ANZ Journal of Surgery

Volume 79 Issue s1, Pages A7 - A7

Special Issue: Abstracts of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Annual Scientific Congress, 6–9 May 2009, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Published Online: 27 Apr 2009

Journal compilation © 2009 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons

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L. Kim , D. Ward, A. J. A. Holland and L. Lam

Children's Hospital at Westmead, New South Wales

Copyright Journal compilation © 2009 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons

ABSTRACT

Purpose:   Early definitive treatment of burns gives optimal results by reducing the risk of developing hypertrophic scar. LDI has been shown to assist in predicting burn wound outcome with good accuracy, optimising clinical management. This is particularly beneficial in paediatric burns where the predominant type is scald injury, known to be heterogeneous in thickness. This study was sought to determine whether LDI has led to earlier decision making for grafting.

Methodology:   Patients who underwent grafting procedure at a single paediatric institute, a state referral centre for all major paediatric burns, between June 2006 and December 2007 formed the basis of this study. Time of burn injury to time of decision making for grafting procedure was calculated in days for both patients that had LDI imaging and those patients not scanned.

Results:   50% of 196 patients underwent LDI. Comparatively, there was no significant difference in type, body surface area percentage and microbiology swab results. The mean time from the date of injury to decision making for graft procedure was 8.9 days in those patients scanned by LDI and 11.6 days in group diagnosed on the basis of clinical observation alone. This trend for earlier decision for grafting in the LDI group was statistically significant (p = 0.01).

Conclusion:   There was a significant reduction in time to grafting decision in the LDI group. This would potentially reduce length of hospital stay, number of visits and facilitate planning of surgery. Earlier diagnosis of burn depth may enhance parental satisfaction by allowing greater opportunities for discussion of potential surgery and improving long term outcome.

 http://www.blockeng.com

Copyright (C) 2009 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/first-ever-report-cellvizior-use/story.aspx?guid={F98828D0-BEDD-42C2-9434-60916FE9D152}&dist=msr_4

New Data On World's Smallest Microscope Presented At American Urology Association (AUA) Annual Meeting

Last update: 8:01 a.m. EDT April 27, 2009

PARIS, Apr 27, 2009 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- New data show that real-time, in vivo imaging with Cellvizio(r), the world's smallest microscope, can be used in the urology field and may help urologists to differentiate low and high-grade bladder tumors from normal bladder tissue, according to data presented today at the American Urological Association's (AUA) Annual meeting being held in Chicago from April 25th to 30th. Cellvizio probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (pCLE) provides live images of internal human tissues at the cellular level during examination procedures enabling faster clinical decision making.

"With additional clinical investigation and further technological innovation, pCLE could provide a useful adjunct to white light cystoscopy in bladder cancer diagnosis and streamline patient management," says Joseph Liao, Assistant Professor of Urology at Stanford University and Chief of Urology at Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, who led the investigation. "Adding pCLE may potentially improve the yield of bladder biopsy in some patients while avoiding unnecessary biopsy in others."

This study on 27 patients represents the first in vivo microscopic evaluation of the human bladder using pCLE and demonstrates that healthy and cancerous tissue may be differentiated in real time. The study found that normal urothelium was characterized by a network of regular polygonal-shaped cells, with superficial umbrella cells larger than deeper intermediate cells, while high-grade tumors had much more architectural irregularity and cellular pleomorphism.

"This study shows real promise for the introduction of pCLE in the field of urology," said Sacha Loiseau, Founder, President and CEO of Mauna Kea Technologies. "These findings demonstrate Cellvizio's potential to impact how physicians diagnose and treat cancer and diseases in the urinary tract, just as we've seen in the gastrointestinal tract and lungs."

The study, titled "Optical Biopsy of Human Bladder Neoplasia with In Vivo Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy," was conducted under an institutional review board (IRB)- approved protocol and is registered on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT: 00801762, http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00801762 )

Bladder cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers (4th in men and 8th in women), with more than 60,000 new cases per year in the United States, which makes it more prevalent than lung cancer. Current standard for the diagnosis of bladder cancer is cystoscopy, which involves the insertion of an endoscope through the urethra into the bladder. Excisional biopsy of the bladder tumor is required to establish the stage: that is, to differentiate whether the tumor is superficial or muscle-invasive. Muscle-invasive bladder cancer requires removal of the bladder (radical cystectomy). Superficial bladder cancer is usually amenable for endoscopic resection (transurethral resection of bladder tumor, or TURBT), but there is a 50-90% chance of recurrence. The need for lifelong surveillance makes bladder cancer the most expensive cancer to treat from the time of diagnosis to death.

"There is a significant need for more sensitive and specific, less invasive, and cost effective diagnostic modality for bladder cancer," Dr. Liao said. "There is considerable interest in the urologic community to improve the diagnostic accuracy of white light cystoscopy, as evidenced by interests in imaging modalities such as fluorescence cystoscopy and optical coherence tomography. However, significant hurdles remain regarding the diagnostic specificity and the image resolution of these novel techniques. pCLE is an optical imaging modality that may bridge the shortcomings of the other imaging modalities and provide an important clinical utility for in vivo diagnostics."

About Cellvizio(r)

Cellvizio(r), the world's smallest microscope, is the first system designed to provide live images of internal human tissues at the cellular level during endoscopic procedures. This new method, known as probe-based Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy (pCLE), allows physicians to pinpoint and remove diseased tissue with endoscopic tools on the spot, or, in more serious cases, send the patient directly to surgery. This new, advanced imaging technique helps physicians more effectively detect cancer so patients can be treated earlier and undergo fewer biopsies. Physicians and thought leaders at more than 50 top medical institutions around the world have completed over 2,000 of these procedures and have published more than 25 peer-reviewed papers on the technology in medical journals. Cellvizio, which delivers up to 12 images per second and can be used with almost any endoscope, has 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European CE-Mark for use in the gastrointestinal and pulmonary tracts.

About Mauna Kea Technologies

Mauna Kea Technologies, a French company with a multi-disciplinary scientific approach, has developed Cellvizio, a probe-based Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy (pCLE) system that makes dynamic imaging of life at the cellular level a reality. The cellvizio.net scientific knowledge interactive database is enabling an international community of leading scientists and physicians to share their ground-breaking work based on Cellvizio in gastroenterology and various fields of science and medicine. Mauna Kea Technologies is backed by leading life science investors, which include Psilos Group, Seventure and Creadev. For more information about Mauna Kea Technologies, visit www.maunakeatech.com.

This news release was distributed by GlobeNewswire, www.globenewswire.com

SOURCE: Cellvizio Inc.

