronary arteries.

A London NHS hospital has installed an advanced diagnostic CT scanner that combines versatility with precision.

The new 64-slice Somatom Definition AS from Siemens Healthcare at Queen Mary’s Hospital Sidcup has replaced a 4-slice system as the site’s only CT facility.

The scanner is adaptable to the individual patient, clinician and task. It is being used at the hospital to meet a range of scanning needs, particularly in oncology.

The adaptability of the Definition AS makes it ideal for general scans, and for a wide variety of patients. It has a high temporal resolution (up to 165ms) and fast coverage (64 slices per rotation), delivering very clear and precise images.

While needing minimal space, the system has a large bore (78cm) that can accommodate claustrophobic or obese patients. It can hold a mass of up to 230kg. Siemens’ unique Adaptive Dose Shield keeps the patient dose to a minimum level.

“The adaptable Definition AS is ideally suited to be the sole CT system on site at Queen Mary’s Hospital Sidcup,” said Clive West, Regional Sales and Corporate Business Manager at Siemens Healthcare. “Its speed and image quality coupled with an accommodating design mean it is able to meet a vast scope of scanning requirements while improving the patient experience.”

“The main benefits of the Definition AS are its speed and ease of use. Training has also been straightforward as staff are already comfortable with Siemens’ systems,” said Bradley Smith, Services Manager, Radiology at Queen Mary’s Hospital Sidcup.

“Furthermore, its design advantages have made a real difference. For example, the big table limit means we can get larger people through the system and patients can easily be placed in scanning focus.”

 
Somatom Definition AS at Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup

A wireless solution for guiding sleep apnoea treatment has won an award from the GSMA, an industry association for the mobile communications sector.

The Philips Respironics System One from Philips Electronics and Cinterion Wireless Modules has won the Best Embedded End-to-End Service Award in the GSMA Embedded Mobile Competition.

Respironics System One is the first system to combine sleep apnoea therapy with a two-way wireless communication that enables the clinician to adjust the treatment. Currently available in the USA, it will be rolled out worldwide in 2010.

The Embedded Mobile Competition encourages innovation and partnership by highlighting innovative devices and services. The winners are chosen for their innovation, functionality, business models, market potential and contribution towards developing a strong M2M ecosystem.

System One is a CPAP system that treats sleep apnoea by delivering pressurised air through a mask. The new solution integrates Cinterion’s TC65i module to enable two-way wireless communication between the device and a clinician.

The module sends patient breathing data from the device to a secure Web-based platform. Physicians can log on to obtain detailed breathing reports and respond by prescribing immediate air pressure changes that are sent to the device.

“This award is proof of our vision of working together with industry-leading Cinterion to meet today’s healthcare challenges with smart technology solutions that enable improved care,” says Donald Spence, CEO of Philips Home Healthcare Solutions. “In designing System One, we took a smarter approach to sleep management by adding mobility and immediate two-way communications to create our most sophisticated sleep therapy system available today.”

“The telehealth vertical market is poised for enormous growth,” said Norbert Muhrer, CEO, Cinterion Wireless Modules. “This award demonstrates Cinterion’s commitment to developing smart worldwide M2M technology that contributes to improved patient well-being and continued business growth.”

Eucomed, the voice of the medical technology industry in Europe, has updated its ‘virtual medtech museum’ to include a new section on eye disorders.

The feature on the Eucomed website www.eucomed.be now includes information on several eye conditions, their treatment options and historical overviews of technologies for eye treatment, all presented through vivid 3-D graphics.

Early diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders is increasingly a priority for healthcare systems, with glaucoma, AMD and diabetic retinopathy all becoming more prevalent due to the ageing population and lifestyle factors. The number of blind or partially sighted people – around 180 million – could double by 2020.

“From cataract to glaucoma and macular degeneration, eye disorders are one of the most common forms of disability, and proper information adapted to a wide-ranging audience is an important asset in discovering these disorders at an early stage,” said John Wilkinson, Chief Executive of Eucomed.

“The Eucomed medtech museum wants to offer its visitors a comprehensive, engaging tool to find out more about these conditions and how medical technology is transforming people’s lives.”

The Eucomed virtual medtech museum, the first of its kind, aims at raising awareness and understanding among policy-makers, journalists and patients of the benefits of medical technology.

Split over three floors, the museum offers a resource of information on topics such as the nature of medical devices, the contribution of medical technology to the EU economy, what medical technology will look like in the future and much more.

Eucomed is the European Medical Technology Industry Association. It represents 4,500 designers, manufacturers and suppliers of medical technologies. SMEs make up more than 80% of this sector.

A stylish new plinth model described as ‘the Ferrari of treatment couches’ has been launched for use in prestige health and beauty clinics.

The Model 383 Kiko from Plinth 2000, manufactured in the UK, has a sleek design with a silver tubular frame similar to a racing car chassis. It is available in a range of upholstery colours including rosso corsa (racing red).

Designed for use in private facilities where aesthetics are a key factor, the Kiko is lighter and more comfortable than traditional treatment couches, but strong enough to withstand heavy manipulation and working loads.

Kiko is suitable for all types of manipulation, examination and therapy. It can be used in physiotherapy, osteopathy and chiropractic clinics as well as sports clubs, hair and beauty salons, tattoo parlours and other therapy centres.

Features of the new model include electric height control, gas strut-assisted back and footrest adjustment and retractable castors. The platform is padded with contoured polyurethane foam; a breathing hole allows the patient to lie face down. The vinyl upholstery incorporates patented antimicrobial technology.

Plinth 2000 is a market leader in the manufacture of purpose-made treatment couches.

 
Model 383 Kiko

A new plastic syringe design offers drug manufacturers a delivery device that is cheaper to manufacture and package while allowing easy and safe injection.

