MEDICA Newsletter
Social Media
More about…
- 3D-Druck
- Alternative Medizin
- Alzheimer
- Antibiotika
- Arthritis
- Arzneimittel
- Asthma
- Augen
- Baby
- Behandlung
- Beleuchtung
- Bildgebung
- Biofeedback
- Biokompatibel
- Biomarker
- Biotechnologie
- Blase
- Blut
- Brust
- COPD
- CT
- Chirurgie
- Darm
- Defibrillator
- Demenz
- Depression
- Desinfektion
- Diabetes
- Diagnostik
- EEG
- Elektronische Patientenakte
- Endoprothese
- Epilepsie
- Erbmaterial
- Fitness
- Forschung
- Frauen
- Früherkennung
- Geburt
- Gehirn
- Genetik
- Geräte
- Haut
- Herz
- Herz-Kreislauf
- Hirntumor
- Hygiene
- Immunsystem
- Impfung
- Implantat
- Infektionskrankheit
- Influenza
- Informationstechnologie
- Intensivmedizin
- Kinder
- Knie
- Krankenhaus
- Krebs
- Künstliche Intelligenz
- Labor
- Lunge
- MRT
- Magen
- Medizinische Apps
- Medizinmarkt
- Mikrosystemtechnik
- Minimal-Invasiv
- Nanotechnologie
- Neurologie
- Niere
- Operation
- Optimierung
- Optische Technologien
- Organe
- Orthopädie
- Parkinson
- Pathogene
- Pathologie
- Patienten
- Personalisierte Medizin
- Pflege
- Physiotherapie
- Prostata
- Prothese
- Qualität
- Radiologie
- Rauchen
- Regenerative Medizin
- Rehabilitation
- Risiken
- Robotik
- Röntgengeräte
- SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19
- Schlaf
- Schlaganfall
- Schmerzen
- Screening
- Sepsis
- Sicherheit
- Sinne
- Smart textiles
- Software
- Sport
- Stammzellen
- Stent
- Sterilisation
- Telemedizin
- Therapie
- Tissue Engineering
- USA
- Ultraschall
- Umwelt
- Virtual Reality
- Vorsorge
- Wearables
- Weltgesundheit
- Werkstoffe
- Wundheilung
- Zellen
- Ärzte
Smartwatch tracks medication levels
10/08/2020
Engineers at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering and their colleagues at Stanford School of Medicine have demonstrated that drug levels inside the body can be tracked in real time using a custom smartwatch that analyzes the chemicals found in sweat. This wearable technology could be incorporated into a more personalized approach to medicine.
Augmented reality ultrasound: putting the focus on patients
10/08/2020
This is how a conventional ultrasound scan works: patients lie down on a table next to the ultrasound machine. A doctor uses a probe to scan the part of the body in question, while he or she looks at the pictures on a monitor. In other words, the physician either focuses on his/her hand on the patient or the monitor. The Fraunhofer IGD wants to change this process as part of the "sonAR" project.
Wearables: sensor patches as fitness trackers
29/07/2020
The Eurostars project XPatch is developing a flexible sensor system that can track biochemical information in real time. The international consortium is working on a new generation of diagnostic patches that monitor the sweat of high performance athletes for second-by-second medical information about their cardiovascular fitness.
COVID-19: chatbots can ease medical providers' burden
09/07/2020
COVID-19 has placed tremendous pressure on health care systems, not only for critical care but also from an anxious public looking for answers. Research found that chatbots – software applications that conduct online chats via text or text-to-speech – working for reputable organizations can ease the burden on medical providers and offer trusted guidance to those with symptoms.
Machine learning helps grow artificial organs
08/07/2020
Researchers have developed a neural network capable of recognizing retinal tissues during the process of their differentiation in a dish. Unlike humans, the algorithm achieves this without the need to modify cells, making the method suitable for growing retinal tissue for developing cell replacement therapies to treat blindness and conducting research into new drugs.