Lazar Partners

          Mauna Kea Technologies Media Contact: 

          Erich Sandoval

          917-497-2867 

          esandoval@lazarpartners.com

Posted: April 27, 2009 (Nanowerk Spotlight)

 A number of applications in nanomedicine – imaging, drug delivery or photo therapy for instance – utilize phenomena called two-photon absorption (TPA). In TPA, the simultaneous absorption of two photons excite a molecule from one state to a higher energy electronic state. TPA initially was used only as a spectroscopic tool but new applications emerged over time. "Currently approved two-photon absorption-induced excitation is one of the most promising approaches in photo therapies as it increases light penetration," Dong-Hwang Chen tells Nanowerk."It enables the use of light in the tissue-transparent window (750–1000 nm), allowing deeper light penetration and reduced risk of laser hyperthermia. An uphill energy conversion through the use of two-photon absorbing chromophores and subsequent energy transfer is a promising scientific frontier." Chen, a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at National Cheng Kung University in Tainan, Taiwan, continues to explain that fluorescence resonant energy transfer (FRET)-based semiconductor nanocrystal sensors and nanoformulation for photodynamic therapy have emerged over the past few years as promising nanoscales for analyte detection and light-activated treatment for cancer and other diseases. Drug release triggered by two-photon excitation in near infrared (NIR) using the FRET technique have not yet been developed despite much progress in photo-triggered drug release. "One of the promising approaches to obtain large intrinsic two-photon absorption cross sections in the near-infrared region is to exploit the energy-transferring combination of existing photosensitive linkers with two-photon absorption dyes," he says. "Here, the photosensitive linker (energy acceptor) is indirectly excited through fluorescence resonance energy from the two-photon absorption dye unit (energy donor)." This previous work has motivated Chen and his group to design a new class of drug nanocarriers capable of on demand drug release by efficient up-converting energy of NIR light to higher energy and intraparticle energy transfer for drug release. The result is a multifunctional nanoparticle that can efficiently absorb the energy of NIR light and emit light of higher energy for triggering drug release by cleavage of a photosensitive linker.

Photo-triggered release of Dexa by up-converting energy of NIR light to higher energy and indirect energy transfer from RDB grafted gum arabic bound Fe3O4 nanoparticle to the linker. (Reprinted with permission from IOP Publishing) Chen, together with his first author Shashwat S Banerjee, reports these findings in the April 14, 2009 online edition of Nanotechnology ("A multifunctional magnetic nanocarrier bearing fluorescent dye for targeted drug delivery by enhanced two-photon triggered release"). Chen points out that, although the use of a fluorophore to cleave a linker molecule has been reported, in all the cases UV light has been utilized to cleave the linker. "The concept of energy harvesting by uphill energy conversions through the use of two-photon absorption and the phenomenon of FRET has never been utilized." This approach involves an energy-transferring magnetic nanoscopic co-assembly fabricated of rhodamine B fluorescent dye grafted gum arabic modified Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticle (GAMNP) and photosensitive linker by which dexamethasone (a corticosteroid drug that acts as an anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressant and is used in cancer therapies of brain tumors) is conjugated to the magnetic nano-assembly. One issue that the researchers found with their nanocarrier is that rhodamine, which acts as energy acceptor, showed slow degradation on prolong exposure to NIR. But they are confident that this problem can be resolved by using semiconductor nanocrystals in place of fluorescent dyes like rhodamine B. Generally, this kind of multifunctional nanocarriers will provide targeted and on demand drug release that will lead to more effective therapies, eliminating the potential for both under and overdosing; the need for fewer administrations; optimal use of the drug in question; and increased patient compliance. These nanocarriers will revolutionize especially cancer chemotherapies. Most chemotherapeutic compounds are nonspecific and are taken up by all types of cells – and this nonselective nature of the agents usually causes severe toxicity. The drug nanocarriers currently under development will dramatically improve the treatment of cancer by selectively providing the optimum dosage of the drug at the tumor site, ultimately even the individual tumor cell. According to Chen, the type of nanocarrier designed by his group provides several advantages such as "1) magnetic guiding to the desired target area and fixing them at the local site while the medication is released and acts locally; 2) surface functionalization by gum arabic provides an opportunity to allow directing the therapeutic agent to selected cells away from other cells and, in doing so, provides a method for targeting a therapeutic agent into selected cells; 3) the combined properties of fluorescence and magnetism associated with nanoparticles offer new opportunities for in vitro and in vivo imaging; and 4) indirect photo-triggering-on-demand drug release by efficient up-converting energy of the near-IR (NIR) light to higher energy and intraparticle energy transfer from the dye-grafted magnetic nanoparticle to the linker for photo-cleavage." The approach of two-photon induced intraparticles FRET for drug release, based on the use of two-photon fluorescent nanoassembly as a donor and a photosensitive linker as an acceptor, offers a novel design for developing formulations of smart drug-carrier nanoassemblies for more superior control over the location and the onset of drug release. By Michael Berger.

http://www.news-medical.net/print_article.asp?id=48883

  Published: Monday, 27-Apr-2009

HOUSTON, April 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- How long will it take to

develop Star Trek-like medical technologies? The gap between science

fiction and reality is closing faster than many people may think.

A noninvasive, needle-free system that uses light to measure tissue

oxygen and pH will soon be an alternative to the painful use of needles

to draw blood and cumbersome equipment to determine metabolic rate. The

futuristic system, dubbed the Venus prototype, is being developed by

Dr. Babs Soller and her colleagues. It has the capability to measure

blood and tissue chemistry, metabolic rate (oxygen consumption) and

other parameters.

The sensor and portable monitor are funded by the National Space

Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) for use in space. Soller said the

technology's multiple, real-time applications will be beneficial to

astronauts in their day-to-day activities and to critically ill

patients on Earth.

"Tissue and blood chemistry measurements can be used in medical care to

assess patients with traumatic injuries and those at risk for

cardiovascular collapse," said Soller, who leads NSBRI's Smart Medical

Systems and Technology team. "The measurement of metabolic rate will

let astronauts know how quickly they are using up the oxygen in their

life-support backpacks. If spacewalking astronauts run low on oxygen,

the situation can become fatal."

Placed directly on the skin, the four-inch by two-inch sensor uses near

infrared light (that is just beyond the visible spectrum) to take the

measurements. Blood in tiny blood vessels absorbs some of the light,

but the rest is reflected back to the sensor. The monitor analyzes the

reflected light to determine metabolic rate, along with tissue oxygen

and pH. One unique advantage of Dr. Soller's near infrared device is

that its measurements are not impacted by skin color or body fat.

A noninvasive system also means a reduced risk of infection due to the

lack of needle pricks. Most of the system's development has occurred at

the University of Massachusetts Medical School, where Soller is a

professor of anesthesiology. She has worked closely with researchers at

NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston to develop applications of the

Venus system for space.

Former NASA astronaut and NSBRI User Panel Chairman Dr. Leroy Chiao

said Soller's sensor system and other technologies being developed for

spaceflight are a wise investment.

"The neat thing about the work being done is that it is a two-for-one

deal," Chiao said. "Not only is this research going to help future

astronaut crews and operations, it has very real benefits to people on

the ground, especially to people in more rural areas."

On Earth, there are several areas of health care that could benefit

from Venus. However, it is patients treated by emergency personnel on

ambulances and on the battlefield that could benefit the most from the

technology.

"Eventually, we expect first-responders would have these devices, which

would provide feedback on the severity of a person's injury," Soller

said. "Data can be communicated directly to the hospital. Early access

to this type of information may increase a victim's chances of

survival."

The system's Earth applications are not limited to urgent care. It will

allow doctors to more efficiently monitor pediatric and intensive care

patients. Athletes and physical therapy patients also stand to gain

from the technology's ability to measure metabolic rate and to assist

in determining the level of activity or exercise that is most

beneficial to the individual.

"Athletes would benefit from using these parameters in developing

training programs that will help them improve their endurance and

performance," she said. "And we suspect the same thing will be true for

patients in physical rehabilitation."

