A Saudi businessman has purchased an 18-carat gold penis enlarger as a medical device under his country’s trade laws.

The purchase of the custom-made device, priced at $47,000 by Canadian supplier X4 Labs, raises questions about the distinction between medical devices and novelty items.

Sex toys cannot legally be imported into Saudi Arabia. However, the client claims to have a severe skin allergy to stainless steel – medically, therefore, he requires a gold version.

“This male health accessory is the most expensive traction device ever produced,” commented X4 Labs. The device has also been encrusted with diamonds and rubies at the client’s request.

“It’s an unusual request,” said the company’s owner Rick Oh. “We didn’t take it seriously at first, but once he sent us a deposit, we had to agree to it.”

X4 Labs now offers all customers the option of custom-made penis enlargers. Product Co-ordinator Matt West pointed to the emergence of a niche market: “There is a demographic that is willing to pay for lavish medical devices for their private areas.”

For more details, visit www.x4labs.com.

Hygiene and barrier methods should be a higher priority in plans for national flu pandemic preparation, according to a study published on www.bmj.com.

The study found methods such as hand washing, wearing masks and isolating infected patients to be highly effective in preventing the spread of viral infections.

This study updates a 2007 study by Professor Tom Jefferson and colleagues, which showed that physical interventions are highly effective in preventing the spread of respiratory viruses.

However, the current mainstay of pandemic interventions appears to be vaccines and antiviral drugs, despite the lack of evidence supporting their widespread use. The team therefore set out to analyse the results of 59 published studies on the effectiveness of physical measures.

The results show that frequent hand washing (more than 10 times a day) and wearing masks, gloves and gowns are effective individually against acute infectious respiratory diseases, and are still more effective when combined.

The team found limited evidence that N95 masks are superior to simple surgical masks – and the former can also cause skin irritation. The effect of adding antiseptics to normal hand washing also remains uncertain. Global measures such as screening at airports were not thoroughly evaluated.

Many simple and low-cost measures can be effective in reducing the transmission of respiratory viruses when used in combination within a structured programme, the authors say.

Where there is high risk of infection, barrier measures such as gloves, gowns, and masks with filtration apparatus and isolation of likely cases should also be implemented.

The report concludes that cost-effective means to reduce the impact of acute respiratory infections through physical interventions should be sought, and ways found to facilitate their introduction.

The world’s first wireless, cassette-sized digital radiography (DR) detector has gained its first UK installation.

The Carestream DRX-1 has been installed at the Countess of Chester Hospital in Cheshire, an NHS Foundation Trust hospital.

The DRX-1 combines low-dosage radiation, wireless operation and higher image quality. It replaces the hospital’s last computer radiography (CR) system, two other Carestream DR systems being already in place.

The new system is being used for all examinations, but is particularly useful for post-operative imaging (e.g. of hips) when the patient is in a fragile state, as well as nasogastric tube and foreign body localisation.

The detector plate of the DRX-1 is easy to position and manipulate, and results can be accessed almost immediately. This means that the operator can remain in view of the patient at all times.

Senior Radiographer Delyth Hughes said: “The DRX-1 is much more efficient than CR, which makes a significant difference in our department.

“Overall the use of DR technology has cut our waiting times by up to 80% over the last 12 months, with the average wait now being 10 minutes. The DRX-1 enhances this further: now we can stand in the same room as a patient and ensure we’ve got the right shots without sending them in and out of waiting rooms, and process their results much faster.

“The DRX1 has exceeded every expectation possible, completely replacing CR cassettes in Room 6 and making our lives so much easier. We’d love to have this much flexibility in every room.”

Carestream Health, Inc. is a global provider of dental and medical imaging systems and healthcare IT solutions.

For more details, visit www.carestreamhealth.com.

Almost a quarter of people with diabetes in England are at risk of losing their sight because they have not been screened for retinopathy.

DH figures show that 24.5% of people with diabetes aged 12 and over did not receive retinal screening in the period July 2008 to June 2009.