Software to find drug-resistant bacteria
07/07/2020
Washington State University researchers have developed an easy-to-use software program to identify drug-resistant genes in bacteria. The program could make it easier to identify the deadly antimicrobial resistant bacteria that exist in the environment. Such microbes annually cause more than 2.8 million difficult-to-treat pneumonia, bloodstream and other infections and 35,000 deaths in the U.S.
Wearable membrane for your health
02/07/2020
It is not only in summer that it can get hot during sports activities, because sport during winter also hasits pitfalls. Outside it is freezing cold, and insulating clothing is a must. To ensure that we don’t freeze in our wet clothes during our well-earned breaks, Empa researchers have developed an electro-osmotic membrane, which keeps clothing dry and thus warm.
Virtual reality to help stroke patients regain lost vision
19/06/2020
Scientists from Rochester Institute of Technology and the University of Rochester aim to use virtual reality to help restore vision for people with stroke-induced blindness. The team of researchers led by Gabriel Diaz received a grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop a method they believe could revolutionize rehabilitation for patients with cortically induced blindness.
MEDICA MEDICINE + SPORTS CONFERENCE: how data and AI help sports
16/06/2020
Karl Schwarzenbrunner is the head of the Education and Science Department at the German Ice Hockey Association, and also a speaker at the 8th MEDICA MEDICINE + SPORTS CONFERENCE 2020, which will take place this year on 18 and 19 November in Düsseldorf.
AI enhances brain tumour diagnosis
12/06/2020
A new machine learning approach classifies a common type of brain tumour into low or high grades with almost 98 percent accuracy, researchers report in the journal IEEE Access. Scientists in India and Japan, including from Kyoto University's Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences, developed the method to help clinicians choose the most effective treatment strategy for individual patients.
Bluetooth technology to detect COVID-19 cases through smartphone
10/06/2020
Today, the tracing is done by hand and this work is slow and inaccurate. Technology can be highly useful: contact tracing with smartphones and smartclocks help find out who has been in contact with an infected person, thanks to the use of localization and communication technologies, such as GPS, cell phone networks, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth," explains Enrique Hernández Orallo.
AI: artificial brains may need sleep too
08/06/2020
No one can say whether androids will dream of electric sheep, but they will almost certainly need periods of rest that offer benefits similar to those that sleep provides to living brains, according to new research from Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Gamification: facilitating a gradual return-to-play
08/06/2020
Professional athletes depend on a speedy recovery from sports injuries or surgery because their livelihood depends on their physical fitness. Returning to competition too soon after injury can have negative health consequences. Standard tests are now combined with virtual reality to determine the optimal time to return to play.
Computer vision and uncertainty for robotic prosthetics
04/06/2020
Researchers have developed new software that can be integrated with existing hardware to enable people using robotic prosthetics or exoskeletons to walk in a safer, more natural manner on different types of terrain.
Nerve stimulation: electric impulses relieve the pain
29/05/2020
The vagus nerve plays an important role in our body. It consists of various fibres, some of which connect to the internal organs, but the vagus nerve can also be found in the ear. It is of great importance for various body functions, including the perception of pain. Therefore, a lot of research has been focussing on how the vagus nerve can be stimulated gently with special electrodes.
New double-contrast technique picks up small tumors on MRI
28/05/2020
researchers at the University of California, Davis offers a significant advance in using magnetic resonance imaging to pick out even very small tumors from normal tissue. The work is published May 25 in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.
mHealth: inexpensive retinal diagnostics via smartphone
26/05/2020
Retinal damage due to diabetes is now considered the most common cause of blindness in working-age adults. In low- and middle-income countries, an eye examination via smartphone could help to detect changes at an early stage. This is shown by a new study carried out by scientists from the University of Bonn together with colleagues from Sankara Eye Hospital Bangalore (India).