Currently, Soller and her collaborators are working on several aspects

to prepare the sensor for integration into spacesuits by reducing its

size, increasing its accuracy in measuring metabolic rate, and

developing the capability to run on batteries. These activities will

also speed its application in helping to care for patients on Earth.

Soller's technology is one of a group of innovative medical systems

being developed by NSBRI to provide health care to NASA astronauts in

space and to improve health care on Earth.

Notes:

Therelease and photos are available at:

http://www.nsbri.org/NewsPublicOut/Release.epl?r=119

Learn more about other NSBRI technologies at:

http://www.nsbri.org/EarthBenefits/FuturisticTechnologies.html

Brad Thomas

NSBRI

713-798-7595

rbthomas@bcm.edu

NSBRI, funded by NASA, is a consortium of institutions studying the

health risks related to long-duration spaceflight. The Institute's

science, technology and education projects take place at more than 60

institutions across the United States.

SOURCE National Space Biomedical Research Institute

http://au.sys-con.com/node/932211

DENVER, April 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Cambridge Research & Instrumentation, Inc. (CRi) introduced the Vectra(TM) Intelligent Slide Analysis System at the 100th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in Denver. The Vectra system is the world's only multispectral brightfield- and fluorescence-capable solution for rapidly generating high-resolution cellular and tissue images from samples stained with standard H&E, immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence techniques.

The Vectra system utilizes CRi's inForm(TM) Advanced Image Analysis Software, which leverages proprietary machine-learning technology to make it possible to better understand inter-molecular interactions within individual cells.

"Vectra's intelligent scanning approach provides a more efficient and faster alternative to whole-slide scanning," said Clifford Hoyt, VP and CTO at CRi. "You get quantitative information, as well as higher-contrast images of each signal, in many cases impossible

to visualize using any other means."

Compared with conventional means, the new instrument enables much more accurate and dramatically faster imaging of breast cancer and lymphoma tissue, as well as prostate and kidney specimens. Preclinical studies that formerly took weeks or months scanning hundreds or thousands of slides can now be done in days.

According to Dr. Michael Feldman of the University of Pennsylvania, "CRi's Vectra has allowed us to break the boundary of routine immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence studies by supporting multiplexed staining and analysis to reveal the underlying biological processes that are represented in our pathology slides. This has greatly expanded our ability to use pathology slides to ask and answer questions about human disease."

"Vectra and InForm go beyond the capabilities of a routine microscope or whole slide scanner by allowing high-order mutliplexing with advanced cytometric analysis."

Cambridge Research & Instrumentation, Inc (CRi) is a Boston-based biomedical imaging company providing innovative optical imaging solutions for more than 20 years. CRi's multidisciplinary team is dedicated to providing comprehensive solutions that enable our customers to produce breakthroughs in research and medical care, and award-winning products help extract new disease-specific information from biological and clinical samples in the physiological, morphological, and biochemical context of intact tissues and organisms.

For more information visit our website at http://www.cri-inc.com/vectra or contact:

    Ross Nakatsuji

    CRi Marketing/Sales Group Leader

    35-B Cabot Road, Woburn, MA 01801 USA

    (P) 1-781-935-9099, extension 177, (C) 1-781-405-4000,

    (E) rnakatsuji@cri-inc.com

SOURCE Cambridge Research & Instrumentation, Inc.

© 2008 SYS-CON Media Inc.

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/mksg/srt/2009/00000015/00000002/art00014

Authors: Masuda, Yuji¹; Yamashita, Toyonobu¹; Hirao, Tetsuji¹; Takahashi, Motoji¹

Source: Skin Research and Technology, Volume 15, Number 2, May 2009 , pp. 224-229(6)

Publisher: Blackwell Publishing

Abstract:

Background/purpose:

It is crucial to establish an accurate method for measuring skin pigmentation in cosmetic science and clinical dermatology. Here, we report a non-invasive precise method for measuring skin melanin content. Methods:

In order to determine the concentrations of melanin and hemoglobin in skin, we used the spectrum resolution (SR) method. In brief, the absorption spectrum of the skin was calculated from the reflection spectrum using a spectrophotometer. The concentrations of melanin and hemoglobin were then determined using a multiple regression analysis, assuming that the absorption spectrum of the skin is expressed as a linear summation of the absorptions of melanin and hemoglobin according to the Lambert-Beer law. The skin changes in the volar forearm, which had been irradiated by ultraviolet rays (UV), were observed daily by the SR method. Results:

A multiple regression analysis with an absorption spectrum of 500-700 nm was performed. The multiple correlation coefficient was 0.993, resulting in a satisfactory precise estimate of the concentrations of melanin. After UV irradiation, the concentration of melanin monitored by the SR method increased until 8 days and decreased gradually afterwards. Conclusions:

The SR method allows the evaluation of the changes of epidermal melanin induced by UV irradiation.

Keywords: erythema; melanin; pigmentation; spectrophotometer

http://in.sys-con.com/node/926618

MMPSense(TM) 750 FAST is Presented at AACR 100th Annual Meeting

BEDFORD, Mass., April 20 /PRNewswire/ -- VisEn Medical Inc., a leader in fluorescence in vivo imaging from research through medicine, announced today the introduction of its new FAST ("Fluorescent Activatible Sensor Technology") imaging agent platform for advanced imaging of key disease-associated biomarkers and drug response in vivo. Newly developed by VisEn Medical, FAST imaging agents are smaller molecule, biocompatible, activatible fluorescent agents that combine increased biomarker specificity with accelerated pharmacokinetics for advanced measurement and monitoring of key disease biomarkers in vivo. The new MMPSense 750 FAST, the first of the FAST agents to be launched by VisEn, was described today in a scientific poster presentation entitled "In vivo imaging of treatment effects using a novel near-infrared labeled agent: MMPSense 750 FAST", at the annual Scientific Sessions of the AACR (American Association of Cancer Research) 100th Annual Meeting 2009 in Denver, CO by Jeffrey D. Peterson, Ph.D., Vice President of Applied Biology at VisEn.

At the AACR 100th Annual Meeting, the Peterson et al study demonstrated the performance of MMPSense 750 FAST as a fast-acting, near-infrared imaging agent to measure tumor MMP activity in vivo and monitor treatment efficacy. In the study, administration of the agent allowed the non-invasive measurement of MMP inhibition using two different chemotherapy regimes. Using the VisEn FMT 2500(TM) quantitative tomography system, tumor fluorescence due to in vivo activation of the agent was clearly detectable as early as 4 hours after injection of the agent with the signal maximizing between 6 and 24 hours. By 96 hours, only 15% of the signal was still present in tumors. "Our study utilized MMPSense 750 FAST as a mechanistic biomarker for therapeutic activity, which was closely associated with tumor progression", said Dr. Peterson. Both of the chemotherapeutics in the study inhibited the MMPSense 750 FAST signal in tumors by 88% and 70%, respectively (p=0.0042 and 0.026) only one day after beginning the treatment, at a time when there was no measurable effect on tumor size--a finding, Dr. Peterson noted, which underscored the ability of these fluorescence agents and FMT imaging to rapidly and non-invasively measure the molecular events associated with tumor progression. "The study demonstrates the potential of near-infrared fluorescence in vivo imaging to non-invasively quantify the underlying biology of tumorigenic processes in real time--performance essential for the assessment of cancer and metastases, as well as the development and monitoring of anticancer therapies," said Dr. Peterson. According to Dr. Peterson, the FAST platform combines an activation site with two internally quenched fluorophores that fluoresce upon cleavage by MMPs in vivo and are then detected and quantified by the VisEn FMT 2500 in vivo imaging system. VisEn's proprietary FMT technology provides non-invasive, whole body, deep tissue imaging in small animal models and generates three dimensional images. VisEn's FMT systems are currently being used by leading researchers and pharmaceutical companies globally for research in oncology as well as inflammatory, pulmonary, cardiovascular and skeletal disease.

