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Medilux Healthcare Limited - Epsican® Dermal
Ultrasound Scanner - Brochure
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Short version [ two pages]
Medilux Healthcare Limited - Epsican® Dermal
Ultrasound Scanner - Brochure
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Long version including further clinical information and references.
[ 4 pages].
Medilux
Healthcare Limited - Epsican® Dermal Ultrasound Scanner
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Techonology and Applications
The
British Broadcasting Corporation [The BBC] features Episcan®
in news reporting www.tissueviability.org/content/default.asp?PageId=128
Medicare
Says It Wont Cover Hospital Errors
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 In a significant policy
change, Bush administration officials say that Medicare will no
longer pay the extra costs of treating preventable errors, injuries
and infections that occur in hospitals, a move they say could save
lives and millions of dollars. to
read article
News
EPISCAN Cost Benefit Results Presented at 20th Annual Symposium
on Advanced Wound Care and Wound Healing Society Meeting, April
2007
A poster entitled Cost-Benefit of the EPISCAN Ultrasound System
in Extended Care Rehabilitation Units was presented by Ronald
J. Shannon, MPH at the above meeting. The conclusions presented
are:
We conclude that EPISCAN, in extended care rehabilitation
units, is a cost-benefit to providers for preventing costly pressure
ulcers. The expected cost savings for the at-risk patient is approximately
$5,300.00 per resident over a 1 year period. The decision to use
EPISCAN was very robust and changed only when the incidence of pressure
ulceration was below 3.0% in the standard evidence-based group.
When used routinely, the EPISCAN skin ultrasound diagnosis will
be cost-effective approximately 74% of the time.
Impact
of EPISCAN in Long Term Care
Customers Prospective
The April 2007 addition of Provider Magazine contained an article
entitled A New Look at Pressure Ulcers written by BILL
OSMAN, RN, Director of Nursing and MAX H. KERNODLE, Administrator
of Presbyterian Home of Hawfields, Mebane, N.C this article reflects
the impact the EPISCAN has had on their facility. The article contains
the following statements
The incidence of pressure ulcers at Hawfields had dropped
to 2 percent in February 2007, from 7 percent in September 2005,
and the nurses treatment time has been better utilized in
other direct-care patient issues such as teaching, documentation,
and assessment-related procedures.
Due in part to the decrease in incidence of pressure ulcers,
liability insurance rates were decreased upon renewal. Incorporation
of this new technology has drastically decreased the pain and suffering
of the patients at Hawfields and possibly saved thousands of dollars
in wound-treatment costs. It is even possible that the facility
may have circumvented costly lawsuits. read
article. . . .
A
New Weapon Against Pressure Ulcers - Handout
Download Longports latest handout on the use of the EPISCAN
in pressure ulcer prevention here.
Wesley
Health Care Centre Comment on their Experience with Longports
EPISCAN
The Wesley Health Care Centre, The Wesley Communitys skilled
nursing facility, in Saratoga Springs, NY, USA comment on their
involvement in a cost benefit analysis study including their experience
using the EPISCAN for the early detection and prevention of pressure
ulcers. Read Article...
Longport
Technology Obtains Extended FDA Marketing Clearance
Longport
Inc announced on December 8, 2006 that its EPISCAN high resolution
ultrasound scanner had gained additional FDA marketing clearance.
(see also associated press release of December 8th) The full text
of this new clearance, FDA reference K062571, can be viewed and
downloaded from the FDA web site through the link below.
http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/pdf6/K062571.pdf
Longport had previously obtained FDA marketing clearance for its
technology through FDA clearance reference K990238.
Importantly this new marketing clearance includes a broad range
of specific indications of use for our technology, as presented
in the statement below.
The EPISCAN I-200 high-resolution ultrasound system is a specialized
system for imaging the skin and underlying soft tissue. It is intended
for use by clinicians, or under the direction of physicians for
imaging and analysis in research environments as well as clinical
settings including medical / surgical dermatology assessment and
diagnosis (aesthetic and therapeutic), plastic / reconstructive
surgical planning, wound assessment and management, skin assessment
for pressure ulcer detection and prevention and superficial musculoskeletal
diagnosis.