COVID-19: Teleradiology enables social distancing
22/05/2020
Remote reading of imaging studies on home PACS workstations can contribute to social distancing, protect vulnerable radiologists and others in the hospital, and ensure seamless interpretation capabilities in emergency scenarios, according to an open-access article published ahead-of-print by the American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR).
Sports medicine software: Monitoring at the push of a button
22/05/2020
Athletes not only have to be fit and stay in shape, but they also have to achieve peak performance, especially when they get ready for athletic events. Optimized and individualized performance training requires data from external laboratories and institutes. The [i/med] Sports platform from DORNER Health IT Solutions provides a complete workflow − from anamnesis to diagnostic report.
mHealth: tool measures hemoglobin without drawing blood
22/05/2020
Researchers have developed a way to use smartphone images of a person's eyelids to assess blood hemoglobin levels. The ability to perform one of the most common clinical lab tests without a blood draw could help reduce the need for in-person clinic visits, make it easier to monitor patients who are in critical condition, and improve care where access to testing laboratories is limited.
Analytic tool designed to help guide precision oncology
21/05/2020
Recent large-scale efforts to categorize the molecular data of multiple cancer types has yielded so much information that researchers now have a new question: How to turn all this data into meaningful information that guides cancer research and patient care.
AI: unlocking rhythms of 'deep sleep'
19/05/2020
Flinders University sleep researchers have used machine learning and artificial intelligence to develop a free online tool being used by sleep experts and researchers around the world to work out the role of the so-called K-complex, a prominent, brief up-down-up pattern of brain electro-encephalogram (EEG) electrical activity lasting around half a second during sleep.
Robotics in the OR: Relieving the surgeon
04/05/2020
In the operating room, minimally invasive procedures are increasingly used. Robot-assisted systems are a great help for the surgeon. They support the surgeon and are extremely precise. Through innovative research approaches, robotic systems are constantly evolving.
Innovative Robotic-Assisted Surgical Systems
04/05/2020
More compact, more flexibility, and more precision - these are the main characteristics developers strive for as they advance robotic-assisted surgical systems for the operating room. Several technology providers have already shown how it’s done, including the makers of the popular daVinci Surgical System. Yet for robotic-assisted systems, the sky is the limit.
In-ear sensors for monitoring vital parameters
22/04/2020
Wearables offer practical solutions for the flexible measurement of data. The sensor from cosinuss° is worn directly in the ear and offers a precise monitoring of vital parameters.
Ultrasound to go: versatile partner on hospital rounds
08/04/2020
The University Hospital Bonn has recently introduced an ultrasound device that's small enough to fit in your coat pocket. It's ready to use once you have connected it to a tablet or smartphone. The portable system makes bedside physical exams possible. The device primarily benefits students as it allows them to combine basic knowledge and clinical application.
Smartphone app detects cardiac arrhythmia
03/03/2020
Atrial fibrillation is one of the causes for a stroke and often appears without any previous indications. To reduce the risks and provide fast results, the application FibriCheck was invented. With the app it is possible to collect and measure data via smartphone camera.
Endoprotheses: regaining independence and mobility
01/01/2020
Joints can suddenly or gradually deteriorate and lose their natural strength, whether it’s due to accidents, diseases or simple wear and tear. In some of these cases, implants of artificial joints – endoprostheses - can help. As a joint replacement, they are designed to stay in the body for as long as needed and as such improve the patient’s quality of life and mobility.
Ambient Assisted Living: sensors for seniors
02/12/2019
Our ageing society is confronted with fewer and fewer workers. One of the many consequences is a shortage of skilled nursing staff. Ambient Assisted Living should solve this problem. By equipping the living environment of elderly people or people in need of care with (technical) assistance systems, they are to be given more self-determination and security. The nursing staff also benefits.