The late-breaking poster "In vivo imaging of treatment effects using a novel near-infrared labeled agent: MMPSense 750 FAST," by Peterson et.al., was presented at the AACR 100th Annual Meeting on Sunday, April 19, 2009 between 1:00 - 5:00 PM in Hall B-F, Poster Section 13 (#LB-68) of the Denver Convention Center. "VisEn's new FAST agent platform will enable yet another level of imaging performance and versatility by providing increased ranges of biomarker specificity with faster pharmacokinetic profiles," said Kirtland Poss, President and CEO of VisEn Medical. "This enables more versatility in pre-clinical study designs, greater breadth of imaging data and even more biomarker multiplexing for our customers, especially in longitudinal studies of disease progression and therapeutic response."

VisEn's proprietary in vivo imaging agents and labels, including the FAST platform, are designed to provide a robust and broad range of biologically-specific imaging readouts in vivo. VisEn now offers over 25 different fluorescence molecular agents for imaging key disease-associated biologic targets, processes and pathways in vivo, with additional agents expected for launch in 2009. VisEn also offers its specialized in vivo agent labeling platforms, including its proprietary VivoTag(R) fluorescence labeling dyes for custom in vivo agent development and its NanoSpark(R) in vivo labeling nanoparticles, all designed and optimized specifically for superior brightness, biocompatibility, stability and results in in vivo imaging. VisEn's agents and labels are designed to be compatible with a range of fluorescence imaging systems, but are only truly quantifiable on the VisEn FMT 2500 quantitative tomography system. With a focus on translational research and results, all of VisEn's technologies are designed to generate translational data linking pre-clinical research into clinical medicine.

About VisEn Medical Inc.

VisEn's in vivo fluorescence imaging technologies, including its Fluorescence Agent Portfolio and its Fluorescence Molecular Tomographic (FMT(TM)) Imaging Systems provide robust fluorescence molecular imaging performance in identifying, characterizing and quantifying ranges of disease biomarkers and therapeutic efficacy in vivo. VisEn's FMT systems and agents are used by leading research institutions and pharmaceutical companies in applications including cancer research, inflammation, cardiovascular, skeletal and pulmonary disease. The Company also works with large pharmaceutical partners to design ranges of tailored molecular imaging agents and applications that are designed to their specific pre-clinical and clinical research areas. Additional information can be found at www.visenmedical.com.

SOURCE VisEn Medical Inc.

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/mksg/srt/2009/00000015/00000002/art00002

Blood flow measurements at different depths using photoplethysmography and laser Doppler techniques

Authors: Bergstrand, Sara¹; Lindberg, Lars Göran²; Ek, Anna-Christina¹; Lindén, Maria³; Lindgren, Margareta¹

Source: Skin Research and Technology, Volume 15, Number 2, May 2009 , pp. 139-147(9)

Publisher: Blackwell Publishing

Abstract:

Background/purpose:

This study has evaluated a multi-parametric system combining laser Doppler flowmetry and photoplethysmography in a single probe for the simultaneous measurement of blood flow at different depths in the tissue. This system will be used to facilitate the understanding of pressure ulcer formation and in the evaluation of pressure ulcer mattresses. Methods:

The blood flow in the tissue over the sacrum was measured before, during and after loading with 37.5 mmHg, respectively, 50.0 mmHg. The evaluation of the system consisted of one clinical part, and the other part focusing on the technicalities of the probe prototype. Results:

An increase in blood flow while loading was the most common response, but when the blood flow decreased during loading it was most affected at the skin surface and the blood flow responses may be different due to depths of measurement. Reactive hyperaemia may occur more frequently in the superficial layers of the tissue. Conclusion:

The study showed that the new system is satisfactory for measuring tissue blood flow at different depths. The laser Doppler complements the photoplethysmography, and further development of the system into a thin flexible probe with the ability to measure a larger area is required.

Keywords: pressure ulcers; blood flow; photoplethysmography; laser Doppler flowmetry; non-invasive

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0846.2008.00337.x

Affiliations: 1: Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden, 2: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden, and 3: School of Innovation, Design and Engineering, Mälardalen University, Västerås, Sweden

The full text electronic article is available for purchase. You will be able to download the full text electronic article after payment.

$42.40 plus tax

http://www.photonicsonline.com/article.mvc/Distinguishing-Single-Cells-With-Nothing-But-0001?VNETCOOKIE=NO

Distinguishing Single Cells With Nothing But Light

April 3, 2009

Researchers at the University of Rochester have developed a novel optical technique that permits rapid analysis of single human immune cells using only light.

Availability of such a technique means that immunologists and other cellular researchers may soon be able to observe the responses of individual cells to various stimuli, rather than relying on aggregate statistical data from large cell populations. Until now scientists have not had a non-invasive way to see how human cells, like T cells or cancer cells, activate individually and evolve over time.

As reported recently in a special biomedical issue of Applied Optics, this is the first time clear differences between two types of immune cells have been seen using a microscopy system that gathers chemical and structural information by combining two previously distinct optical techniques, according to senior author Andrew Berger, associate professor of optics at the University of Rochester.

Berger and his graduate student Zachary Smith are the first to integrate Raman and angular-scattering microscopy into a single system, which they call IRAM.

"Conceptually it's pretty straightforward—you shine a specified wavelength of light onto your sample and you get back a large number of peaks spread out like a rainbow," says Berger. "The peaks tell you how the molecules you're studying vibrate and together the vibrations give you the chemical information."

According to Smith, "Raman spectroscopy is essentially an easy way to get a fingerprint from the molecule."

Structural information is simultaneously gathered by examining the angles at which light incident on a sample is bumped off its original course.

Together the chemical and structural information provide the data needed to classify and distinguish between two different, single cells. Berger and Smith verified this by looking at single granulocytes—a type of white blood cell—and peripheral blood monocytes.

"One of the big plusses with our system is that it's a non-labeling approach for studying living cells," says Berger.

IRAM differs from most standard procedures where markers are inserted in, or attached to cells. If a marker sticks to one cell, and not the other, you can tell which cell is which on the basis of specific binding properties.

While markers are often adequate for studying cells at a single point in time, monitoring a cell over time as it changes is more problematic, since the marker can affect dynamic cell activities, like membrane transport. And internal markers actually involve punching holes in the membrane, damaging or killing the cell in the process.

"Our method uses only light to effectively reach inside the cell," says Smith. "We can classify internal differences in the cell without opening it up, attaching anything to it, or preparing it in any special way. It's really just flipping a switch."

Despite being relatively intense, the light used with IRAM does not harm or inhibit normal cell functionality. This is because the wavelength of the light can be precisely calibrated to minimize absorption by the cells. The near-infrared spectrum has proven particularly optimal for allowing almost all of the light to pass through the cells.

