BridgeHead Software, supplier of the Healthcare Storage Virtualization (HSV) technology platform for hospital data management, has appointed a new Director of Sales for EMEA.

Tony Tomkys, an expert in healthcare data and storage management, aims to increase BridgeHead’s customer base in NHS and private healthcare in the UK as well as driving pan-European initiatives.

Tomkys has 27 years’ experience in IT – most recently with CommVault, where he was Business Director for Public Sector. He previously held a range of positions, from direct sales to channel management, at companies including Steria, Morse, HP, Unisys and Apple.

“I have been working in the public sector for some time, but I was really attracted by BridgeHead’s specialisation in healthcare, particularly their Healthcare Storage Virtualization (HSV) architecture,” Tomkys said.

“HSV is fast becoming recognised by healthcare IT professionals as an intuitive, future-proof technology platform that solves one of the most urgent problems facing hospitals today: that of the security, protection, management and storage of terabytes of patient and administrative data in a flexible, efficient and cost-effective way.”

Tony Cotterill, Chief Executive of BridgeHead Software, commented: “We are pleased to welcome Tony Tomkys to the BridgeHead Software team. His experience and knowledge of public sector healthcare in particular will be invaluable to us as we increase the uptake of our data and storage management solutions throughout the UK, mainland Europe and further afield.”

BridgeHead Software is based in Ashtead, Surrey. Its HSV solutions for the backup, recovery and archiving of clinical data are designed to operate with any hospital’s software and hardware systems, regardless of vendor.

 
Tony Tomkys

A new test for Gram-negative bacterial infections such as E. coli has been launched in Europe.

The GNR Traffic Light test, which has CE-IVD Mark approval in Europe, is the latest addition to AdvanDx’s PNA FISH molecular diagnostics platform.

The new test is the first means of simultaneously diagnosing Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa directly from blood samples in less than 90 minutes.

The GNR Traffic Light test provides rapid results, enabling clinicians to intervene early when patients have Gram-negative bloodstream infections. The test’s name comes from its results: E. coli shows up green, K. pneumoniae yellow and P. aeruginosa red.

Patients with bloodstream infections due to these three serious pathogens spend an average of 15 days in hospital, with mortality rates as high as 40%.

The danger of Gram-negative bacteria is partly due to their increasing resistance to antibiotics. The spread of the NDM-1 gene, which confers antibiotic resistance on Gram-negative strains of bacteria, increases the need for a rapid and effective test.

Conventional laboratory testing methods take over 24 hours to identify the causative pathogen. The need for interim measures can lead to unnecessary treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics, or to inadequate treatment if virulent pathogens are not suspected.

Studies have shown that gaining a 24-hour ‘head start’ with appropriate narrow-spectrum therapy for Gram-negative bloodstream infections may improve clinical outcomes and reduce the incidence of adverse events. GNR Traffic Light PNA FISH provides clinicians with accurate results in hours rather than days.

“This latest PNA FISH test provides another tool to help laboratories and clinicians improve antibiotic selection, care and outcomes for critically ill patients with bloodstream infections,” said Thais T. Johansen, President and CEO of AdvanDx.

The University of Wales Institute Cardiff has opened a centre for the development of affordable patient-specific medical products.

The Centre for Patient-Specific Medical Product Development will give medtech companies in Wales access to state-of-the-art technologies such as advanced CAD images, scanners, rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing techniques.

The Centre brings together the clinical expertise of the Medical Applications Group, which produces models for facial reconstruction surgery, and the industrial expertise of the National Centre for Product Design and Development Research (PDR).

In addition to helping companies create bespoke products for individual patients, the centre will help them to incorporate custom design features into existing medical devices.

The development of the Centre was motivated by the increasing demand for personalised healthcare products at a time when new product design techniques and manufacturing technologies make it possible to produce one-off products as cost-effectively as large batches.

“There is plenty of help and support available for companies developing standard medical devices but nowhere offering specialist skills, technology and knowledge in the emerging field of patient-specific healthcare devices,” said PDR Commercial Director Jarred Evans.

“This centre will be unique in the UK and Europe and has the potential to provide specialist services to a large proportion of the UK’s medical device and rehabilitation industry.”

A technology unit at the centre houses medical software and hardware for product design and production. A technology translator will engage with NHS specialists and companies looking for new business opportunities.

The centre is resourced by the Welsh Assembly Government’s Academic Expertise for Business (A4B) programme, which has European funding.

Royal Philips Electronics has joined a new venture capital fund to support medtech and healthcare innovation.

The Gilde Healthcare III fund helps early- and growth-stage medical technology companies in Europe and the USA to develop and commercialise patient-centred medical technologies and solutions.