Wearables: more freedom with the smart care patch
02/12/2019
Too many people in need of care and not enough health care professionals – we all know the problem. For years, research is underway to find digital solutions for AAL to support the growing number of older & sick adults. These new technologies aim to both alleviate caregiver burden and enhance everyday life of people in need of care with a minimum level of constraint whilst promoting independence.
AAL Living Lab: research, education and raising awareness
02/12/2019
Smart home systems are a perfect example of how technology can make our daily lives easier. The fact that they can use a tablet to adjust lighting and blinds in every room benefits older adults in more ways than one. These types of technical systems are a part of Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) and create a safe living environment for older persons.
Smart care: safety and support thanks to AAL
02/12/2019
Average life expectancy keeps increasing, while birth rates are declining – at least when it comes to most industrial nations. The coming decades will see a decreasing number of gainfully employed people versus more and more senior citizens and people in need of care. It's a trend that already pushes healthcare to the brink. That's why we desperately need new concepts. One of them is AAL.
Sports Hub project changes sports medicine with big data and AI
22/10/2019
Professor Jarek Krajewski sat down for a MEDICA interview and delivered a detailed description of the Sports Hub project. It highlights how big data and AI transform the world of sports medicine. The project delivers new insights and provides a versatile database.
MEDICA START-UP PARK 2019: start-ups introduce themselves
15/10/2019
Young, innovative and dynamic – that‘s the START-UP-PARK at MEDICA 2019. 36 start-ups from various sectors are going to present their products and are looking forward to meeting interested trade visitors and ambitious investors. Our videos will give you a small foretaste of the start-ups and their innovations.
AI software: "iSTIX opens your world to the possibilities of digital pathology"
08/10/2019
The healthcare market offers a multitude of microscopes that make cells visible to the human eye. The same applies to AI-based software for image analysis. After taking the microscopic images, scientist are faced with large volumes of scans with usually low resolution. Yet when all aspects merge together, they open up a the world of digital pathology.
Telemedicine: easy breathing with AI for respiratory tract
01/10/2019
Pneumonia, COPD or cystic fibrosis – people with such lung diseases have to consult their doctor regularly. Little children have to undergo certain measurements by the doctor, too. In order to save people`s need to visit a doctor, telemedicine offers many ways to do examinations at home.
MEDICA START-UP PARK: "For those, who want to experience the startup-spirit"
01/10/2019
When the halls of MEDICA are open to the world to showcase medical innovations, one joint exhibition booth is guaranteed to attract special attention - the MEDICA START-UP PARK. The startups that present their advances in this setting are interesting to visitors and investors, yet long-time exhibitors and big businesses can also benefit from building relationships with these young companies.
MEDICA START-UP PARK 2019: Experience tomorrow's innovations today
01/10/2019
The medical market is booming - medical ideas and visions for the future are more in demand than ever. Especially at MEDICA START-UP PARK 2019 young founders want to present their product innovations. Develop business contacts, meet investors and experience an international environment in just one place. Discover in our Topic of the Month what makes MEDICA START-UP PARK unique.
Medical IoT: fully realizing the potential of medical device data
01/10/2019
The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) plays an important role in monitoring patients in hospitals or performing measurements at home. Here medical devices are connected via cloud, where all patient measurement data are collected and analyzed. In the course of digitalization, the relevance of clouds in the medical sector is constantly increasing.
Man vs. machine – the benefits of AI in imaging
02/09/2019
Radiology is a field that produces large volumes of data, which can no longer be managed without the help of intelligent systems. This is especially true when it comes to the interpretation of medical images. While this takes physicians years of training and experience, several hours of work and the highest level of concentration, AI only requires a few seconds to accomplish the same task.
Deep Learning Image Reconstruction – what AI looks like in clinical routine
02/09/2019
Artificial intelligence is no longer a dream of the future in medicine. Many studies and initial application examples show that it sometimes achieves better results than human physicians. At Jena University Hospital, the work with AI is already lived practice. It is the first institution in the world to use algorithms in radiological routine to reconstruct CT images.
