3D heart scan produced
by CT Brilliance
Photo credit: BBC News/
Philips Medical Systems |
CT
scanner captures the heart in two beats
CHICAGO — A new computed tomography (CT) scanner
produces 3D body images in less than a minute —
a fraction of the time of other scanners — while
reducing patient exposure to x-rays by as much as 80%.
"It is so powerful that it can capture the image of
the entire heart in just two beats," said Steve Rusckowski,
chief executive of Philips Medical Systems, the manufacturer.
The Brilliance 256-slice iCT was
unveiled November 25 at the Radiological Society of
North America meeting in Chicago. The scanner takes
large numbers of x-ray pictures and combines them in
a computer to produce the final 3D images. The images
can then be rotated and viewed from different angles,
allowing doctors to look more easily for tumours and
abnormalities. Images can also be accessed on a computer
network, so entire research teams could share information
from different locations. The first of these machines
is already in use at the Metro Health medical centre
in Cleveland, OH.
Silver
PJs cloak patients with MRSA protection
LONDON, UK — This season's must-have item for the
nosocomial infection-savvy patient on your shopping
list is... silver-lined pyjamas. The silver woven into
the fabric kills 99.9% of hospital superbug MRSA in
under an hour, claims manufacturer Toray Textiles, keeping
the parts of the patient covered by pyjamas germ-free.
The theory is that heat and moisture from the patient's
body will activate the silver, which gets absorbed into
the bacterial cell. Once inside, the silver ions then
bind to microbial DNA and kill the bacteria.
Not everyone's buying it, though.
Critics say the pyjamas are a gimmick and that the only
way to effectively combat MRSA is by improving hospital
sanitation. Not so, according to Dr Peter Wilson at
London's Newham University Hospital where the clinical
trials were conducted. "It will be like waving a magic
wand in the fight against MRSA," he enthuses. The jammies
have hit the UK market in time for the holidays.
Blue-blocking shades for
better sleep
Photo credit: John Carroll
University |
Blue-blocker
shades nix white nights
CLEVELAND — Maybe Corey Hart was on to something.
Wearing blue-blocker sunglasses at night can help patients
sleep better and improve ADHD symptoms, according to
researchers at John Carroll University. The shades accomplish
that feat by filtering out the blue rays in normal light,
they claim.
Blue rays can delay the start of
the sleep hormone melatonin's flow. By blocking the
rays a couple of hours before bed, the glasses alter
a person's circadian rhythms and bring on early melatonin
release. Filtering out blue light can improve ADHD symptoms
and allow better sleep, according to recent studies
from U of T. The blue-blocker shades — which look
similar to yellow-lensed night driving glasses —
cost between $40 and $60. For more info visit www.lowbluelights.com.
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