The two new scanners in the Somatom go. platform – Somatom go.All and Somatom go.Top – now make the mobile workflow available for advanced clinical fields such as cardiology and CT-guided intervention. This mobile workflow operated via tablet enables the user to interact with the patient being closer to him/her. With a rotation time of 0.33 seconds and the Stellar detector technology, the 64-slice Somatom go.All can cover scan ranges of up to 100 millimeters in one second. The 128-slice Somatom go.Top can perform whole-body scans of up to 200 centimeters with a scan speed of up to 175 millimeters per second. Users can deploy the Somatom go. platform’s mobile workflow in advanced clinical fields such as emergency medicine, interventional radiology (steered by Guide&GO, the first tablet-based solution for CT-guided interventions), and even cardiology. The new X-ray tube allows users to adjust the tube voltage in steps of 10 kilovolts while keeping the tube current high – and thus to adapt the settings to each patient’s individual anatomy. Examinations performed at just 70 kilovolts with a current of up to 825 milliamps, for instance, can significantly reduce X-ray dose and the amount of contrast medium required. Somatom go.Top also offers TwinBeam Dual Energy imaging, which means users can examine the same body region at two different energy levels simultaneously. The technology splits the X-ray beam into two energy spectra before it reaches the patient. With a scan mode that is not different to a routine CT examination, TwinBeam Dual Energy can therefore acquire two image datasets that provide additional information about the tissue. This is particularly beneficial in soft tissue differentiation and for oncology.  All scanners belonging to the Somatom go. platform (including the two new additions) are handled via a tablet that can be used to control all routine and advanced examinations. Radiology technologists can thus stay close to their patients during the entire scan preparation process, which makes the experience much more pleasant for the patients, especially if they are children. Further innovative hardware designs are introduced with the Somatom go. platform. After the integration of all computer hardware into the gantry, a new injector arm is now available. This ergonomic solution allows the user to swivel the tablet and the injector around the gantry, flexibly placing them wherever needed.

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A recent study [1] used a SoundEar3-300 noise warning sign as an isolated intervention to determine whether visualizing noise could produce a sustained noise reduction in adult critical care. It proved a significant noise reduction of 3.9 dB (from 57.4 dB) in median ambient sound levels and saw a significant reduction in peak sound levels (0.7 dB reduction from 66.0 dB). After 4 months with continued use of the SoundEar3-300, researchers found a sustained noise reduction of 3.6 dB compared to baseline recording before introducing the SoundEar. The device acted as an isolated intervention to significantly reduce night-time ambient and peak sound levels, a change that was sustained after a four-month period.
In another study from 2014 [2], a SoundEar device was used as a part of a noise reducing initiative at an operating theatre in Hannover, Germany. This study showed a significant reduction in noise levels in the operating theatre from 63 dB to 59 dB. Moreover, the noise reduction led to a significant reduction in the number of complications after surgery and reduced surgeons’ stress levels by 20%.
1. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1751143718767773#articleShareContainer
2. https://www.pubfacts.com/detail/24394594/A-noise-reduction-program-in-a-pediatric-operation-theatre-is-associated-with-surgeons-benefits-and- www.soundear.com

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Nevro Corp., a global medical device company specialising in solutions for the treatment of chronic pain, has received the CE mark approval for the Senza® Omnia™ Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) system.
“Following a successful launch in the United States late last year, we are excited to now have approval for the Senza Omnia SCS system in Europe,” said D. Keith Grossman, Chairman, CEO and President of Nevro. “As conditions in the marketplace allow, we will be introducing Omnia to physicians throughout Europe. This next-generation SCS system has been developed in close consultation with customers and is designed to provide a comprehensive solution to manage chronic pain. Omnia’s versatility means that patients now have access to a full range of SCS solutions and physicians can have the peace of mind that when they implant the system, they will have the capabilities needed to achieve the best possible outcomes for their patients.”
The Omnia system is a completely new SCS platform and consists of a number of new components. The first is the new Omnia programmer, which will allow physicians to easily offer the widest array of waveforms across the full SCS frequency spectrum, either separately or paired together with HF10. The second element of the system is a redesigned patient remote that is more intuitive for patients to use. The new remote supports greater programming capacity, allowing for the flexibility to expand on the HF10 algorithm by giving physicians the ability to provide additional waveforms. The third component is a redesigned, slimmer patient charger with an improved user interface. Additionally, the system comes with an updated and upgradeable implantable pulse generator. Unlike non-rechargeable systems, the Omnia battery is designed to last over ten years no matter what stimulation profile is used, has conditional full body MRI approval, and will be upgradeable to future waveforms and frequencies.
Other SCS systems on the market are limited to frequencies below 1,200 Hz. In contrast, Omnia delivers the widest range of frequencies of any SCS system, between 2 and 10,000 Hz. In addition to Nevro’s proprietary HF10 waveform, Omnia offers the most waveforms on one device and can be programmed to provide waveforms independently or paired with HF10. The ability to pair frequencies allows Omnia to pair HF10 – the most studied SCS therapy with over 55,000 patients treated across the world – with other waveforms, including traditional, paresthesia-based stimulation, subthreshold 1 kHz therapy or burst waveforms.
For more information, visit: www.nevro.com/Omnia
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The latest addition to the StatStrip line of handheld, hospital meters, the StatStrip Hemoglobin and Hematocrit Meter System (StatStrip Hb/Hct), has gained CE mark certification and is now available in all CE regulated countries. StatStrip Hb/Hct is the only point-of-care (POC) meter to measure hemoglobin and hematocrit for accurate anemia screening and blood loss monitoring.
StatStrip Hb/Hct provides measured hemoglobin and hematocrit results, which are more accurate than calculated results, with excellent correlation to laboratory reference methods. With a fingerstick capillary sample and results in 40 seconds, StatStrip Hb/Hct provides the real-time accuracy that helps improve clinical decision making in a variety of healthcare settings. These include blood banks and temporary blood collection locations, dialysis centres, primary care clinics, hospitals, and oncology clinics. For example, in blood banks, StatStrip Hb/Hct provides safe and effective blood donor screening and avoids false deferrals. For patients receiving dialysis, StatStrip Hb/Hct helps maintain Hb target levels and also monitor erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs) to the lowest effective dose. In emergency care settings and in hospitals, StatStrip Hb/Hct can aid in rapidly evaluating blood loss, initiating treatments more quickly, and monitoring critically ill patients who are at risk for low hemoglobin and hematocrit. In oncology clinics, StatStrip Hb/Hct can help proactively identify patients at high risk for chemotherapy-induced anemia and direct treatment accordingly. StatStrip Hb/Hct’s single-use biosensors do not require calibration or coding, and testing is as easy as glucose self-testing. StatStrip Hb/Hct helps reduce costs by eliminating the need for blood drawing supplies, venous phlebotomy, and laboratory testing. Wired and wireless connectivity for data integration with patient records are available. Compact and lightweight, StatStrip Hb/Hct is less than half the size and weight of other POC systems that measure only hemoglobin.
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