With the availability of a technique where making a measurement does not alter cellular activity, scientists will be able to better observe individual cell responses to stimuli, which Berger and Smith suspect may have far reaching implications for current understandings of cell activation and development.

"In the cell sensing community it's currently a pretty hot area to figure out how to analyze activation responses on a cell-by-cell basis," says Berger. "If individual information was available on top of existing ensemble data, you'd have a richer understanding of immune responses."

Perfecting IRAM has been a stepping stone process so far. Now that individual cells can be distinguished, Berger and Smith are actively investigating activation processes more explicitly. Preliminary IRAM experiments conducted on T cells have revealed perceivable differences between the initial resting state of a T cell and its state following an encounter with an invader.

The next step will be to use IRAM to gather data continuously so that scientists can effectively watch single cells undergo activation and react to stimuli in real-time. The ability to know not only about the aggregate responses of cells, but also be able to observe the earliest changes among individual cells, may be of profound importance in time-critical areas, such as cancer research and immunology.

"There's an obvious desire among cell researchers to be able to deliver a controlled stimulant to a single cell and then study its response over time," says Berger. "The clinical insights that might arise are currently in the realm of speculation. We won't know until we can do it—and now we can."

About The University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is one of the nation's leading private universities. Located in Rochester, N.Y., the University gives students exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty through its unique cluster-based curriculum. Its College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering is complemented by the Eastman School of Music, Simon School of Business, Warner School of Education, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, and the Memorial Art Gallery. For more information, visit: www.rochester.edu

SOURCE: University of Rochester

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-04/aaft-atl040309.php

Contact: Natasha Pinol
npinol@aaas.org
202-326-7088
American Association for the Advancement of Science

AAAS/Science to launch new journal, Science Translational Medicine

Elias Zerhouni, M.D., former director of the National Institutes of Health, named chief scientific advisor

The journal Science, published by the nonprofit American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), today announced plans to launch a new journal devoted to research in translational medicine, which uses insights from basic biology to improve medical care. The journal, Science Translational Medicine, will launch in fall, 2009. (See www.sciencetranslationalmedicine.org.)

Elias Zerhouni, M.D., Senior Fellow at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Global Health Program and former Director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, has accepted the position of Chief Scientific Advisor for Science Translational Medicine.

Together with the journal's Advisory Board of clinician scientists and other experts, and Editor Katrina L. Kelner, Dr. Zerhouni will set the strategic direction of the journal and work with staff to attract and publish research that represents both excellent science and significant advances for human health.

"We need to find novel and more effective ways to better understand and develop, for patients, the extraordinary advances we have made in the past few years. This is why translational medicine has to become a more rigorous and, in my view, a redefined new discipline of biomedical science, with a vibrant and focused community dedicated to basic and applied investigations of the highest scientific quality, and without artificial barriers between its constituent disciplines," Dr. Zerhouni said.

"We should never forget that the public supports our research not just for its own sake but for its promise to bring new and more effective approaches to health across the world. I am pleased by the decision of AAAS to launch this journal at this time and honored to serve as its inaugural chief scientific advisor."

What is Translational Medicine?

Often described as an effort to carry scientific knowledge "from bench to bedside," translational medicine builds on basic research advances – studies of biological processes using cell cultures, for example, or animal models – and uses them to develop new therapies or medical procedures.

Translational medicine is becoming ever-more interdisciplinary. For example, researchers need new computational approaches to deal with the large amounts of data pouring in from genomics and other fields, and as new advances in physics and materials science offer new approaches to study or diagnose medical conditions.

Science Translational Medicine is being launched to help researchers more efficiently access and apply new findings from many different fields, explained Bruce Alberts, Science's Editor-in-Chief. Specifically, the journal will serve researchers and management in academia, government, and the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, physician scientists, regulators, policy-makers, investors, business developers, and funding agencies.

"The new journal should help scientists and engineers work toward bigger-picture goals for improving patient care, by allowing them to better assimilate information that currently is coming at them from multiple sources," Alberts said. "Too often, information with the potential to improve human quality-of-life is available only through silo-like channels. For example, cardiologists who only attend specialized meetings and read the basic cardiology literature, but not the physics or computer science literature, might miss an important breakthrough that could advance their own research. Science Translational Medicine will help keep researchers informed about advances across all disciplines."

"Science Translational Medicine will encourage the flow of information from the lab to the clinic – but also from the clinic back to the lab. We believe that continuous feedback and communication among the diverse players in this system are essential for success," said Editor Katrina Kelner.

Specific Examples of Translational Research

• Harry Dietz and his colleagues at Johns Hopkins University found that losartan, a drug already approved in the United States for use against high blood pressure, can prevent the aortic aneurisms found in mice engineered to have Marfan syndrome, a genetic disease that affects the body's connective tissue. Losartan has now been tested as a therapy in a group of children with this syndrome and found to inhibit the development of these potentially deadly abnormalities in the aorta.
• Using sophisticated image processing algorithms, Anant Madabhushi and colleagues at Rutgers University can analyze the texture in high-resolution MRI medical images to detect and locate early stage prostate tumors. This application of computational tools to medical imaging yields a more sensitive and reliable technique for clinical application than existing approaches.
• After several decades of unsuccessful efforts to find a vaccine for meningitis B using conventional methods, a research team led by Rino Rappuoli of IRIS, Chiron S.p.A. in Siena, Italy identified a vaccine candidate using a translational approach called reverse vaccinology, which involved analyzing the meningococcal genome sequence. Novartis is now testing this candidate in clinical trials.
• To delay the onset of blindness, many patients with glaucoma must administer eye drops multiple times during the day, a demanding routine that can prevent effective control of the disease. Erin Lavik at Yale University has developed microspheres containing the glaucoma drug timolol maleate, which can be injected into one spot in the eye, where the microspheres secrete controlled amounts of timolol for over a month. This improvement in the way that glaucoma patients receive their medication could lead to more consistent levels of the drug and better outcomes for the patient.
• Gold nanoparticles or "nanoshells" developed by James Tunnel's group at the University of Texas in Austin can be localized to cancer cells, allowing detection by fluorescence spectroscopy even when the tumors are quite small. These same particles can then be activated with strong light to potentially destroy the tumor. This approach combines optical imaging, spectroscopy and nanotechnology for early cancer diagnosis.

Inside the Journal

Science Translational Medicine will publish original, peer-reviewed, science-based research, including small clinical trials and other studies of human biology, as well research on animal models of human disease. "Perspective" articles and Reviews will discuss new findings from both a basic science and a clinical point of view. The journal also will feature and synthesize informed commentary on policy, funding, regulatory issues, and more.

The scope of content in Science Translational Medicine will encompass advances related to cancer; cardiovascular disease; metabolism, diabetes and obesity; neuroscience, neurology, and psychiatry; immunology and vaccines; infectious diseases; policy; behavior; bioengineering; physics; chemical genomics and drug discovery; imaging; applied physical sciences; medical nanotechnology; drug delivery; biomarkers; gene therapy and regenerative medicine; toxicology and pharmacokinetics; data mining; cell culture; animal and human studies; medical informatics; other interdisciplinary approaches to medicine.

Science Translational Medicine will be published weekly online, every Wednesday, and a compilation of selected articles will be offered in a print edition, published monthly.

