Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/699375
BD VACUTAINER ULTRATOUCH PUSH BUTTON BLOOD COLLECTION SET R E S E A R C H H A S D E M O N S T R AT E D that minimizing injection-site discomfort increases patient satisfaction, which can have a bearing on provider reimbursement. Medical technology fi rm Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) recently won FDA clearance for the BD Vacutainer UltraTouch Push Button Blood Collection Set, which it says reduces patient pain and makes veins more accessible. A slimmer, fl atter needle surface enhances ease of skin penetration, BD stated in a news release. Meanwhile, greater inner diameter allows the use of smaller-gauge needles but does not compromise blood fl ow or the quality of the sample, according to the company. "This could prove especially valuable in patient populations, such as oncology, geriatric and pediatric, that often have diffi cult or fragile veins," says Ana K. Stankovic, MD, Worldwide Vice President of Medical Affairs for BD Life Sciences. ■ TYTOHOME T H E P O S S I B L E S P R E A D of illness in waiting rooms periodically prompts suggestions of measures physicians can take to protect patients awaiting care. Israeli company TytoCare has developed a home telemedicine system, TytoHome, that it hopes can reduce that mode of transmission by keeping patients out of physician offi ces or emergency rooms when they don't need to be there. The digital system allows users to perform basic exams — ear, eye, heart, throat, lung and skin — of suffi cient quality to permit a remote physician to provide a diagnosis, according to the company. Aided by the system's audiovisual guidance, patients or family members perform the exams using TytoHome's digital camera, otoscope and stethoscope, and then transmit results to the physician of their choosing on a connection that is HIPAA-compliant. Another option is to use the system's video conference capabilities to conduct exams while the patient's physician watches remotely. ■ DELTA 4 DISCOVER AC C U R AT E D O SI N G I S critical in radiation treatment, and Swedish company ScandiDos has developed the Delta 4 Discover to permit monitoring of the dose delivered to the patient. The administered dose and other measures have typically been used to gauge the level of exposure, but this device actually measures the delivered dose and other treatment parameters, allowing accurate comparison of planned versus received dosage, according to the company. "Until now, the concept of measuring the daily dose of radiation in real time, to ensure it accurately matches the patient treatment plan, did not exist," ScandiDos CEO Görgen Nilsson stated in a news release. "Delta 4 Discover will provide this critical step in the radiation process, enhancing patient safety." The device recently received FDA clearance. ■ BY STEVE BARRETT PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT IMAGE COURTESY OF TYTO CARE INC. IMAGE COURTESY OF SCANDIDOS AB. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. IMAGE COURTESY OF BD •BECTON, DICKINSON AND COMPANY 1 2