Philips is investing in Gilde Healthcare III in order to foster innovation in areas of strategic interest to its Healthcare business. Philips’ anchor investment in Gilde Healthcare III is in line with its policy of ‘open innovation’ and deploying venture capital via independent funds.

Gilde Healthcare III will be independent of, and complementary to, Philips’ existing innovation efforts such as the Philips Healthcare Incubator.

“Over the past years the venturing community has been instrumental in bringing breakthrough healthcare innovations to the market,” said Steve Rusckowski, CEO of Philips Healthcare.

“Through our participation in the Gilde Healthcare III venture capital fund, we are taking another step forward in driving innovation in areas of strategic interest to Philips in healthcare. At the same time we will become even more connected to the venturing community, which is an important element of Philips’ open innovation approach.”

Philips holds a minority share in the fund, which has a target size of EUR 200 million.

A new cause of antibiotic resistance has been described by health researchers as posing a “clear and frightening” threat of a global epidemic.

New Delhi-Metallo-beta lactamase 1 (NDM-1) is a gene that can be passed between bacteria, making them resistant to the strongest antibiotics.

NDM-1 first arose in India in 2008. About 50 cases, some fatal, have so far been identified in the UK. Infections have also been reported in the Netherlands, North America and Australia.

The gene affects bacteria such as E. coli, making them resistant to carbapenems – the class of antibiotics often used as a last resort against bacteria that are resistant to standard antibiotics.

A report in Lancet Infectious Diseases online has noted that due to over-the-counter sale and excessive use of antibiotics, there is widespread carbapenem resistance among the population of India.

In the UK, the infection has been reported mostly among patients who have travelled to Asia for cosmetic surgery, transplants or cancer treatment. Infections have already passed between patients in UK hospitals.

Two types of bacteria have so far been host to NDM-1: the gut infection E. coli and the lung infection Klebsiella pneumonia. Both can cause fatal blood poisoning. Some NDM-1 carrying bacteria have proved resistant to all known antibiotics.

There is concern that the gene, which can ‘jump’ between bacterial strains, may generate infections that are untreatable. The Lancet report states that “The potential of NDM-1 to be a worldwide public health problem is great, and co-ordinated international surveillance is needed.”

In the UK, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) has warned that the threat to public health from NDM-1 is likely to become progressively worse.

NDM-1 infection can be contained through surveillance, rapid identification and isolation of any hospital patients who are infected. Normal infection control measures, such as disinfection of medical equipment, can also contain the infection.

The Department of Health put out a National Resistance Alert on NDM-1 in 2009. HPA’s Dr David Livermore commented: “We issue these alerts very sparingly when we see new and disturbing resistance.”

A DH spokeswoman said: “We are working with the HPA on this issue. Hospitals need to ensure they continue to provide good infection control to prevent any spread, consider whether patients have recently been treated abroad and send samples to HPA for testing.

“So far there has only been a small number of cases in UK hospital patients. The HPA is continuing to monitor the situation and we are investigating ways of encouraging the development of new antibiotics with our European colleagues.”

The challenge posed by the new ‘superbug’ at a time of severe cuts in NHS hospital budgets is likely to become a major issue for the DH. Another likely consequence of the NDM-1 threat is a drop in ‘medical tourism’: the tendency of UK patients to seek out affordable private surgery in the developing world.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has announced nine medical conditions for which it will set clinical management quality standards in 2010–11.

They are: breast cancer, diabetes (types 1 and 2), chronic kidney disease, chronic heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), glaucoma, end of life care, depression and alcohol dependence.

These treatment areas include key areas in which the medtech industry is proving interventional devices, diagnostics and healthcare IT solutions – for example, pacemakers, blood glucose monitors, renal dialysis systems, remote monitoring systems, oxygen therapy and retinal scanners.

NICE quality standards are a set of statements that aim to identify standards for high-quality and cost-effective patient care. They are developed by NICE in collaboration with NHS and social care professionals, their partners and service users. They address three dimensions of quality: clinical effectiveness, patient safety and patient experience.

NICE has produced clinical management quality standards for the care of stroke and dementia and the prevention of venous thromboembolism.

Pressure care equipment specialist Park House Healthcare has launched its new company website, www.parkhouse-hc.com.

The company worked with an established web design agency to design the most suitable site for its users. The partnership involved in-depth research into the needs and preferences of purchasers of healthcare equipment, as well as the visual features that would ‘future-proof’ the site.

Features of the new website include the following:

• The new homepage is a ‘shop window’ for the entire site, allowing access to every section.

• Drop-down menus minimise the number of clicks and make searching easier.

• A sector-specific navigation tool allows users to select and view only the products that are relevant to the sector in which they work (e.g. acute hospitals).

• A dedicated ‘Sales Regions’ area incorporates an interactive map of the company’s UK coverage and includes full contact details for each sales region.

