Most common types of thyroid cancer can be treated with 97% success rate when appropriate surgical techniques are used. Typical surgical treatment includes removal of the lobe of the thyroid affected by cancer.

In traditional surgical treatment, the surgeon had to place an incision of at least three to five inches in front of the neck to remove the thyroid lobe affected with cancer. This left a very visible and ugly scar in front of the neck after surgery. Since thyroid cancer affected younger female patients more often, this three to five inches long scar was a big cause of concern due to cosmetic reasons.

Now, with the use of daVinci Robot Surgical System, the affected cancerous thyroid lobe can be removed from the neck without leaving any visible scar. By using daVinci Robot’s arms, surgeons can reach the thyroid area by entering into patients body through incision made in the armpit. The surgical removal of thyroid lobe can be completed with highest precision using daVinci Robot’s arms.

Source: University of California, Irvine Health Care Center

The risk of Charcot foot increases in patient to a great extent when patient suffers from diabetic neuropathy and is obese. The excessive weight of obese patients puts tremendous pressure on the foot bones which are already weakened by diabetic neuropathy. Patients with nerve damage who are also affected with tight Achilles tendon are also at a high risk to develop Charcot foot.

Previously the surgeons were treating the Charcot patients by immobilizing them for 9 months in wheel chair and by fitting them with a cast, leg brace or sometimes by surgically fixing internal plates and screws to hold the bones in place. However success rate of such treatments were lower, especially in obese patients with diabetic neuropathy.

According to new research published in the journal Foot & Ankle International by Dr. Pinzur, professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, a new medical device is now available to treat Charcot foot disease in obese diabetic patients with 92% success rate. This new medical device is called a circular external fixator. It comprises of rigid frame with three rings made of stainless steel and aluminum. The stainless-steel pins of the rings fix the bones in place after surgery.

The good news is that this new surgical technique using circular external fixator only partially immobilizes the patient, that too, only for two or three months. The patient is able to walk immediately after surgery, by using crutches.

Source: Journal Foot & Ankle International

The SPECT imaging technique is most valuable in detecting metastasized cancer in sentinel nodes which are often found in human body in unexpected areas. Once the radioisotope iodine-123 is injected into human body for single photon emission computed tomographic scan, this radioactive material is transmitted through the lymphatic fluid into the lymph nodes through out the body. The sentinel nodes are immediately detected by producing a sharp three dimensional image.

Single photon emission computed tomography not only helps to detect the lymph node affected by metastasized cancer, but also helps the surgeon to plan the surgical approach for treatment in a different way. With a clear three dimensional image of SPECT scan, surgeon can plan the length and location of his incision in a more precise way.

SPECT scans have a distinct advantage over other scans such as Positron Emission Tomography [PET] scans which is the fact that SPECT scans cost considerably less.

Source: Siemens AG

In their research, Harvard scientist, re-created an area of lung on a ‘silicon rubber chip’ and found that it responded to bacteria just like a living lung. Also, Yale’s research team, using the same approach, successfully regenerated lungs and transplanted them into rats in which they functioned just like a living lung for almost two hours.

This new achievement allows the pharmaceutical companies to test their new drugs on these rubber chips that closely resemble the complexity of a normal human lung. This could also provide a substitute for animal testing in laboratories. “The long-term goal is developing a platform for lung replacement,’’ said Dr. Laura Niklason, a professor of anesthesiology and biomedical engineering at Yale.

Such research could eventually provide tools to test drugs and grow new tissue to repair damaged organs.

Until recently knee implants were made available in standardized shapes and sizes, irrespective of differences in bone anatomy and knee contour between ladies and men.

Zimmer Gender Solutions Company has conducted research using computer tomography scans on more than 800 female and male knee bones. Significant differences were found between skeletal contour and size of female knee as compared to male knee. A lady’s knee is narrower and the front knee bone is less prominent as compared to a man’s knee. Also the angle between the hip and the knee is in a lady’s knee which results in different range of motion of kneecap during flexion and extension of the leg.

Due to these differences in anatomy between knees of ladies and men, surgeons had been making tedious adjustments during operative procedures while making the traditional standardized knee implant to fit properly to ladies. This research has led Zimmer Gender Solutions to design gender-specific total knee replacement implant, custom made for women.

The knee replacement implant designed by Zimmer Gender Solutions for ladies are thinner in profile which makes the patient feel more comfortable and less “bulky” feeling in front of knee, resulting in more natural movement and less post operative pain.

The narrower contour of the gender specific knee implant designed by Zimmer Gender Solutions allows for better fit and lesser chances of second revision surgery which may be needed in cases where there is an overhanging bone due to improper contour of the implant. This overhanging bone can impinge on the soft tissues of the knee causing excruciating pain and tissue damage.

Zimmer Gender Solutions has designed the knee implant to track at different angle which perfectly matches the angle between hip and the knee in a woman’s body. This technically superior design allows the lady to have greater range of knee flexion without discomfort.

