Archive : Health-O-Meter

Erectile dysfunction is a sexual dysfunction characterized by the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis during sexual performance. Medtronic, one of the medical device giants, tested use of stents in opening up arteries in penis to help erectile dysfunction. Penile erection is the hydraulic effect of blood entering and being retained in sponge-like bodies within the penis....

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT)  also called a bi-ventricular pacemaker an important device for treatment for symptoms associated with congestive heart failure (CHF) caused by weakening of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy). This device is implanted in the body of the patient. A CRT system consists of the pulse generator and three thin, insulated wires called leads. The pulse generator is...

Lipids are integral part of the body and are essential for functioning of the body at molecular level. Researchers have been utilizing fluorescent proteins to visualize lipid molecules.  A professor at University of Illinois, Chicago demonstrated the first successful quantification of membrane lipids in a living cell in real time. Lipids constitute a broad group of naturally occurring molecules which...

Ultrasound-based diagnostic imaging technique used for visualizing subcutaneous body structures including tendons, muscles, joints, vessels and internal organs for possible pathology or lesions. Obstetric sonography is commonly used during pregnancy and is widely recognized by the public. MobiSante show cased its mobile based ultrasound device in Mobile Health Expo in late 2010. Food and...

Diabetes mellitus is a serious, life-threatening metabolic disorder. There is a need for monitoring blood glucose levels on a regular basis in such patients. A device that allows accurate glucose monitoring in real time without the use of frequent finger sticks, will render a reliable, less invasive method for continuous glucose monitoring. This could facilitate strict blood glucose control, facilitating...

I am sure you have had your routine eye exam and have gone through retinal exam by dilating the pupil.  I remember once, I had gone through dilation of pupil and was driving back home with the special goggles provided by the physician.  I did not realize, until I started driving, that my vision will be affect to a great extent and somehow made it to home. It is more tough for the children, who have...

Catheter patency device provides a constant velocity of fluid in the catheter upon disconnection of a luer. The positive displacement feature prevents the backflow of blood into the catheter lumen which can otherwise lead to thrombotic occlusions. It helps maintain the patency of vascular access devices and permits the use of saline flush for any vascular access device, including central venous access. Catheter...

  A syringe infusion pump infuses fluids, medication or nutrients into a patient’s circulatory system. It is generally used intravenously. Subcutaneous, arterial and epidural infusions are occasionally used. Smith Medical got approval from FDA on their new wireless syringe infusion pump. Infusion pumps can administer fluids in ways that would be impractically expensive or...

Replacement of the aortic valve remains an effective treatment for severe aortic stenosis (AS). Although open surgical aortic valve replacement has been the gold standard treatment for severe AS, many patients do not have this option due to severe co-morbidities. Catheter-based aortic valve implantation has shown promising results in providing treatment options for patients with severe AS. For...

During general anesthesia in adults (and children over 1 year old),  the anesthetist should be able to adjust the amount of anesthetic agent to the needs of the patient, possibly resulting in a more rapid emergence from anesthesia. Depth of anesthesia is a theoretical construct  to conceptualize anesthetic effects on the central nervous system as discrete or continuous phases or states. Clinical...