"Science Translational Medicine will join Science's other sister journal, Science Signaling, in providing a unique forum for researchers from many different disciplines to connect and collaborate in new ways that benefit human health," said Alan I. Leshner, Chief Executive Officer of AAAS and Executive Publisher of the journal Science.

Science Translational Medicine's Leadership

In addition to Chief Scientific Advisor Elias Zerhouni and Science Editor-in-Chief Bruce Alberts, Science Translational Medicine's leadership includes Editor Katrina Kelner and Science Executive Editor Monica Bradford.

Science Translational Medicine's Advisory Board

Kenneth R. Chien, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital
Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard Medical School

Harry C. Dietz, M.D.
Professor, Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins Hospital
Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine

Jeffrey I. Gordon, M.D.
Director, Center for Genome Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine

Philip Greenland, M.D.
Senior Associate Dean, Clinical and Translational Research, Feinberg School of Medicine
Director, Northwestern University, Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute
Former Editor, Archives of Internal Medicine

Joseph B. Martin, M.D.
Professor, Neurobiology and Co-Chair, Governance, NeuroDiscovery Center, Harvard Medical School
Former Dean, Harvard Medical School

Elizabeth G. Nabel, M.D.
Chief and Principal Investigator, Nabel Lab, Cardiovascular Branch, Vascular Biology Section
Director, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health

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Note for Working Journalists: If you are not yet registered with the news service EurekAlert! to access advance, embargoed information from Science, which will include stories from Science Translational Medicine, please register online at www.eurekalert.org. Press registration is free to all reporters. Like Science and Science Signaling, the weekly Science Translational Medicine press package will be embargoed and available to registered reporters via a password-protected Web page within EurekAlert!.

The editors are now accepting research submissions for review and possible publication in Science Translational Medicine. The call for papers and submission guidelines are at http://sciencemag.org/marketing/stm/papers.dt1.

Institutional sitewide access is available. Trials will begin in the fourth quarter of 2009.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the world's largest general scientific society, and publisher of the journal Science (www.sciencemag.org), Science Signaling (www.sciencesignaling.org), and Science Translational Medicine (www.sciencetranslationalmedicine.org). AAAS was founded in 1848, and serves some 262 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. Science has the largest paid circulation of any peer-reviewed general science journal in the world, with an estimated total readership of one million. The nonprofit AAAS (www.aaas.org) is open to all and fulfills its mission to "advance science and serve society" through initiatives in science policy; international programs; science education; and more. For the latest research news, log onto EurekAlert!, www.eurekalert.org, the premier science-news Web site, a service of AAAS.

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP

The Cancer Imaging Department at the British Columbia Cancer Agency (Vancouver, BC) has an immediate opening for a Post-doctoral fellow. The Cancer Imaging Department develops optical instrumentation and software tools for the early detection of cancer. Our research includes all aspects of optical imaging and spectroscopy for the in vivo, ex vivo, and in silico analysis of tissues from the lung, cervix, oral cavity, skin and colon.

We are seeking a qualified individual to work on a project recently funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). The project involves the validation of in vivo confocal imaging for early cancer detection and biopsy guidance in the oral cavity. Responsibilities will include confocal fluorescence microscopy of cell cultures and surgical specimens for the evaluation of vital fluorescence dyes; the coordination of an in vivo pilot trial to validate a new handheld confocal probe for the oral cavity; and the publication of scientific results at international conferences and in peer-reviewed journals. Capable individuals will also be encouraged to participate in the design and refinement of the handheld confocal imaging systems. The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary research group including biomedical engineers, imaging scientists, and clinicians.

QUALIFICATIONS:

The ideal candidate will have a Ph.D. in biomedical/electrical/optical engineering, biological or physical sciences, or a related field. The candidate should have experience in confocal fluorescence microscopy and a solid understanding of at least two of the following subjects: biomedical optics, image processing, 3-D imaging, in vivo confocal microscopy, and vital dyes. Experience with Matlab and/or C language programming is desirable. Excellent communication skills and proficient English language skills are required.

The candidate will work in a multidisciplinary team of physicians, cancer biologists, chemists, and optical engineers. The successful candidate will be expected to work effectively and independently while assisting M.S. and Ph.D. candidates in our laboratory.  This position offers significant opportunity for interaction in a multidisciplinary environment at the interface between biomedical optics and clinical practice. Preference will be given to applicants with a proven track record in biomedical research and candidates should have more than casual interest in publishing. This is a two year term position, with the possibility of a third year extension based on performance and funding sources.

The position is available immediately. Applications will be accepted until June 1, 2009.

Interested candidates should forward their covering letter and Curriculum Vitae to:

Karen Lemmen, Manager – Administration

Cancer Imaging, BC Cancer Agency

BC Cancer Research Centre

675 West 10^th Avenue

Vancouver, British Columbia

Canada

V5Z 1L3

klemmen@bccancer.bc.ca

Fax: 604-675-8099

Use Of Light In Medical Therapy

ScienceDaily (Apr. 3, 2009) — A study published in a special issue of Photochemistry and Photobiology examines the emerging practice of drug delivery systems which use the application of light to activate medications in the body.

The process uses biocompatible materials that are sensitive to certain physiological variables or external physicochemical stimuli. Changes in external or internal body conditions can be used to achieve control of the delivery. There are drug delivery systems that can respond to small changes in light, temperature, pH or the concentration of specific substances.

Current research on the drug delivery systems is focused on developing systems capable of delivering the adequate dose of drug at the target site, avoiding collateral effects and enhancing the therapeutic efficiency. In the case of cancer, light-sensitive systems are particularly useful for direct treatment of malignant cells and minimizing damage to healthy cells.

External control of drug delivery offers a number of advantages. The process enables an easy and precise control of the medication. Switching the light on and off also triggers or stops the release of medication. This can often be done by the patient.

"Near-infrared (NIR) light is particularly useful as an agent capable of triggering the drug release," says Carmen Alvarez-Lorenzo, co-author of the study. "NIR is innocuous, does not cause significant heating in the area of its application and can be useful in the difficult to access areas of the body."

Adapted from materials provided by Wiley-Blackwell, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-04/haog-fcc040309.php

Public release date: 3-Apr-2009
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Contact: Dr.Sibylle Kohlstädt
s.kohlstaedt@dkfz.de
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres

Fluorescent cancer cells to guide brain surgeons

Gliomas are malignant brain tumors that arise from glial (supporting) cells of the brain. Gliomas are often resistant to chemotherapy. These tumors grow fine extensions that infiltrate normal brain tissue and, in addition, individual tumor cells can form satellites in surrounding tissue. Therefore, it is almost impossible to remove the tumor tissue completely by surgery.

Yet, radical surgical removal of the tumor would substantially improve the prognosis of patients. Surgeons are confronted with the difficulty of discriminating between tumor tissue and healthy brain tissue during surgery. Dr. Eva Frei of DKFZ, collaborating with doctors and researchers of the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University, has now developed a method to improve neurosurgery.

The scientists took advantage of the fact that tumors cover their increased energy needs, among other things, by taking up large amounts of the blood protein albumin. The researchers attached a fluorescent substance (5-aminofluorescein) to albumin, which is distributed throughout the body via the bloodstream and eventually accumulates in the brain tumor. Laser light causes the substance to glow and makes the fine extensions of the tumor visible.

"Other contrast agents often fade," says Dr. Eva Frei, "for tumor resection can take five to six hours." The fluorescence marker attached to albumin, however, is visible during the entire operation.