Food intolerance can lead to several bodily ailments and symptoms such as irritable bowel syndrome characterized by an alternating pattern of diarrhea and constipation, bloating, arthritis, lack of energy, headaches, low immunity to diseases, asthma, itching, rashes, eczema, or inability to loose weight.

There are 4 types of food intolerance:

1. Intolerance to Gluten, which is found in foods like whole grain wheat or wheat bran.
2. Intolerance to Lactose, which is found in dairy foods like milk.
3. Intolerance to Fructose, which is found in processed foods like soft drinks and confectionery.
4. Intolerance to Yeast, which is found in fermented foods like breads, vinegar and beer.

Now with the help of Quantum SCIO Bio-Resonance Medical Device, food intolerance can be tested very accurately in a non invasive manner by analysis of human hair. It does not need any needle prick for blood sample to be taken for analysis. All it needs is a small lock of hair about one inch in length.

Quantum SCIO Bio-Resonance Medical Device is made of box containing two computers installed with software having the largest frequency data in the world. This box is attached to laptop installed with a software that can detect electric energy imbalances in the body by measuring diverse types of natural electrical frequencies generated by the human body when stimulated by ingesting intolerant food. The Quantum SCIO Bio-Resonance Medical Device scans and detects the type of natural electrical frequency pattern generated by your lock of hair which represents the electrical frequency pattern generated by your body. This helps to diagnose the food intolerance to highest precision.

SoluLink is a biomedical company that develops high-performance products to link biomolecules together. Once linked, the completed conjugate has a unique signature wavelength that can be detected and quantified 
by a simple UV measurement.

Here is a brochure of their products and offerings that was passed out in their April 2010 event in Washington DC.

Tekmira has received a $150 million contract to develop RNAi Therapeutic against Ebula virus. Out of this money $34.7 million of it is disbursed during the initial phase over the next three years. “This work builds on our recently published research, where we reported that Ebola SNALP could confer complete protection to nonhuman primates from a lethal dose of Ebola virus,” Mark J. Murray, Ph.D., Tekmira’s president and CEO.

This whole contract is funded by Transformational Medical Technologies (TMT) program. This program was designed by The Department of Defense in 2006 to better prepare and protect the warfighter and the nation from emerging, genetically engineered, and unknown biothreat agents.

You can read more about this story on GenEngNews.

When beetroot juice is taken as regular dietary supplement, it improves muscle oxygenation especially during moderate exercise activity and results in building better endurance. This is now proven by latest medical research conducted by Dr. Stephen Bailey and colleagues at the University of Exeter, United Kingdom. This study has been published in the Journal of Applied Physiology.

Dr. Stephen Bailey and colleagues conducted a double-blind, crossover study on random sample group of 8 male human participants in the age group 19 to 38 years with normal blood pressure and active lifestyle. This random sample group was non-smoker and did not use any dietary supplements. This random sample group was divided into 2 sub-groups as below:

1. Participants of first group were made to drink 500ml of organic beetroot juice each day for six consecutive days.
2. Participants of second group were made to drink 500ml of blackcurrant cordial drink each day for six consecutive days.

All participants of both sub-groups were made to complete a series of moderate-intensity and severe-intensity exercise tests involving cycling on an exercise bicycle. The researchers found that the first sub-group which was made to drink organic beetroot juice was able to do moderate-intensity exercise for 16% longer time, while being less exhausted. It was also found by this research that the participants of first sub-group which were made to drink organic beetroot juice showed 96% increase in level of nitrate in their blood. The participants of first sub-group showed significant reduction in systolic blood pressure after beetroot juice consumption compared to participants of second sub-group which were made to drink blackcurrant cordial. The participants of first sub-group showed 19% reduction in uptake of oxygen by muscles during moderate-intensity cycling workout following beetroot juice consumption as compared to the participants of second control sub-group who were made to drink blackcurrant cordial.

It can be concluded therefore that the high nitrate content present in beetroot juice causes muscle to use oxygen in different manner during moderately severe exercise. This results in increased muscle endurance. This increased muscle endurance after consumption of beetroot juice can not be achieved by any kind of muscle training or exercise. Beetroot juice can lower the blood pressure by better differential use of oxygen by muscle.

Reference:
Bailey et al. Dietary nitrate supplementation reduces the O2 cost of low-intensity exercise and enhances tolerance to high-intensity exercise in humans. Journal of Applied Physiology.2009; 0: 00722.2009v1

This artificial heart is made of synthetic and animal tissue. It is implanted in patient’s chest and uses sensors to gather information for the natural organ activity. It is operated by a ‘microcontroller’ and powered by electromagnetic induction through skin or a plug behind patient’s ear.

It is estimated for this device to cost approximately $315,000 including hospital and surgical expenses. The Lasker Foundation says by this technology they had “prolonged and enhanced the lives of millions of people with heart disease.”