AI in imaging: how machines manage our Big Data
02/09/2019
In modern medicine, especially in the field of imaging, huge amounts of data are produced – so much that radiologists can hardly keep up with diagnosing the images. Artificial Intelligence could be the solution to this problem. But how exactly can it help in this task? How can man and machine work together? And what else will be possible in the future with the support of intelligent systems?
AI in radiology: reliable partner for diagnosing CT images
02/09/2019
More patients, more examinations, more CT images – in radiology there is too much work for too few physicians. CT scans are evaluated in the shortest possible time, which leads to anomalies being overlooked. Artificial intelligence, on the other hand, works with constant speed and performance, which is why radiological routine increasingly relies on its support.
German Medical Award 2019 celebrates the future of (patient) care
22/08/2019
The German Medical Award will take place on November 18, 2019, as part of the MEDICA trade fair in Düsseldorf. The ceremony emphasizes the commitment to excellence in cutting-edge care for patients. Doctors, clinical centers and companies in the medical and healthcare industry can demonstrate their achievements in medicine and management in hopes of receiving the coveted award.
Photonics: "We want a rapid and easy method to identify pathogens and antibiotic resistance"
01/08/2019
The medical devices value chain has gaps between academic research and industrial practice that slow down innovation processes. This also applies to time-sensitive and urgently needed products such as rapid diagnostic tests to identify resistant pathogens. At the InfectoGnostics Research Campus in Jena, partners from research and medicine team up to close these gaps.
Virtual Surgical Intelligence: Microsoft Hololens in the OR
22/07/2019
Modern imaging opens news doors to surgeries. Yet it also poses major problems for surgeons: They use two-dimensional images to navigate through a three-dimensional surgical environment, while they continuously have to switch their focus back and forth between the images and the patient. Now help is on the way in the form of interactive 3D projections and mixed reality (MR).
Training and rehabilitation: fit thanks to hover technology
01/07/2019
Amateur and professional athletes are susceptible to sports injuries, balance disorders or deficits in motor function and posture. Prevention and the right training can help avoid these incidents, while targeted therapy can support a return to sports after an injury.
Performance diagnostics: success in sports – testing the limits of performance
01/07/2019
Stationary or mobile - competitive athletes rely on regular health assessments. They must deliver peak performance and be physically fit during competitions. But when do they reach their physical limits? Are there any devices that provide information, no matter where the test subject is located?
Healthy Living thanks to robotics – KUKA Innovation Award 2019
24/06/2019
Improving technology transfer from research to industry and driving robotics development - that's the idea behind the KUKA Innovation Award. This year’s topic is "Healthy Living". Applicants from around the world were tasked with creating a robot application for healthcare settings. Now, the finalists, who will showcase their innovations at the MEDICA 2019 trade fair have been selected.
Of exoskeletons and service robots – the future of rehabilitation
03/06/2019
For most people, enjoying a good quality of life means having the ability to move freely, safely and independently. Intensive and costly rehabilitation is needed if this is no longer an option after a stroke for example. We are introducing some projects that deliver innovative robotic solutions.
Rehab with a robot – robot-assisted therapy in neurology
03/06/2019
It takes consistent repetitions if rehab patients want to relearn skills after surviving a stroke. This requires extreme effort. The industrial sector uses robots to perform repetitive tasks or handle jobs that require strength. What has been a fixture in factories for decades is now also making its way into rehabilitation facilities.
MobiKa – programmed to help
22/05/2019
Many illnesses or old age require help with everyday tasks. Unfortunately, family members or caregivers aren’t always available to lend a hand. The MobiKa mobile service robot is designed to offer support, deliver motivation and improve the quality of life of those in need.
Cybersecurity in the hospital: securely networked
02/05/2019
Digitalization and networking are supposed to serve the health care system well: In times of staff shortages and demographic change, they are able to support the exchange of patient data and the management of chronic diseases as well as to improve the workflow. But it is still often ignored that both individual devices and complete networks can become lucrative targets for cybercrimes.