The clinical applications cleared for specific transducers that
operate with Longports EPISCAN high resolution ultrasound
scanner include:
wound
management and assessment
detection
and prevention of pressure ulcers
detection
of deep tissue injury
burn
depth assessment
superficial
musculoskeletal assessment
skin
lesion assessment
aesthetics
A
paper presenting the high frequency ultrasound pathology of pressure
ulcers and the utility of this technology in the early detection
of pressure ulcers published in Advances in Skin and Wound Care
Use of High-Resolution, High-Frequency Diagnostic Ultrasound to
Investigate the Pathogenesis of Pressure Ulcer Development.
Abstract:
OBJECTIVES:
To investigate the pathogenesis of pressure ulcers utilizing high-resolution
ultrasound and to explore the utility of this technology for the
detection of incipient pressure ulcers prior to visual clinical
signs.
DESIGN:
An observational prospective study comparing high-resolution ultrasound
images obtained from 119 long-term-care facility residents determined
to be at risk for pressure ulcer development (Braden Scale score
of 18 or less) with images obtained from 15 healthy volunteers (medical
students and medical residents). Common pressure ulcer sites were
scanned, including the heels, sacrum, and ischial tuberosity.
SETTING:
A medical center and a long-term-care facility.
INTERVENTION:
Anatomic sites universally accepted as at risk for pressure ulcer
development were scanned using high-resolution ultrasound; the sites
did not have visual evidence of skin breakdown. The images obtained
from the long-term-care facility residents were compared with images
considered normal that were obtained from healthy volunteers. In
addition, documentation of the clinical assessment finding for erythema
was reviewed, recorded, and compared with the high-resolution ultrasound
finding for each specific site.
MEASUREMENTS:
The images obtained were classified as not readable, normal, or
abnormal. The images classified as abnormal were further classified
by depth of abnormal finding: pattern 1 (deep) or pattern 2 (superficial).
The images classified with the abnormal finding pattern 1 (deep)
were further classified and subdivided by anatomic location of abnormal
finding(s): subgroup 1, abnormal findings in the subdermal area
only; subgroup 2, subdermal and dermal abnormal findings; and subgroup
3, subdermal, dermal, and subepidermal edema. Pattern 2 (superficial)
included images with abnormal findings limited to the dermal/epidermal
junction.
RESULTS:
630 (55.3%) of the images obtained from the long-term-care residents
were different from the images obtained from the healthy volunteers.
The healthy volunteers' images classified as normal had the expected
ultrasound findings for homogeneous pattern of ultrasound reflections,
allowing for visualization of various skin layers (epidermis, superficial
papillary dermis, deep reticular dermis, and hypodermis) and subcutaneous
tissue (subdermal). However, many images (55.3%) obtained from the
residents at risk for pressure ulcer development had patterns where
areas within the various skin layers were not visible, interrupted
by areas indicative of fluid or edema. Moreover, most images (79.7%)
with abnormal ultrasound patterns did not have documentation of
erythema.
CONCLUSION: High-resolution ultrasound is an effective tool for
the investigation of skin and soft tissue changes consistent with
the documented pathogenesis of pressure ulcers. A progressive process
for pressure ulcer development from deep subdermal layers to superficial
dermal then epidermal layers can be inferred. Dermal edema was only
present with subdermal edema. In other words, there was never evidence
of dermal edema in the absence of subdermal edema. A better understanding
of the pathogenesis of pressure ulcers through the use of high-resolution
ultrasound to detect soft tissue damage and edema before visible
clinical signs could lead to earlier and more focused pressure ulcer
prevention programs, resulting in reduced pain and suffering for
improved patient quality of life and wound care cost savings.
Advances in Skin & Wound Care. 19(9):498-505, November/December
2006.
Quintavalle,
Paul R. DPM; Lyder, Courtney H. ND, RN; Mertz, Philip J. PhD, CWS,
FCCWS; Phillips-Jones, Connie MSN, RN; Dyson, Mary PhD, FAIUM, FCSP
Wound
assessment study using Longports technology reported in British
Journal of Nursing
Has Packing Sinus Wounds Become a Ritualistic Practice?
