Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/464485
By Jonelle Todd THESE DEVICES ARE DESIGNED TO IMPROVE SONOGRAPHY, ENHANCE PACEMAKER FUNCTION AND PERSONALIZE TINNITUS TREATMENT. PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT Advances in Imaging, Cardiology and Audiology MyLab Six The new MyLab Six ultrasound system from Esaote North America is a compact, cart-based ultrasound imaging system with features designed to increase sonographer comfort. The MyLab Six's ergonomic design also improves workfl ow effi ciency and enables faster patient throughput, according to the manufacturer. The system's rotating keyboard and articulated arm for the monitor screen make it more comfortable for the sonographer to work from a seated position and make it easier to share on-screen results with patients and colleagues. The 19-inch wide- screen LCD monitor offers improved viewing of images and reduced eyestrain. The MyLab Six also includes iQProbe broadband transducers that are shaped to keep the hand and wrist in a natural gripping position, enabling sonographers to obtain optimal images, while relieving wrist and fi nger tension. In addition, MyLab Six's noiseless operation is intended to help sonographers focus, without distraction, on the examination, diagnosis and patient. Batteryless Pacemaker A team of scientists from the cardiovascular engineering group at the ARTORG Center, University of Bern, Switzerland, recently unveiled a method to power a pacemaker using the heart's own energy. The group's results were presented at the ESC Congress 2014 by Adrian Zurbuchen. Similar to the way the natural swinging of a wearer's arm supplies energy to keep a self-winding watch running, the Swiss group's prototype pacemaker collects and uses energy produced by heart movement to power the device's electrical micro-generator. In animal experiments, the device achieved batteryless overdrive pacing at 130 beats per minute. The prototype is the fi rst step in the resea rchers' efforts to eliminate two disadvantages of existing pacemaker designs: electrical leads, which are prone to break, and the need for battery replacement. In the next phase of research, the team plans to integrate the energy storage circuits into the harvesting device itself, yielding a wireless design. Levo System Otoharmonics Corporation recently received FDA approval for the Levo System, a personalized, neuroscience-based sound therapy system designed to relieve symptoms of tinnitus. According to Otoharmonics, the Levo System uses the brain's abil- ity to selectively reorganize and reprioritize information during sleep. O ver time, the system helps patients learn to ignore tinnitus sounds and reduces the condition's impact on quality of life. Tinnitus patients first use the Levo System's proprietary Apple iPad software to complete a series of interactive activities that identify the exact tinnitus sound being experienced. This personalized sound profile is then used to create an individualized sound therapy plan for the patient to perform at home, using an iPod and custom-fit earbuds designed for optimal sound delivery during sleep. Patients listen each night, then track and share their progress with their healthcare professionals. The system comes with Levo Manager software pre-installed on the iPad. ■ IMAGE COURTESY OF ESAOTE IMAGE COURTESY OF THOMAS NIEDERHAUSER 1 0 | San Antonio MD NEWS ■ M D N E W S . CO M