• A ‘call to action’ facility for telephone, e-mail and worldwide enquiries appears on each page, making contact easier.

• All products are now supported by images and comprehensive details that were not available on the original website.

• The new site enables video embedding and animation, features that will be added in the near future.

Based in Birkenshaw, West Yorkshire, Park House Healthcare is a leading supplier of specialist pressure relieving and pressure reducing equipment, hospital beds and moving and handling solutions to the NHS, community and nursing home sectors.

 
www.parkhouse-hc.com

A new point-of-care (POC) in vitro blood gas monitor from a UK company has been shown to match the accuracy of laboratory testing.

The new technology from Cambridge-based Sphere Medical can measure blood oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, as well as other parameters, in the intensive care unit (ICU).

While POC testing is faster and more convenient than sending samples for lab analysis, until now it has tended to be less accurate. The new POC monitor could be of particular value in critical care settings (such as the ICU), where patients can deteriorate rapidly between lab tests.

“We’re the first people I’m aware of that have demonstrated that this kind of device can have the same accuracy as the central lab,” said Stuart Hendry, CEO of Sphere Medical. “I believe that this has the ability to become a standard of care in every intensive care unit.”

The trial assessed the new monitor’s ability to analyse levels of blood oxygen, carbon dioxide, glucose and potassium, as well as blood pH, in 100 patients in the ICU.

Blood is drawn from the patient and passed over a sensor microchip in the monitor before being returned to the patient’s body. The results are displayed on the monitor a minute later.

Sphere is currently developing two products based on the monitor:

• The Proxima system, a patient-dedicated analyser for use in the ICU and operating room. This disposable device can be attached to the patient’s arterial line and used when needed.

• A cardiopulmonary bypass monitor that can be integrated into a heart-lung machine circuit to provide continuous monitoring. The company is developing this device in partnership with Sorin.

 
Proxima system

A new website will help local authorities and healthcare providers in the UK to select cost-effective telehealth products to improve the lives of people with long-term health conditions.

The product comparison website from Alvolution enables users to compare and review a huge range of technologies on the UK’s largest and most up-to-date database of telehealth products.

The website helps with both specific need-generated enquiries and more general welfare searches. Searchable by condition, scenario or technology, it presents a range of options and highlights product uses and benefits.

Developed in partnership with NHS and social care managers, this independent website saves research costs and shares best practice, helping care professionals to quickly source effective technologies for their patients.

Sharon Ross, Telehealthcare Project Manager at NHS Telford and Wrekin, said: “As the population ages, telehealth will expand rapidly, so the telehealth technology finder has massive potential. Getting product information at a single click, using one icon, is just invaluable.

“By using this single repository, we can refer products on to commissioning teams, clinicians and community workers with real confidence. Gone are the hours of horizon scanning on Google!”

“By keeping patients and the elderly out of surgeries, hospitals and care homes, telehealth systems can improve our quality of life and save local authorities and the NHS, millions of pounds,” said Joanne Perry, Business Development Manager at Alvolution.

“But with so many technologies, capabilities and functionalities, keeping abreast of all developments can prove impossible. That’s why a website which enables professionals to share knowledge and access accurate, impartial reviews of technology is being so eagerly embraced.”

Alvolution is a division of MedilinkWM that is dedicated to the assisted living market.

 
Alvolution comparison site

The first implantation of an absorbable product to protect vulnerable tissue in radiotherapy has been performed in a German hospital.

The SpaceOAR prostate-rectum spacer from Augmenix was implanted in a patient by Prof. Michael Eble and Dr. Michael Pinkawa of the Aachen University Hospital, following CE Mark approval of the device.

The brand (whose name is a compression of ‘spacing organs at risk’) is a tissue-compatible, absorbable hydrogel spacer designed to protect rectal tissue from exposure to radiation during prostate cancer treatment.

In the past, there has been a need to compromise between effective radiation treatment of prostate cancer and acceptable complication rates. The SpaceAOR system can alter the compromise by moving healthy organs away from the high-intensity radiation.

“The potential for radiation injury to nearby healthy tissues is always a concern for radiation oncologists, and the SpaceOAR hydrogel is a simple, easy-to-use tool that should reduce undesirable rectal radiation in prostate cancer patients,” said Dr. Pinkawa, Radiation Oncologist. “I look forward to using SpaceOAR hydrogel in my prostate cancer population and in other pelvic tumors such as vaginal, cervical, and endometrial cancers.”

The SpaceOAR device is a synthetic hydrogel comprising 90% water and 10% polyethylene glycol. Injected as a liquid, the material solidifies in the body to form an absorbable structure.

“We look forward to bringing this product to market, and to providing radiation oncologists and urologists with a new tool that protects healthy tissues,” said Amar Sawhney, CEO of Augmenix.