The scientists tested the albumin method in thirteen patients with malignant gliomas. In nine cases it was possible to remove the fluorescent tumor tissue completely thanks to the intensive yellow-green light signal. The researchers calculated that the probability of the glowing tissue being tumor cells is 97 percent.

"Staining is a tremendous help for the surgeon, because he or she can recognize the exact borders between tumor and normal brain tissue, which is normally very difficult," explains Eva Frei. "Another problem is that the tumor often exerts pressure on the meninx so that, when it is opened for surgery, the tumor shifts or changes its shape." The new method takes account of this 'brain shift' effect and makes the effort of intraoperative MRTs unnecessary. Further advantages of the new method are that it is tolerable, inexpensive and easy to apply.

Tolerability and effectiveness of the staining method will be validated next year in a larger study involving several hospitals. The scientists will monitor in a long-term study whether the prognosis of patients will improve as a result of the new method.

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Paul Kremer, Mahmoudreza Fardanesh, Reinhard Ding, Maria Pritsch, Saida Zoubaa and Eva Frei: Intraoperative fluorescence staining of malignant brain tumors using 5-aminofluorescein-labeled albumin. Neurosurgery 2009, DOI:10.1227/01.NEU.0000335787.17029.67.

The German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) is the largest biomedical research institute in Germany and is a member of the Helmholtz Association of National Research Centers. More than 2,000 staff members, including 850 scientists, are investigating the mechanisms of cancer and are working to identify cancer risk factors. They provide the foundations for developing novel approaches in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. In addition, the staff of the Cancer Information Service (KID) offers information about the widespread disease of cancer for patients, their families, and the general public. The Center is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (90%) and the State of Baden-Württemberg (10%).

http://bioopticsworld.com/articles/print.html?id=358260&bPool=BOW.pennnet.com%2farticle_tool_bar

Laser medicine and surgery meeting features emerging applications

Middle

APRIL 3, 2009--Laser medicine experts from around the world are gathering this week and through the weekend in National Harbor, Maryland at the Annual Scientific Conference of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS). Nearly 1500 laser specialists in aesthetic surgery, otolaryngology, ophthalmology, oncology, dermatology, photobiomodulation, and urology are attending, and about 130 industry exhibitors are showcasing their latest products. In addition to revelation of research results on (see Laser treatment can significantly reduce cholesterol, triglycerides, study finds), hot topics include featured presentations on photoactive bonding of corneal tissue transplants, fiber laser and endoscopic systems for treatment of laryngeal disease, non-invasive cryolipolysis, and cancer-targeting nanoparticles:

A Light-Activated, Sutureless Technology For Bonding Corneal Tissue Transplants Offers Superior Wound Healing Results of randomized testing of two techniques for repair of corneal defects in rabbits ? one invasive using traditional sutures; the other using a newly developed laser-activated, sutureless technology called photochemical tissue bonding (PTB) that uses photochemical reactions to create a tight seal will be presented.

Innovations in Laser Surgery Enhance Treatment of Benign and Malignant Laryngeal Disease Recent advances in fiber-based laser and endoscopic technologies are moving laryngeal surgeries from the operating room to the doctor's office using local anesthesia. Researchers expect this style of minimally invasive laser surgery will likely lead to enhanced treatment of a number of benign and malignant laryngeal diseases thanks to the clinical benefits of earlier surgical intervention, better conservation of normal tissue, and improved vocal function for patients.

First Human Study of Non-Invasive Cryolipolysis Yields Promising Results in Patients with Love Handles and Back Fat Findings from the first multi-center study of non-invasive cryolipolysis, a breakthrough technology that is based on the natural biologic vulnerability of fat cells to the effects of cold via controlled energy extraction, confirmed that the procedure is safe and provides fat layer reductions when performed in routine clinical settings. Data based on interim results from evaluations of 32 male and female study subjects will be presented.

New In Vitro Research Shows Laser Therapy Increases Efficiency of Certain Nanoparticles to Target Cancer Cells Researchers investigating new applications of nanoparticles known as single walled carbon nanohorns (SWNHs) found that when they are exposed to infrared radiation, they have the capability to conduct heat and create local chemical reactions ? resulting in enhanced tumor destruction. Laboratory results demonstrating the anti-cancer efficiency of nanoparticles will be discussed.

This year's keynote speaker is Thomas Gunderson, a managing director and senior research analyst at Piper Jaffray, who follows medical technology companies. Mr. Gunderson's lecture entitled "Aesthetic Technology and Wall Street: Looking Good in Tough Times" will be delivered on Saturday, April 4.

The ASLMS recognizes the outstanding achievement of its members with annual recognition awards for their vast contributions to laser medicine and surgery. This year's recipients include:

+ Christopher B. Zachary, MD, MBBS, FRCP, will be bestowed the 2009 Leon Goldman Memorial Award.
+ Suzanne L. Kilmer, MD, is this year's recipient of the Ellet H. Drake Lectureship Award.
+ J. Stuart Nelson, MD, PhD, will receive the 2009 Caroline and William Mark Memorial Award.
+ Sue Terry, RN, CMLSO, will be honored with the 2009 Nursing/Allied Health Excellence Award.
+ Kristen M. Kelly, M.D. is the recipient of the 2009 Dr. Horace Furumoto Innovations Professional Development Award.

For more information please see the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS) website.

Posted by Barbara G. Goode, barbarag@pennwell.com, for BioOptics World.

http://www.policyalternatives.ca/reports/2009/04/reportsstudies2171/?pa=BB736455

What's in a Scan?

How well are consumers informed about the benefits and harms related to screening technology (CT and PET scans) in Canada?

Public being misled by marketing of medical scans: New research reveals

March 30, 2009 | National Office, BC Office | Topic(s): Health, health care system, pharmacare | Publication Type: Press Release

Authors of a new study warn that private clinics selling high-tech services to screen healthy people for disease could be harming Canadians and placing an undue burden on the public health system.

The study, entitled What’s in a Scan? was published today by the Canadian Center for Policy Alternatives (www.policyalternatives.ca). The results of the study found that there are prevalent misconceptions about the safety and regulation of CT and PET screening technologies.

“People are sold on the notion that early detection of potential diseases will always be a positive thing. Unfortunately, this is not the reality,” says Wendy Armstrong, an Edmonton-based health policy analyst affiliated with the Alberta Consumers’ Association and one of the study’s authors. The researchers interviewed over 20 experts, analyzed the media reporting and marketing of screening tests using high tech imaging technologies, and conducted a nation-wide public opinion survey of 400 Canadians on the issue to examine how well Canadian consumers are informed about the benefits and risks associated with such screening. The CCPA also developed a Consumer's Guide to Health Screening following the completion of the study.

The use of the newest screening technologies such as CT (computed tomography) and PET (positron emission tomography) scans in Canada is on the rise. “It’s appropriate for health care professionals to use CT-scanners to diagnose and treat cardiac or cancer patients,” said Alan Cassels, the lead investigator of the study and a health policy researcher at the University of Victoria. “But selling heart, lung or full body scans to individuals who have no apparent symptoms or are otherwise healthy is highly controversial, almost unregulated and not condoned by professional associations of radiologists.”

