Medical digital imaging of challenges and new trends (1)

21st century digital imaging technologies gives us excellent diagnostic capabilities, image archiving and retrieval capabilities anytime, anywhere.

Since the early 1970s medical imaging digital technology, the importance of digital imaging are increasingly showing. Semiconductor devices in mixed-signal design capacity of some new development for imaging system delivers unprecedented electronic packaging density, resulting in significant development of medical imaging. At the same time, the embedded processor greatly improve medical was image-processing and real-time image display capabilities, enabling faster and more accurate diagnosis. The integration of these technologies as well as many of the emerging electronic health records standards for better patient care provides development dynamic.

This article describes various imaging methods of electronic design many challenges and some of the latest developments, including digital x-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasonic system.

Digital x-ray systems

Conventional x-ray systems use a film/screen device to detect transmission to human body x-ray.

However, the detector system digital x-ray signal chain includes a photo detector arrays, the detector array will be converted to a charge of radiation. The following are some charge Integrator circuit and ADC (ADC) circuit for digital input. Figure 1 shows a typical digital x-ray systems map example.

Figure 1 digital x-ray systems chart example

Digital x-ray systems for performance and integrator and ADC module noise performance.

In order to lower power consumption conditions for higher image quality, a system to support a large number of signal path required electronic integrated innovation for technology standards set. It is composed of many of the detector system, high performance analog components, and perform advanced image processing tasks embedded processor, x-ray systems have many compared to the traditional advantages of the x-ray system. This combination supports greater dynamic range, so you can get a better image contrast and lower patient x-ray radiation levels at the same time produce electronic storage and transmission of digital images.

Ultrasonic system

Ultrasonic systems receive channel signal chain including low noise amplifier (LNA), variable gain amplifier (VGA), low-pass filter (LPF) and high speed and high precision ADC.

Immediately after the later of these components is digital beam generation, image and Doppler processing, and other signal processing software (Figure 2).

Figure 2 sample ultrasonic system chart

From Siemens bribery case huge mystery of medical costs

From the United States Department of Justice file disclosed that from 2003 to 2007, Siemens Medical Group paid a total of approximately 1440 m in bribes to China 5 hospitals offering bribes to get 2.95 million in medical equipment orders.

In addition, Siemens also to 231 independent hospital sales project pay $ 9 million in bribes.

Perhaps, this list of bribes will let people understand why go to the hospital to see a disease will consume a yearly income of farmers, a person who is ill to a well-off family ruined.

Excessive use of medical devices in hospitals, not only increased the burden on patients, but also make it difficult for medical expenses is even more inadequate. From customs statistics, 2007 China medical device imports 42.82 billion. But when the Central Government is only used for medical and health expenses, which is $ 664.31 is not hard to understand?

Visible, the hospital between "arms race" has become a common phenomenon in medical industry, Siemens bribery cases reveal, you allow the public to see around medical equipment procurement chain of interests.

It is reported that China's annual medical device and equipment spending of approximately $ 8 billion and an annual 15% annually. Siemens medical device market in China is not the only vendor, as long as the relevant departments of the thorough medical bribery case, there will be the second, third, Siemens company.

Excessive use of medical devices, as well as the proliferation of medical bribery to medical expenses like Sesame high medical costs but where mystery.

In the future, no matter which direction the health care reform, health care costs must be transparent, that is to reduce the cost of medical services, explains the "expensive" basic premise. Obviously, the significance of bribery against medical care not only to eliminate medical device market, maintaining fair competition, and also helps to reduce medical costs to find medical costs. Related departments should be the case as the entry point, thorough medical and bribery, as the future of health care reform, Foundation of the premise.

10 medical device research and development results of on-site releases

In Wenzhou, science and technology achievements medical project on-site briefing, the team selected out of the 10 medical device research and development results of on-site publication.