British Journal of Nursing - Volume 15, Number 19: 26 October-8
November 2006. Tissue Viability Supplement, pages S27-30
Andy
Kerr, Steve Young, Sylvie Hampton
Abstract
Wound healing is both a science and an art, and modern advances
in wound management are ensuring that advanced clinicians use both
clinical knowledge and experience when deciding on wound dressings
and therapies. When there is a lack of evidence, then selection
of dressings or therapies becomes extremely difficult and inappropriate
treatment can occur. This is generally the situation with sinus
wounds. There is very little evidence available to help decide on
suitable dressings for these intractable wounds. The use of high
frequency ultrasound (HFU) can help to guide practice on whether
or not to pack sinus wounds. This article will explore the potential
of ultrasound use by describing a case study of a patient with a
sinus wound where HFU was used to examine the sinus and inform the
practitioners on the appropriate choice of wound dressing.
Key
Points
When there is a lack of evidence, then selection of dressings or
therapies become extremely difficult and inappropriate treatment
can occur.
The use of high frequency ultrasound (HFU) will help to guide practice
on whether or not to pack sinus wounds.
Would assessment falls into two main categories, invasive and non-invasive:
invasive methods generally involve biopsy, which destroys the tissue.
High frequency ultrasound could be used to image and quantify changes
in the wounds as a means of non-invasively visualizing wound characteristics
which would otherwise be missed using standard visual assessments
alone.
See also related story directly below:
Wound
Assessment Use of Longports Technology
Tissue
Viability Consultancy Services (TVCS) recently presented the use
of Longports technology on BBC South East News to view this
news item use the link below:
www.tissueviability.org/content/default.asp?PageId=128
British Journal of Nursing - Volume 15, Number 19: 26 October-8
November 2006. Tissue Viability Supplement, pages S27-30
Longport
Technology & Mount Sinai Study Poster Presented at Annual Meeting
of American Society of Dermatologic Surgeons
Longport
presented its high resolution ultrasound technology at the annual
meeting of the American Society of Dermatologic Surgeons (ASDS).
Also, at this meeting Eric Berkowitz, MD of Mt Sinai Medical Center,
New York, NY presented a poster entitled The Use of High Frequency
High Resolution Ultrasound Prior to Mohs Surgery
Author: Eric Zachary Berkowitz, MD
Mt Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY
Title: The Use of High Frequency High Resolution Ultrasound Prior
to Mohs Surgery
Co-Authors: Ellen Marmur MD, Josh Zeichner, MD, Mohammad Al-Hadab,
MD, Jodi Siskind, MS, Brian Fuchs, BA, Connie Phillips-Jones, RN,
MSN
Purpose: The use of ultrasound (US) to examine and assess the skin
is a relatively new technology. Ultrasonography utilizes the echoes
of sound waves to create images of soft tissue anatomy. The object
of this study is to explore the clinical application and use of
high frequency high resolution ultrasound in Mohs micrographic surgery.
Additionally, the study will evaluate the ability to accurately
determine lesion depth and width of tumor borders in order to reduce
the number of surgical stages and possibly leading to a smaller
defect.
Design: Single center study of twenty patients scheduled for Mohs
surgery with lesions on flat surfaces (chest, back, extremities
and face). The investigator will demarcate and document clinical
estimation of the first stage. Ultrasound images will then be taken
and depth and diameter will be documented, extirpation of tumor
and histological analysis will be performed using standard Mohs
technique. Statistical analysis will be performed via a Studentt
test for differences.