Human firewall – keeping your resources safe
02/05/2019
Digitization impacts many areas of life. It is also remapping the healthcare landscape and is becoming increasingly important, ensuring that patients receive comprehensive care as quickly as possible. To make this a reality, data is stored digitally and medical devices are connected.
Security first – hospitals prime targets of cyberattacks
02/05/2019
Safety should be a top priority when it comes to safeguarding human lives. That's why hospitals must protect their computer networks and data against unauthorized access. However, thanks to the proliferation of connected devices in hospitals, they are at high risk of suffering devastating cyberattacks. There is also a lack of cybersecurity awareness.
Gamification: how penguins help children overcome their MRI fear
23/04/2019
It's noisy, tight and scary - that's how children feel about a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine. Because they are scared, they are often too fidgety and anxious during the procedure, causing the images to blur or the scan to be stopped. Researchers have now developed a VR app called Pingunauten Trainer that’s designed to gently prepare the little patients for MRI scans.
Sports medicine: preventing injuries with wearable sensors
08/02/2019
The consequences of sports injuries can be very serious and sideline athletes for a long time. Although it often seems like these injuries happen in a split second, they can also be the result of overuse and loads that usually weaken the athlete over time. This stress can be detected and reduced with wearable technology and injuries prevented before they happen.
Hybrid Imaging – Two Views of the Lungs
25/01/2019
CT scan, MRI or X-ray: All these methods allow doctors to see inside the body - including inside the lungs - and make a diagnosis. The clinic for Nuclear Medicine at the RWTH Aachen University Hospital uses a state-of-the-art gamma camera that combines SPECT and CT.
Diabetes digital – smart support for diabetics
02/01/2019
Monitoring blood sugar levels, counting carbohydrates, calculating insulin doses, and keeping accurate records - diabetes is a data-intensive disease that demands a lot of self-discipline and attention from the patients. Some concerns are patients neglecting to keep a food journal, "fudged" test results or calculation errors. Digital solutions help patients easily manage the large volumes of data.
Collect, process, communicate – retina measurements with Mimo
19/12/2018
Continuous monitoring is an essential process with every disease. In the case of eye disorders, frequent retina measurements can facilitate early detection of deterioration to quickly initiate intervention. This calls for comprehensive care settings, easy ways to take measurements and prompt results. However, in reality, this is rarely the case.
From algorithm to rapid test – Artificial Intelligence classifies blood cells
21/11/2018
Our blood reveals a lot about our physical health. The shape of our blood cells sheds light on several hereditary diseases for example. For a diagnosis, the cells must first be examined under the microscope and categorized into a specific cell class. We met with Dr. Stephan Quint and Alexander Kihm of the Institute of Physics at the Saarland University, who explained how this classification works.
Interview with Verso Vision
15/11/2018
Artificial intelligence and algorithms that become ever more complex are increasingly used in devices in the hospital. This does not only bring speed, but also safety to the treatment and care of patients. We learn more at the stand of Verso Vision at MEDICA 2018.
Good connectivity, good care - Interview with proxomed Medizintechnik GmbH
15/11/2018
After accidents or surgery, a good rehabilitation is indispensable for patients. This is true all around the world. We learn more about the international rehabilitation market here at the stand of proxomed at MEDICA 2018.
Surglasses: surgery with perspective: Interview with Taiwan Main Orthopedics
15/11/2018
Surgeons need a good overview of what they are doing. This is especially true for minimally-invasive surgery, since they cannot see the operating area directly. Using augmented reality, Taiwan Main Orthopedics Biotechnology helps surgeons to retain their perspective, even during complex interventions.
Interview with KUKA Deutschland GmbH
15/11/2018
Man and machine have been working hand in hand for years. KUKA GmbH offers industrial robots in many variants. At MEDICA 2018, it presents the KUKA MED lightweight robot, which is to be used in medicine in the future.