It is reported that this 10 medical device research and development results, Wenzhou Medical College, takes up four, including the new non-spherical high permeable contact lenses, optimized cutting mode new ophthalmic excimer laser treatment instrument, etc., and Zhejiang University of portable ECG monitor, Huazhong University of science and Research Institute of advanced manufacturing technology, Wenzhou digital 3-d/4-d ultrasound diagnosis, physical and Chemical Research Institute of minimally invasive and cold shaped knife, Vascular Interventional-whole body hyperthermia, Nanjing University of biofeedback technology series, Hangzhou dianzi time-resolved fluorescence spectrum double decomposition immune Analyzer industrialization, fluorescent decomposition real-time quantitative PCR analysis instrument development, etc.

It is a portable ECG monitor researchers Shen Jian-min, size like cigarette case of monitors for heart disease research, 24-hour continuous monitoring and timely delivery with cluster, its associated data is fairly broad, applied surface priced at around $ 1000-2000, hope enterprise can promote investment.

Medical electronics: ultra low-power portable medical electronics applications

In April of this year, China's new health reform programme launched.

In the new health reform programme, the Chinese Government planned for 2009-2011 three years invested $ 8500, used for primary health care system, basic public health services gradually Equalization and other five key reforms. Moreover, the new health reform could become the portable medical electronics market and rapid growth of the catalyst. Electronic sphygmomanometer, Oximeter, cardiac monitor, such as representatives of the household, portable medical electronics has become a daily health monitoring of critical equipment. According to market research firm CCID consulting, 2009, 2011, China portable medical electronics market CAGR of more than 30%, 2011 market will expand to $ 28 billion. At the same time, portable medical electronics in the past few years showing a miniaturized and design simplicity, smaller, lighter weight, low power consumption, with wireless connectivity and network medical information sharing, and other trends.

NXP is a leader in the medical electronics market of one of the semiconductor industry, companies and medical device companies have established close cooperative relationship, to provide a wide variety of enterprise devices, many series of excellent products.

For example, MCU (microcontroller), SMPS (power control scheme) and RFID (recognition program), these high-performance mixed-signal solutions can meet your portable medical electronic devices of diversified applications.

To micro-controller, for example, to NXP 32-bit ARM microcontroller controlled TFT-LCD interface, ideal for medical monitoring devices display applications, and the micro-controller VFP9 floating-point co-processor could raise complex algorithm of operation efficiency.

These characteristics are ideal for patient monitors, in vitro diagnosis products as well as medical imaging and other high-end medical electronics. And NXP MCU ultra-low power consumption, suitable for portable medical electronics applications, meet the low-end market blood glucose meter, blood pressure, body fat Analyzer, digital thermometer, and heart rate monitor for a low-power needs. Then to power converters, for example, NXP EPS2.0 meet energy star requirements. For example, the following adapters 50W, in the absence of load input power consumption less than or equal to 0.3W; for 250W following, 50W over adapter, no load input power consumption less than or equal to 0.5W. According to the energy-efficiency testing, using green chips NXP TEA1791 than using Schottky Diode solutions can achieve higher efficiency.

In addition, the medical information in a network share, the importance of IC card technology increasingly promoted.

IC card is data storage and management, security, authentication, authorization voucher as well as personal and information system for data exchange and other important platform. But RFID technology can achieve drug tracking, vaccine administration, plasma management, uniforms with single management, medical equipment and laboratory management. And NXP in smart card and RFID applications with undisputed leadership.

As a high-performance mixed signal semiconductor suppliers, NXP's medical electronic programmes with a high degree of integration, fast and precise operation ability, easy to carry, small size, low power, security, stability, and other characteristics, satisfying portable medical electronics field.

Siemens Smart dark push plan wins the low-end market (1)

Siemens is secretly, launch a "SMART" program, intended to introduce medical and industrial applications like PC industry "NetBook" of low-end products.

Small and medium-sized companies who pay attention! has always been famous for nada-Siemens also began focusing on your market.