More than half of all PCTs are failing to meet the national standard of annually screening 80% of people with diabetes for retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in the UK’s working-age population. Retinal screening with a digital camera can identify damage or abnormal growth in retinal blood vessels. Diagnosis can lead to laser surgery and/or better management of diabetes. If left untreated, retinopathy can lead to blindness.

“It is unacceptable that well over half a million people with diabetes have not had their eyes checked for retinopathy in the last year using a digital camera as part of a local screening programme,” said Simon O’Neill, Director of Care, Information and Advocacy at Diabetes UK. “Blindness can be prevented in 90% of those at risk if treatment is applied early and adequately, and people are supported to manage their diabetes well.

“PCTs need to ensure they are promoting and inviting all eligible people with diabetes for retinopathy screening, and provide a service that meets national quality standards as set by the National Screening Committee.”

Diabetic retinopathy screening

Radiographers from City University London have used a CT scanner to carry out a postmortem on a woman 2,500 years after her death.

A Somatom Emotion CT scanner from Siemens Healthcare was used to examine an ancient Egyptian mummy called Tahemaa without damaging her remains.

Tahemaa underwent a whole-body scan and 3D images were built up from the cross-sectional images obtained. The team discovered a left femur fracture that had happened after death, and that the brain had not been removed.

“The Emotion is very user-friendly and acquires high-quality axial images in a short time,” said Jayne Morgan, Senior Lecturer at City University London. “We were also able to produce on-the-spot multiple axial, sagittal and coronal reconstructions using both soft tissue and bone algorithms. This provided the researchers with an extensive set of images to take away with them on the day, so that they can be used to publish the results immediately.”

“This exciting project demonstrates the varied uses for advanced scanning technology beyond the clinical environment,” commented Russell Lodge, CT Product Manager at Siemens Healthcare. “The Emotion supports a wide range of clinical applications and is a cost-effective, powerful CT solution.”

The Emotion scanner has been used to examine other historical artefacts, such as medieval daggers embedded in the mud of the Thames, a fragile Roman cremation urn and bones from a Victorian cemetery.

For more details, visit www.siemens.com/healthcare.

SOMATOM Emotion and Tahemaa

The world’s first multi-articulating bionic hand, developed by a Scottish company, has been recognised in the 2009 Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Awards.

The i-LIMB Hand from Edinburgh-based Touch Bionics won Silver overall and gained top honours in the Medical Devices category.

The Wall Street Journal Innovation Awards celebrate ground-breaking technological advances in medicine, software, electronics and other areas. This year, over 500 entries were received from companies around the world.

Stuart Mead, Chief Executive of Touch Bionics, said: “We are delighted by the Wall Street Journal’s recognition of our innovations, which have altered the prosthetics market landscape. This award validates our drive towards innovation and our place in the prosthetics community as a forward-thinking company.”

“Winning the Medical Devices category of the Wall Street Journal’s Innovation Awards is an immense honour for Touch Bionics,” said Phil Newman, Marketing Director. “This award reflects the work of our team in creating a new standard in prosthetics. We should all be immensely proud of the fact that we’re just about to release our 1000th i-LIMB Hand.”

The i-LIMB Hand is the first prosthetic hand with five individually powered digits to reach the market. Since its launch in 2007, it has been fitted commercially in over 40 countries.

For more details, visit www.touchbionics.com.

The i-LIMB Hand

An innovative polymer-based spray to fight bacteria in gyms and fitness centres has been launched by a Port Talbot company.

GymGuard, the first infection control product to be targeted at the UK leisure industry, kills almost all germs and reduces the infection and cross-contamination risks to gym users. It is effective against swine flu and MRSA.

Following a successful test period in gyms across South Wales, GymGuard has been launched for use across the UK.

The product was first developed by Boeing to clean and sanitise the cabin fixtures and fittings on passenger jets. It has been adapted by water treatment and protection experts Garod Thomas and Steve Bosher to protect users of gym equipment.

The spray can be pumped onto a towel or tissue from a dispenser and wiped over gym equipment. It coats the surface, neutralising bacteria and blocking the spread of germs. It lasts for days – unlike traditional sanitisers, which stop working when they dry. Being non-toxic, it can also be used to sanitise skin.