“What is most striking is that Canadians largely view these “preventative” scans as safe and highly accurate, when in fact, they are often neither,” adds Cassels. “Screening healthy people for disease exposes them to risks from excessive radiation, and can create a flood of false positive findings and unnecessary medical tests which ultimately increases the workload on the public system.”

While the study authors acknowledge that these imaging devices have an important role in medical diagnostics, they found that consumers are not aware of the risks associated with technologies when they are promoted to seek out signs of early disease in healthy people.

“Ultimately while we wait for the federal government and medical professionals to put needed health protections in place, consumers need to be educated about screening’s potential risks and benefits. Ultimately consumers need to be able to ask themselves and their doctors: ‘Do I really need this new screening test?’” explains Cassels.

- 30 -

The full report –– What’s in a Scan: How well are consumers informed about the benefits and harms related to screening technology (CT and PET scans) in Canada? –– as well as a 2-page Consumer’s Guide to Health Screening –– are available for download at: www.policyalternatives.ca

Funding of the research on which this report was based was received from Industry Canada's Contributions Program for Non-Profit Consumer and Voluntary Organizations. The views expressed in the report are not necessarily those of Industry Canada or the Government of Canada.

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090402005799&newsLang=en

April 02, 2009 11:02 AM Eastern Daylight Time 

Nomir Medical to Present Positive In Vitro Data on Antibacterial Properties of its Noveon^® Dual-Wavelength Optical Energy Device

-Full Data to be Presented at the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery 2009 Annual Conference-

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nomir Medical Technologies, a leader in the development of optical energy technologies for anti-infective medical applications, announced today that the Company will present an abstract detailing two years of successful scientific research into the antibacterial action spectrum of its Noveon^® dual-wavelength optical antimicrobial system. The antimicrobial action spectrum experiments demonstrate that the Noveon patented and proprietary 870nm/930nm wavelengths are more effective at inactivating pathogens than other near-infrared wavelength combinations that were tested. The Noveon is designed to cause photo-damage in bacterial and fungal pathogens and is the first known device to do so at temperatures that are safe to normal and healthy tissue.

The detailed data will be presented at LASER ’09, the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery 2009 Annual Conference, in National Harbor, MD, at 5:00 pm Friday, April 3, 2009 in the Photobiomodulation Session. Data and further background regarding the Noveon device will also be available in Nomir’s exhibit booth #927 on April 3^rd and 4^th.

Nomir has completed three successful IRB-approved human studies against onychomycosis (toenail fungus) and two successful IRB-approved human studies against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriage and infection in the nares (nose) with Noveon. The Company recently reached study endpoints in its FDA pivotal study for the treatment of onychomycosis and plans to submit its data for an FDA 510(k) clearance of this indication.

Based on the successful outcomes of all of these studies, Nomir plans to initiate a proof-of-concept study for the Noveon therapy for the reduction of bioburden in diabetic foot ulcers.

About Nomir

Nomir Medical Technologies, Inc. is a medical device company with a product pipeline of optical energy therapeutics being developed for multiple clinical applications. Nomir’s light-based systems target the elimination of bacterial and fungal infections, while also promoting healthy tissue recovery. This potential therapy-altering technology may enhance the effectiveness of, or even reduce the need for antibiotics and antifungal agents, and may be associated with fewer treatment side-effects. Nomir has a broad patent portfolio with pending systems, methods and unique photobiological mechanism claims for near-infrared photo-damage to bacterial and fungal pathogens. www.nomirmedical.com

Forward-looking statements

Certain statements contained in this press release containing words like believe, intend, may, expect, project and other similar expressions are forward-looking statements involving a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that can cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the Company’s forward-looking statements include the following: market acceptance of our technologies, therapies, and products; our ability to obtain financing; our financial and technical resources relative to those of our competitors; our ability to keep up with rapidly changing technologies; government regulations of our technologies; our ability to assert and enforce our intellectual property rights and protect our proprietary technologies; the ability to attract and retain key employees; the ability to obtain and develop partnership opportunities; the timing of commercial product launches; the ability to achieve key milestones in key products and other risks factors from time to time in the Company’s announcements.

Contacts

Media:
MacDougall Biomedical Communications
Jennifer Greenleaf-Conrad, 781-235-3060
or
Nomir Medical Technologies, Inc.
Richard Burtt, 781-893-1000 ext. 403
Chief Executive Officer

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122295081/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0

British Journal of Dermatology

Published Online: 30 Mar 2009

Journal Compilation © 2009 British Association of Dermatologists

Abstract |  References  |  Full Text: HTML, PDF (Size: 1051K)  | Related Articles | Citation Tracking

DERMATOLOGICAL SURGERY AND LASERS

Detection of basal cell carcinomas in Mohs excisions with fluorescence confocal mosaicing microscopy

J.K. Karen, D.S. Gareau, S.W. Dusza, M. Tudisco, M. Rajadhyaksha and K.S. Nehal

Dermatology Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10022, U.S.A.

Correspondence to Kishwer S. Nehal.
E-mail: nehalk@mskcc.org

Conflicts of interest
M.R. is a former employee of Lucid Inc., the company that makes and sells the VivaScope confocal microscope. He owns equity in Lucid. The VivaScope is the commercial version of an original laboratory confocal microscope that was developed by M.R. when he was in the Department of Dermatology at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School.

J.K.K. and D.S.G., and M.R. and K.S.N. (senior two authors) contributed equally to this manuscript.

Copyright Journal Compilation © 2009 British Association of Dermatologists

KEYWORDS

basal cell carcinoma • confocal microscopy

ABSTRACT

Background High-resolution real-time imaging of human skin is possible with a confocal microscope either in vivo or in freshly excised tissue ex vivo. Nuclear and cellular morphology is observed in thin optical sections, similar to that in conventional histology. Contrast agents such as acridine orange in fluorescence and acetic acid in reflectance have been used in ex vivo imaging to enhance nuclear contrast.

Objectives To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of ex vivo real-time imaging with fluorescence confocal mosaicing microscopy, using acridine orange, for the detection of residual basal cell carcinoma (BCC) in Mohs fresh tissue excisions.

Methods Forty-eight discarded skin excisions were collected following completion of Mohs surgery, consisting of excisions with and without residual BCC of all major subtypes. The tissue was stained with acridine orange and imaged with a fluorescent confocal mosaicing microscope. Confocal mosaics were matched to the corresponding haematoxylin and eosin-stained Mohs frozen sections. Each mosaic was divided into subsections, resulting in 149 submosaics for study. Two Mohs surgeons, who were blinded to the cases, independently assessed confocal submosaics and recorded the presence or absence of BCC, location, and histological subtype(s). Assessment of confocal mosaics was by comparison with corresponding Mohs surgery maps.

Results The overall sensitivity and specificity of detecting residual BCC was 96·6% and 89·2%, respectively. The positive predictive value was 92·3% and the negative predictive value 94·7%. Very good correlation was observed between confocal mosaics and matched Mohs frozen sections for benign and malignant skin structures, overall tumour burden and location, and identification of all major histological subtypes of BCC.

Conclusions Fluorescent confocal mosaicing microscopy using acridine orange enables detection of residual BCC of all subtypes in Mohs fresh tissue excisions with high accuracy. This observation is an important step towards the long-term clinical goal of using a noninvasive imaging modality for potential real-time surgical pathology-at-the-bedside for skin and other tissues.

Accepted for publication 21 January 2009