In China's growing infrastructure investment, Siemens is one of the few able to directly benefit from it multinationals.

Industry, energy and health business of large projects in occupies the company 95% of the revenue, it under large orders often make many companies far behind: 73 million RMB of railway express orders, 17 million of capital airport T3 Terminal baggage sorting system, 2.9 billion gas insulated high-voltage transmission line orders even one CT machine purchase price is at $ 10 million-level.

However, very few people observed that the company is quietly changed.

In 2009, with the Siemens China an internal code-named "SMART" program of in-depth, high price tag of Siemens flaunted began to show signs of loosening.

Luochuan County Hospital is Shaanxi Yanan city General Hospital, County of 2008, Vice President Li Yulong never expect a hospital to have an own CT machine, not to mention is the high card products.

Hospital in the 1990s had a combined with external medical institutions operating joint venture brand CT machine, but the other five will be sancha acuity and strike, "our industry while know Siemens, GE such brands of high quality, stable, but the price is astronomical. ”

Lee, President of the mouth of the roof, like Siemens four-helical CT such products, the market price at around 16 million RMB, the current high-end CT sales accounted for Siemens Medical total sales of more than 80%.

"That kind of price of CT we want to do not dare to think, according to our level of consumption of no more than two million paid products. "Li Yulong told the" business weekly ".

All along the "sticker shock" products that Siemens China sales revenue each year to grow at a rate of 15%, but as the Olympic Games, World Expo, and other big project completion, the pressure of gradually also gradually.

According to the latest report of fiscal 2009, Siemens China first render negative growth, by 2008, 570 billion RMB to 509 million.

But another huge market is apparent.

In China, like luochuan County Hospital such county hospitals have a 360, even each County only need a CT, CT minimum price per unit of $ 2 million, this is also a 57 billion market. The Chinese Government's new health reform plans to make this a more attractive emerging markets: the Government will focus in three years to support the 2000 by County Hospital construction and renovation of the new, 3700 urban community health service centers and 1.1 000 community health service stations.

Siemens robbed in his old rival GE, Philips has made before the new choice.

From 2006, Siemens China began to implement a top-down approach known as "SMART" strategic plan that aims to design a number of compliance with S. M. A. R. T. concept products that comply with the easy-to-use (Simple), easy maintenance (Maintenance friendly), the price is right (and Affordable), reliable and durable (Reliable) and time to market (Timely to market).

Some local companies are already doing in the low-end medical market.

Headquartered in Shenzhen MINDRAY international flagship County Hospital, is China's largest medical device company, NASDAQ, annual sales of 2 billion RMB. And multinational multilevel distribution mode, MINDRAY all agents as level distributors, it is difficult to overcome in the counties you personally come to communication. Such companies such as Siemens as a challenge target TNCs, provide more cost-effective products, but limited to a number of technical threshold, their products have to monitor, blood cell Analyzer and x-ray machines and other equipment.

Siemens finds its own technology and brand strengths sufficient to deal with the low-end market, but this is not a simple process.

The earliest raised the idea that Siemens China Dean, Vice President of Siemens China. ADIN Tsui

Xu is a Chinese-American, born 1949 in Hong Kong. In 2004 to Siemens China Research Director, he is Siemens United States California Berkeley technology transfer centre President and CEO. Took half a year later, he then Siemens Sinica Wei Reyes (Claus Weyrid) have a deeper conversation. Mr. Reyes is also a Director of Siemens Global Board of Directors, at the Siemens decisive influence on the top.

New imaging technology plus-picosecond laser fast removing cataract

Researchers have invented a faster, cleaner method to remove the cataract (i.e. intraocular lens opacity).

This method adds a slightly seconds of laser-accurate cutting and a novel combination of three-dimensional imaging techniques. The discovery could change doctors doing cataract surgery. In developed countries, every year, millions of people will accept the cataract surgery. Although this new instrument would enhance cataract surgery of control and precision, but it is not clear that this is based on laser technology and is currently used by hand surgery compared to improve the patient's vision.