GymGuard’s Garod Thomas said: “The response that we have had from both gym staff and users has been excellent. Not only does GymGuard create a more pleasant training environment and an all-in-one cleaning solution for all gym surfaces, but regular application will ensure that an anti-bacterial coating protects all surfaces in the gym, resulting in the vast reduction of potential cross- contamination and infections.”

For more details, visit www.gymguard.co.uk.

Gorod Thomas with GymGuard

A major study of young people’s health in the UK will use ultrasound systems to diagnose potential liver disorders.

The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), a long-term health research project based at Bristol University, has purchased two Acuson S2000 ultrasound systems from Siemens Healthcare.

The systems will use Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) imaging to investigate non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in 16–18 year olds.

The Acuson S2000 features the non-invasive Virtual Touch application, the first commercial implementation of ARFI. It uses an acoustic ‘push pulse’ to examine the stiffness of deep tissue.

The ALSPAC study, also known as ‘Children of the 90s’, enrolled 14,000 expectant mothers in 1991–2 and has followed the children and parents ever since. Detailed liver scanning will help ALSPAC to investigate the frequency of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and the risks it poses.

“ARFI is an innovative new technology, allowing our sonographers to standardise measurements and quantify the amount of fibrosis in the liver. This is something we didn’t think we would be able to do when first submitting our application for the project, so the S2000 will make a big difference to our research,” said Debbie Lawlor, Professor of Epidemiology.

“We are delighted that the S2000 is playing a part in a long-term look at non-alcoholic fatty liver disease,” said Cliona Cunningham, Ultrasound Product Specialist at Siemens Healthcare. “ARFI is a quick, non-invasive solution and delivers high-quality imaging for detailed ultrasound scans of the liver. This research on the teenage generation may be influential in shaping the direction of knowledge into the future.”

For more details, visit www.siemens.co.uk/healthcare.

Acuson S2000 at ALSPAC

GP surgeries in Camden are using a specialist health text messaging service to advise patients who may have H1N1 (swine flu).

The iPLATO Patient Care Messaging service, originally funded by the PCT to improve performance and reduce costs across a range of healthcare areas, is being used to send out swine flu related text messages.

The iPLATO platform has proved to be a responsive and ‘personal’ aspect of primary care. It allows information to be targeted to specific patient groups, and enables patients to text back a reply that arrives as an e-mail.

The Camden surgeries sent out a text message advising patients on what steps to take if they or a family member appear to have swine flu symptoms. The message encouraged patients to phone a flu pandemic helpline rather than call or visit their surgery, and gave them the address of a relevant website.

Since sending out the message, the surgeries have had fewer H1N1 patients coming into the surgery in person.

iPLATO commented that the system has shown how effective text messaging can be for guiding and educating the public during a pandemic.

For more details, visit www.iplato.net.

A wearable wireless system that enables clinicians to evaluate a patient’s cardiac health status, wherever in the world they are, has gained CE Mark approval for marketing in the EU.

The Avivo Mobile Patient Management System from Corventis, Inc. is a noninvasive solution to evaluate physiological changes and monitor signs of cardiac irregularities in patients outside the hospital.

The system provides insight into the cardiac health status of patients, such as those suffering from heart failure, by combining a wearable sensor with advanced algorithms, global wireless capability and a web-based infrastructure.

Physiological trends including heart rate, respiratory rate, fluid status, activity and posture are captured and automatically transmitted for review. Any irregularity in the patient’s cardiac rhythm triggers an automatic alert.

“Corventis is advancing healthcare worldwide, and the CE Mark for the Avivo Mobile Patient Management System is one additional milestone in our efforts to deliver on this promise,” said Ed Manicka, PhD, President and CEO of Corventis. “With both FDA clearance and CE marking, we are able to bring the future of wireless cardiovascular medicine to even more physicians and their patients around the world.”

The Avivo system features the PiiX wearable sensor, which enables continuous monitoring for ambulatory patients during normal daily activity. The sensor automatically collects physiological information and transmits it for analysis and presentation on a secure website. With no leads or wires, the patient-friendly design of PiiX encourages continuous wear.

For more details, visit www.corventis.com.