Typing with TiPY – Interview with the Drory Handels GmbH
14/11/2018
Whether with or without disability, one-handed typing could make our work more efficient. You can't imagining this on a standard keyboard? The developer of TiPY can't do too. But in the interview at MEDICA 2018 he gives the answer how it could work in the future.
Patient care of the future? Robotics, AI and Big Data at MEDICA 2018
14/11/2018
Robotics, artificial intelligence, big data: these are terms that were not used in connection with medicine a few years ago. Today they are no longer dreams of the future, but an important support in diagnosis, during surgery or aftercare. Find out more at MEDICA 2018!
Intelligent, portable, but also practicable? Wearables and smart textiles tested at MEDICA
13/11/2018
Whether intelligent Smartwatch, a vest that measures heart rate or a pocket-sized allergy test: Wearables and smart Textiles are important health aids, but how practical are they really? We did the test at MEDICA 2018.
Healthcare data to go – Interview with medicus.ai
13/11/2018
New technologies lead to new challenges, but also open up new possibilities. At the stand of Medicus AI at MEDICA 2018, we will find out what they look like specifically for medicine. The company has developed an app that bundles all of a patient's health-related data and helps understand medical reports.
Digitization: Hospitals as Popular Targets?
02/11/2018
It’s safe to say that patients and their prompt medical care take center stage at any hospital. Digitization of the healthcare sector is quickly advancing to make this a reality: data is stored in a digital medium, devices are linked together. But how safe are hospitals in the age of innovation?
Lung segmentation: easier and faster thanks to new algorithms
01/10/2018
A look inside the lungs is a time-consuming process. To identify the boundaries of the respiratory organ from surrounding other organs, tissues, and structures requires between 200 and 500 computed tomographic images and subsequent manual markings – an elaborate process that can take up to six hours. An optimized computer program is now able to do this in only a few seconds.
Electronic Health Record: Transparent Patient?
21/09/2018
A smart hospital has many components, which ultimately come together as a connected whole, thus achieving better patient care. One crucial piece of the puzzle that some countries like the U.S. have implemented but one that’s still missing in Germany is the electronic health record (or electronic medical record). It is shrouded in controversy and yet a critical aspect of the hospital of the future.
Master plan Smart Hospital: well-connected is half cared for
03/09/2018
Artificial intelligence makes the diagnosis, robots perform the surgery and physicians manage all processes via touchscreen – is that what hospitals of the future will look like? And how far away are we actually from this future? Many hospital facilities are already on their way to becoming Smart Hospitals with the latest technology and where everything and everyone is linked and connected.
Smart Hospital: How devices communicate in the OR
03/09/2018
In a Smart Hospital, all devices are designed to be connected and integrated, thus increasing efficiency and reducing time loss – at least, that is how things are meant to work in theory. In reality, there are still countless vendor-specific point solutions that cannot be integrated. That's why there is a need for solutions that bridge the gap between the different applications and formats.
Pathology 4.0 – inveox automates laboratory processes
22/08/2018
Mix-ups, contamination and sample loss – most errors in pathology happen when specimen are received. Countless samples arrive daily at the laboratory, while the sample entry process is very monotonous. As a result, the work is inefficient. The start-up company inveox has now developed a system that automates the processes in the pathology laboratory, thus making them more efficient.
AI in medicine: Machines do not learn like humans
01/08/2018
For years, medicine has been exploring AI techniques aimed at easing physician workload. While computers may not have the medical expertise and skills obtained through years of study, they can recognize patterns and specific features in datasets and draw deductions.
Diagnosing diseases with big data
01/08/2018
All of us generate data every day without even realizing it – sometimes it happens unconsciously and unintentionally. At this point, we are made of data and not just in the eyes of tech companies but also from a healthcare system perspective. Our electronic health records are a smorgasbord of data for example.
