Viking Systems Inc., a designer, manufacturer and marketer of 3-D and 2-D vision systems for use in minimally invasive surgical (MIS) procedures, has entered into an original equipment manufacturing (OEM) supply agreement with CompView Medical of Beaverton, Oregon, for the company's NuBOOM product, image management software and related accessories.

Getting patients to take their medications as directed can cut health-care costs, but improving their pill-taking habits can be difficult, researchers say.

As part of their research into the issue, a team at the University of Chicago conducted two studies. The first found that patients with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis who consistently took a prescribed medication — 5-aminosalicyclic acid (5-ASA) — had 12.5 percent lower medical costs than patients who did not comply with the therapy.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and congestive heart failure (CHF) are two of the most common medical reasons for hospitalization among middle-aged and older patients. Both have accepted standards for diagnosis and management, supported by large bodies of scientific evidence and international practice guidelines; yet a new study from Boston’s Caritas St Elizabeth’s Medical Center, published in the October issue of Respiratory Care, shows that the use of the primary confirmatory tests—recommended both for diagnosis and assessment of severity—differs substantially in the two dise

Philips highlighted new computed tomography (CT) TrueView software at Cardiovascular Research Foundation’s (CRF) eighteenth annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium, as part of its portfolio of combined imaging and interventional techniques and procedures to better diagnose and treat patients.
Using 3D CT images in the cath lab, Philips CT TrueView is designed to improve and streamline treatment planning for patients undergoing invasive procedures for stent placement and chronic total occlusions (CTO).

Addressing the growing demand for healthcare environments that balance the healing process for patients with the comfort and support requirements of staff and visitors, Keilhauer has spent the last four years in search of remedies for issues inhibiting effective healthcare seating solutions. To solve this problem, the company has created Sittris, a new company dedicated to healthcare seating, and it will be launched at Healthcare Design 2006 in Chicago, November 4 through 7.