October / December 2004
NEW PRODUCTS & SERVICES
TRENDS
Braun Granted Patent For Wireless Capability on Infusion System
B. Braun Medical Inc., in an ongoing effort to improve patient safety and IV therapy efficiency, has announced that the company was granted a patent for its exclusive wireless communications pump technology.
 While some hospitals are currently able to collect infusion data at six-month and one-year intervals, the Outlook wireless system now offers nearly real-time views into infusion administration. When accessed regularly, this continually updated information can help uncover potential medication errors and trends in medication delivery while providing a proactive approach to reducing the potential for IV medication administration errors.
When combined with bar code technology to help reduce medication errors, this newly patented system creates another level of safety innovation. Now, electronic data entry and real-time IV infusion data can be used together to help streamline the process of getting the right medication to the right patient, at the right time, in the right dose, by an authorized clinician.
While Outlook pumps will retain manual functionality and the ability to read bar codes to help eliminate errors, wireless capability allows a third method of data entry as well as data retrieval. Wireless access to infusion status enables the hospital to capture and distribute this information to a variety of applications. From electronic charting to terminals within the hospital, clinicians can view the IV infusion status without being at the bedside.
The Outlook 300 model, planned to be available by the end of 2004, will allow transmission of infusion data across a hospital's existing wireless network. During the first half of 2005, B. Braun plans to introduce the Outlook 400 model. In addition to the features of the Outlook 300, the Outlook 400 also has the capability of receiving wireless infusion data from compatible point-of-care systems.
Source: B. Braun Medical, Inc.
Triosyn's T-1000TM Respirator Demonstrates Protection Against SARS
Triosyn Corp., a developer of products aimed at protecting against microbial threats, has announced that tests conducted by Health Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory show that Triosyn T-1000TM Series Respirators protect against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The third-party tests, which validate Triosyn's extensive testing, demonstrate that Triosyn's unique filtration technology eliminates SARS viral particles from the air passing through the facemask.
Health Canada, the Canadian federal bureau of health, conducted independent testing on the efficacy of Triosyn's facemask filter to protect against SARS coronavirus, the viral agent responsible for SARS. The test involved blowing air contaminated with the SARS coronavirus through the facemask and analyzing the airstreams that passed through the facemask for the presence of viral particles. Tests were conducted at three different exposure periods: 15, 60, and 120 minutes. Health Canada's test results show that no coronavirus particles were detected in the airstreams that passed through the Triosyn T-1000 Series Respirator during any of the three different exposure periods.
SARS is a potentially deadly respiratory virus, which currently has no vaccine. More than 8,400 people in 29 countries have contracted SARS, and more than 900 people have died worldwide since the emergence of SARS in November 2002. The World Health Organization states that the virus can be transmitted through the air, via coughing or sneezing, on tiny droplets of bodily fluids.
The Triosyn T-1000 Respirator, a disposable personal facemask manufactured with an innovative antimicrobial technology to protect the filtration materials from microbial deterioration, is certified by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Heath (NIOSH) as an N95 filtering facepiece respirator. It is also CE-certified in Europe.
Triosyn Corp. is based near Burlington, Vermont, with research and development laboratories outside of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Source: Triosyn Corp.
Cerner Launches Initiative to Provide Personal Health Records to Kids with Diabetes
Cerner Corp. has announced its commitment to provide every child in the U.S. with a Type 1 diabetes personal health record (PHR). Cerner could invest as much as $25 million in this 10-year initiative. As many as 1.3 million people in the U.S. have Type 1 diabetes.
"Over the next five years, Cerner will spend $1 billion on research and development," said Neal Patterson, chief executive officer and chairman of Cerner. "We believe it makes sense to use a percentage of that amount to create a national proof point around the benefits of a PHR and to help improve the health outcomes of kids with diabetes."
"This is a very exciting project using new technology better connecting those with Type 1 diabetes, and their parents, to the healthcare system," said Nathaniel Clark, M.D., national vice president, clinical affairs at the American Diabetes Association. "This connection will allow more efficient and meaningful communication, and has the potential to improve care as well as reduce healthcare costs. The American Diabetes Association supports initiatives such as this, which have the potential to improve the lives of those affected by diabetes."
The ability to connect physicians to children with diabetes and their parents is the core element of Cerner's initiative. The PHR will help the physician manage patients more effectively by targeting those having difficulties dealing with Type 1 diabetes. For those patients managing the disease effectively, it's not necessary to consume costly office-visit time with their doctors if they can interact with them electronically. This would create time for physicians to see new patients and those more challenged by the disease.
"Core to the mission of the American Diabetes Association are two tenets: improve the quality of care, as well as improve the quality of life for people with diabetes," said Lynn B. Nicholas, FACHE, chief executive officer of the American Diabetes Association. "The initiative planned by Cerner has great potential to do both for children with Type 1 diabetes and their families."
Source: Cerner Corp.
Ultrasonic Biometric Technology Ensures Accurate Patient Identification
The Buffalo Technology Transfer Center (BTTC) of Sisters Hospital, part of the Catholic Health System (CHS), has successfully expanded its use of Ultra-Scan's "Personal Touch" biometric system to connect with an off-site testing laboratory facility. This implementation is part of the Catholic Health System's effort to connect all CHS facilities to one centralized identification database. This initiative will, in the coming months, result in full enterprise-wide connectivity of CHS, including Sisters Hospital, Mercy Hospital of Buffalo, St. Joseph Hospital, and Kenmore Mercy Hospital.
Ultra-Scan has developed a Master Person Indexing System that links vital patient identification and medical record information from disparate databases through the use of its Livescan Ultrasonic Identification System (LUIS). This ensures accurate patient identification, and facilitates rapid dissemination of clinical information across various departments throughout the Catholic Health organization. LUIS uses high-frequency sound waves to "see through" dirt, newsprint, hand lotions, and other common finger contaminants, guaranteeing accuracy, reliability, and ease of use.
CHS, BTTC, and Ultra-Scan have worked together for more than a year in this effort to safeguard patient privacy, reduce the cost of record-keeping and information management, and improve the delivery of services to patients by ensuring their accurate identification. By making a patient's clinical information readily available when and where it is most needed, CHS also improves the safety and quality of care.
Source: Ultra-Scan Corp.
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