Summary: The effectiveness of the ultrasound within the context
of Mohs surgery and Mohs stages, the tumor size that was predicted
by the ultrasound in comparison to clinical evaluation had interesting
results. Of the twenty-two patients, 6 patients or 27% of the patients
had ultrasound measurements that were either similar or smaller
than the initial clinical measurement of the tumor (2/6 were Squamous
Cell Carcinoma - SCC and 4/6 were Basal Cell Carcinoma - BCC) but,
required multiple stages of Mohs surgery (2-4 stages). This indicates
that the initial ultrasound measurements predicted a smaller cancer
when in reality the cancer was larger. Alternatively, another subset
of the study, 6/22 or 28% of patients were found to have larger
ultrasound measurements of their cancer (4/6 were SCC and 2/6 were
BCC) when compared to the clinical measurement, yet histologically
only required one Mohs stage. It is difficult to say which measurement
is more accurate in this case; it may be implied, that in this situation
the clinical is more accurate because the US prediction was larger
than the clinical measurement and still only one Mohs stage was
needed. Therefore, if you had taken the stage according to the US
measurement it would have been larger than necessary. Finally, in
12/22 or 54% of patients, the ultrasound measurements were smaller
than the clinical measurements, but the tumor still only required
one stage of Mohs for complete extirpation. The scenario does not
enable us to determine which method is more accurate.
A paired 2-sided t-tests testing for differences between clinical
and US widths and lengths was performed and found: width: t=-2.189
(p=0.040) length: t=-1.427, (p=0.168) indicating that there is a
significant difference between the widths found from clinical assessment
vs. ultrasound; implying that the widths found clinically tend to
be larger. Conversely, there was no significant evidence to suggest
a difference between the lengths found from clinical assessment
vs. the ultrasound.
Conclusion: The use of high frequency ultrasound using 20 MHz transducers
has been established for the noninvasive imaging of skin tumors.
We found that it has the ability to detect a more precise measurement
of the width of a cancer enabling it to be used adjunct for preoperative
planning with regard to surgery, especially in areas where there
is a need to preserve normal skin.
This meeting took place between the 26th and 29th of October 2006
in Palm Desert, California, USA.
Longport International Leads DTI Supported Project To Develop
High Performance Ultrasound System
Longport
International, Ltd., is participating in a £1.1 million project
supported by a Department of Trade & Industry grant to develop
a high resolution phased array ultrasound imaging system. The system
will be capable of imaging at centre frequencies greater than 25
MHz as well as at lower frequencies and is expected to exceed the
imaging resolution of all current commercial multi-element ultrasound
systems.
The
project, which is led by Longport International, involves the University
of Manchester, Phoenix Inspection, a supplier of industrial inspection
systems, and Newbury Electronics, a manufacturer of printed circuit
boards and is supported under the DTI-led Technology Program.
Importantly,
the system under development will combine very high performance
with affordability through the utilization of novel transducer and
system designs and the development of specialist integrated circuits.
Initial applications for this system are expected to be cancer imaging,
including the mapping of skin cancers, wound assessment and prevention,
and superficial musculoskeletal imaging as well as specialist engineering
inspections.
Paul
Wilson, Managing Director of Longport International, said. This
project will build on expertise developed by Longport and the University
of Manchester in high resolution ultrasound imaging and is seen
as a logical evolution of Longports established medical imaging
technology. The development is expected to bring the benefits of
faster imaging as well as a broader range of image enhancement and
processing techniques, including Doppler imaging, to Longports
current customer groupings as well as expanding the markets that
Longport can address.
This
project is part-funded by a Collaborative R&D grant under the
Technology Programme.
Welcoming
the new partnership, Science and Innovation Minister, Lord Sainsbury
said, This initiative provides a real opportunity to harness
the world class expertise that we possess in the UK and direct it
towards the task of wealth creation. By providing a focus for collaboration
and delivery, this partnership should establish British industry
as the world leader in this area and be an attractive proposition
for investors.
Related
Article
See also related article on the Institute of Physics WEB site medicalphysicsweb
under News Articles Ultrasound Imaging High Resolution Hopes
use link below:
http://medicalphysicsweb.org/medphys/Articles/ViewArticle.do?channe
l=industry&articleId=26402
Longport
International, Ltd., is participating in a £1.1 million project
supported by a Department of Trade & Industry grant to develop
a high resolution phased array ultrasound imaging system. The system
will be capable of imaging at centre frequencies greater than 25
MHz as well as at lower frequencies and is expected to exceed the
imaging resolution of all current commercial multi-element ultrasound
systems.
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Tel:
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