Cambridge Consultants, a leading technology product design and development firm, has launched the pre-filled syringe concept ‘Syreen’.

Syreen is a safe and user-friendly drug delivery device for self-injection that reduces the resource use associated with traditional glass syringes.

The Syreen syringe is made from COP (cyclic olefin polymer) plastic in a capsule design that removes the need for secondary packaging. The syringes can be clipped together in a pack.

This product design eliminates the need for fillers such as cardboard and styrofoam, reducing the packaging weight by 30% and its volume by 50%.

“What makes Syreen so exciting is that while it is a sustainable alternative to the status quo, it can truly introduce a paradigm shift in the existing supply chain,” said Phil Lever, Commercial Director, Drug Delivery Devices for Cambridge Consultants. “We found that typical glass syringes use many materials from all over the world and that shipping costs are egregious due to inefficiencies in packaging. This marriage of economy and ecology shows that medical device companies will likely see competitive benefits by taking sustainability seriously.”

The prefilled Syreen syringe can be unclipped and placed against the skin. After delivery, the user can dispose of the needle and recycle the plastic capsule.

Two features of the design improve patient and HCP safety. The COP plastic syringe features a curved surface over the needle that reduces needlestick accidents and ensures depth control during injection. The separation of plunger and stopper makes it impossible for the syringe to take in blood or other contaminants.

Cambridge Consultants is seeking to develop the Syreen concept with major pharmaceutical companies.

 
Syreen syringe

An ‘artificial pancreas’ can be used to regulate blood glucose in children with Type 1 diabetes, research at Cambridge University has shown.

A study published in The Lancet shows that combining a real-time sensor measuring glucose levels with a pump that delivers insulin can improve overnight blood glucose control and cut the risk of blood glucose levels falling dangerously low.

In total, 17 children and teenagers with Type 1 diabetes took part in the study over 54 nights in hospital.

The glucose monitoring system and insulin pump used in the study are already both widely used. The researchers used a complex algorithm to combine them in a ‘closed loop’ system that monitors the patient’s real-time blood glucose levels and delivers treatment accordingly.

The trial showed the artificial pancreas kept blood glucose levels in the normal range for 60% of the time, compared with 40% for a continuous pump. It also stopped blood glucose levels falling below 3.0mmol/l (significant hypoglycaemia).

“This research demonstrates that closed-loop insulin delivery can achieve safe and tighter overnight glucose control in children and adolescents,” said Dr Victoria King, Research Manager at Diabetes UK. “This is an important step forward in managing overnight blood glucose levels, as well as in the eventual development of a full ‘artificial pancreas’ which could vastly improve the quality of life for people with Type 1 diabetes and reduce the risk of the associated complications.”

Research is underway to tackle the challenges of using this system at mealtimes and during exercise, as well as extending its use to adults.

A new European project promoting personal health system (PHS) interoperability has been launched with support from industry group the Continua Health Alliance.

The Smart Personal Health initiative will build awareness of the need for interoperability among PHS and other e-health systems in Europe.

The 12-month project will feature regional stakeholder workshops and finally deliver recommendations to the European Commission (EC).

The aim of the project is to realise the potential benefits of the personal health devices and applications that are currently reaching the European market. To form an effective healthcare ecosystem, these medical devices need to be able to transfer data across a wide variety of systems and networks.

The EC’s Communication on Telemedicine called for action to support a wider understanding among key stakeholders of interoperability in personal healthcare. The EC has funded Smart Personal Health to drive this process.

Funding from the EC for this project has been received by the Continua Health Alliance, an international organisation of leading healthcare and technology companies working together to establish a system of interoperable personal health solutions.

“Smart Personal Health will foster increased dialogue among those responsible for interoperability between personal health systems in Europe,” said Charles Parker, executive director, Continua Health Alliance. “We at Continua are excited to be a part of this groundbreaking collaboration within the EU. Interoperability will be crucial to achieve the full potential of connected health systems to increase health care access, enhance patient outcomes, improve population health and control costs.”

Activities of Smart Personal Health will include three regional workshops and a pan-European PHS Interoperability Conference. A final report to the EC will highlight barriers and incentives to the development and adoption of interoperable PHS and make recommendations to the EC, national governments, stakeholder groups and the medtech industry.

Cardiac device specialist Guidant has been charged in the USA with concealing information on failures in three implantable defibrillator models that had caused at least seven deaths.

The US cardiac devices sector has since become quicker to warn regulators and the public of potential product defects.

Guidant is now part of Boston Scientific, which has agreed to pay $296 million on its behalf to settle the charges. The company is expected to enter a formal guilty plea in the coming weeks.

“We are pleased to resolve this matter,” said Boston Scientific spokesman Paul Donovan. “We continue to believe that Guidant and its employees acted in good faith and with the intention of complying with applicable laws and regulations.”

The faulty defibrillator models are the Ventak Prizm 2DR (model 1861) and the Contak Renewal (models H135 and H155). When Guidant recalled 109,000 of the devices in June 2005, seven deaths were linked to the failures.

In May 2005, a Minnesota patient using the Ventak Prizm 2DR died after his defibrillator failed. In November 2002, Guidant had changed the design of this device to correct a short-circuiting problem – but it had told the FDA that the changes did not affect the device’s safety.

In June 2004, a patient in Spain died after the failure of a Contak Renewal defibrillator. In March 2005, Guidant sent a product update to doctors that failed to note this death and other short-circuiting failures of the device. The notice to doctors was not reported to the FDA.

Boston Scientific bought Guidant in 2006. Annette Ruzicka, a Boston Scientific spokeswoman, said that the three defibrillator models have shown no problems since they were modified.

Cardiac device companies in the USA now include product performance reports on their websites to inform clinicians and patients.