During the study, Daniel Palanker and colleagues have designed a cataract patients operated on of new methods, namely: a-picosecond laser and a three-dimensional imaging techniques (called optical coherence tomography).

And target it to melt and burn of conventional laser, filiform picosecond laser is to short, high-energy light pulse to shelling, making it a quick dissipation of plasma, but it does not hurt and surrounding tissue. The result is that the lens around smoother and precise cutting.

Optical coherence tomography using different types of living tissue in light scattering the subtle differences.

In the eyes, the majority of light through a transparent cornea and lens and conduction, but with some light may be reflective, and may be back on the formation of a three-dimensional imaging of living tissue. The surgeon needs to know the coverage of cataract lens boundary where the cutting and correction lens curvature; however this boundary in each individual is different.

Researchers appliance optical coherence tomography to survey the lens of the eye, and a bunch of laser in the opacity of the lens around a circular notch, while avoiding to surrounding tissues causing any damage.

Next, the laser lens itself will be cut into smaller pieces so that clear, it finally is in incising surface of the cornea. Because the laser cutting is not fully penetrating keratoplasty, this operation can be carried out outside the operating room. The team from an eye Bank of swine and human eyes tested the accuracy of such methods, then, in the rabbit eye test this method of security, and then they tested in patients.

The researchers found that the human eye, laser surgery fact than hand surgery done. accurately 10 times

Permitted to conduct broader human trial, this new surgical methods will soon be in a different type of transplantation test lens.

Cardinal Health is advancing molecular imaging in clinical trials

Cardinal Health Corporation and the University of Washington, today announced the establishment of innovative public and private sector partnerships to promote molecular imaging in clinical research and trials.

Molecular Imaging is biotechnology, one of the most promising area of development, molecular imaging by dedicated radioactive substances or Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Imaging agents ", injection into the human body to detect and track and cardiac diseases, nervous system diseases and various forms of cancer-related lesions cell function.

Using state-of-the-art imaging scanners can observe that the imaging agent for doctors for noninvasive diagnostic, monitoring and early onset of most treatments.

Through this cooperation, Department of Radiology, University of Washington will put their molecular Tracker lab part of relocation to Cardinal Health company located in the downtown area of Seattle PET manufacturing plants.

In the relocation of Washington University Lab, including a John Grierson, leading the development of PET drugs F-18 fluorothymidine (FLT, fluorine thymidine) laboratory, PET pharmacy F-18 fluorothymidine now by Cardinal Health company sales in the United States, and is used in a series of clinical trials.

University of Washington, Department of Radiology will have the opportunity to use the Cardinal Health company of the cyclotron, radiopharmaceutical products and research support services to assist the effective operation and development of the factory.

By moving to the same location, the two organizations will Washington University an internationally accredited pet studies and research and development experience and Cardinal Health companies comply with FDA standards for PET Imaging agent for the production and sales experience to accelerate new molecular imaging agents for research, development and commercialization of promotion.

Washington University is the United States one of the leading research institutions, their resulting from the United States national institutes of health research funding than any other United States public universities.

Cardinal Health company of the nuclear medicine services business holds the largest distribution network of radioactive substances. The company also strategically established a national network of the cyclotron, making the most of radioactive drugs pharmacies can take the form of unit dose and the preparation of a high energy mix PET Imaging agent. Cardinal Health has a huge number of "support to PET" pharmacies, its wide range of nuclear medicine size, comprehensive logistics and distribution capabilities to enable it to support or non-authorised Imaging agents in clinical trials play a key role.

Cardinal Health company started expansion of its plant in Seattle to accommodate Washington University's new radiochemistry laboratory, researchers at the University of Washington, and Cardinal Health company staff and technicians work together.

The refurbishment and extension of the factory is expected to be completed by early 2011.