Regenerative heart valves: from simulation to replacement
23/07/2018
Every year, more than 250,000 patients worldwide receive heart valve implants. Children require repeated replacement surgery because their bodies are still growing, the prosthetic heart valves are not. Regenerative heart valves solve this problem. Until now, we have only been able to monitor how these living implants develop in the body after the fact. Computer models now make this predictable.
Augmented Reality: supporting sterile processing services?
08/06/2018
Every day, hospital staff has to manage complex processes to guarantee quality and patient safety. Yet in some areas, the use of checklists and manuals tends to be more cumbersome and not useful – as is the case in sterile processing. A new project studies how augmented reality can take all the necessary information into the staff's field of view.
From data to diagnosis – digital help for depression
01/06/2018
Few diseases are as difficult to diagnose as depression. What's more, outsiders often don't perceive it as a disease. The reason for this are symptoms that are not directly visible. Sufferers of the disease tend to experience fear, worry, and despair in everyday life, when no doctor is present. This is the starting point for telemedicine tools such as online programs or smartphone apps.
Hospital logistics – Digitization meets manual labor
16/04/2018
Countless items and products have to get to the right destination in a hospital every day. A complex process runs behind all this, where nothing works without digitization. Still, it also involves a good amount of manual labor. We went behind the scenes to see how hospital logistics work at the University Hospital Knappschaftskrankenhaus in Bochum and the Buttkereit Company in Dortmund.
VR Lab for medical students: linking theory and practice
22/03/2018
Virtual reality and medicine are increasingly mentioned in the same context. In addition to the development of applications that support the treatment of patients suffering from chronic pain and anxiety, this technology also benefits medical staff. Two months ago, the Ulm University Hospital has opened the VR Lab, where medical students can train and learn with the help of 3D organs.
Radiology: machine learning to support medical diagnostics
08/03/2018
Automation makes work life easier in many ways but is it also a solution for analyzing medical images? Is a computer actually reliable enough to assist in the medical decision making process? Researchers in Landshut examine how machine learning algorithms can work more reliably and support radiologists.
Hospital logistics: guarantor of quality and efficiency
01/02/2018
Medical supply distribution, supplying operating rooms with sterile instrument kits, the provision of food and catering services for patients – these are some of the around-the-clock care processes at a hospital. Efficient logistics are crucial to guarantee smooth processes. All of these pieces ultimately come together at the hospital’s in-house logistics center.
Everything flows: transportation and material flows in hospital logistics
01/02/2018
During a visit to the hospital, patients naturally expect to receive comprehensive care. Not only does this include the proper treatment, but also a hospital bed and regular meals for example. Patients typically don't ask about the transport logistics this entails for the hospital.
Eye on material flow: network solutions for hospital logistics
01/02/2018
Hospitals need an accurate assessment of the location and quantity of their materials to eliminate sources of error. Automated processes can also help employees to make these materials available at the right time and at the right place. Digital network systems will substantially support the logistics in the hospital of the future.
The surgeon's co-pilot: pin-point accuracy through electromagnetic navigation systems
04/01/2018
The position and alignment of surgical tools in the patient’s body must always be kept in view during the operation process to guarantee success and safety. With fine sensors at the tip of the instruments and an electromagnetic signal, Fiagon's electromagnetic navigation systems accurately reproduce their position in the body.
OR of the future: Surgical navigation systems and integrated devices
04/01/2018
While it is commonplace for operating room staff to work together as a team, the collaboration of operating room systems does not always work so well – many devices are still separated from one another, causing the OR processes to be prone to mistakes. The same applies to surgical navigation technologies that represent the interface between imaging, the surgeon and therapeutic devices.
Surgical navigation systems: Safely guiding the scalpel
04/01/2018
Imaging, navigation, integration – these are terms that describe the modern operating room. All of these components play a key role in accurate surgical procedures. They are integrated into surgical navigation systems, which make complicated medical surgeries considerably safer.