Given Imaging gives PillCam Colon another go: Given Imaging of Yoqneam, Israel, released a new version of the device it hopes will compete with the colonoscopy, PillCam Colon 2, an endoscopic capsule designed for imaging of the large intestine. Although the second incarnation of the device just won European approval, the Food & Drug Administration shot down a 510(k) application for its predecessor, the PillCam Colon, as “not substantially equivalent” to prior technologies. 
Digital pen helps track glucose levels: Keeping track of blood glucose levels over time without a computer can be a challenge for diabetic patients. And most clinicians would rather not get a stack of scribbles to sift through to understand the glucose level trends. But many patients, especially the elderly, are resistant to complicated and confusing software. Enter Ontaris’ DiabCareOnline and its Shareable Ink, which wirelessly transfers written text from paper to a remote database with the help of a smart, camera-equipped pen.
Embedding RFID in metal components: Radio frequency identification technology is rapidly being adopted in gadget-rich environments, such as hospitals, that are full of equipment that needs continuous tracking. But some tools, like metallic hemostats, can’t take advantage of RFID because the production process would destroy the chips. Researchers from Fraunhofer-Institute for Manufacturing and Advanced Materials IFAM in Bremen, Germany, developed a method to safely incorporate RFID chips into metal devices.
Hemostatic “shaving cream:” Remedium Technologies won first prize in the Most Promising Security Idea category of the Global Security Challenge 2009 for a shaving cream-like foam that can stop bleeding. The foam incorporates chitosan, a natural, low-cost hemostatic substance derived from shellfish. The product is designed to be sprayed into wounds, where it expands and adheres to tissues to slow or stop bleeding. Remedium is also working on a chitosan-based wound dressing that uses “nano-hooks” to better adhere to bleeding tissues.
A weekly roundup of new developments in medical technology, by MedGadget.com.
