Google Celebrates ‘Father of Neuroscience’

Posted on May 1, 2012 by A-M Systems

Google Celebrates 'Father of Neuroscience'

Google celebrated the birthday of Santiago Ramón y Cajal who is considered the ‘Father of Neuroscience’ for demonstrating that independent nerve cells, or neurons, make up the nervous system.

In 1906, he shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Camillo Golgi, an Italian scientists who pioneered effective staining methods for nervous tissue.

The Google Doodle celebrating Ramón y Cajal was also shown in other Spanish-speaking countries, including Mexico and Venezuela.

Scholarpedia has an excellent article about Ramón y Cajal, his life, and his work—complete with his drawings and images of his original preparations of neurons.

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Join Us at Experimental Biology 2012

Posted on April 23, 2012 by A-M Systems
A-M Systems Booth at Experimental Biology 2012

A-M Systems Booth at Experimental Biology 2012

Curious about our electrophysiology instruments? Come check out our booth at Experimental Biology 2012 in San Diego!

Meet Dr. Jonathan Bakin, manager of physiology and neuroscience products, and Ian Flaherty, who’s our field engineer based in New England. We’re at Booth 249.

You can test drive our Model 3800, the 8-Channel Programmable Stimulator, and generate your own waveforms.

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A-M Systems Launches LinkedIn Page

Posted on March 27, 2012 by A-M Systems

A-M Systems on LinkedIn

A-M Systems has launched a page on LinkedIn, where you can browse some of our popular electrophysiology instruments as well as respiratory care supplies.

LinkedIn also helps you get in touch with our department managers who can answer your  questions about any instrument or pulmonary and respiratory products.

Come check out our page and follow us!

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Electrophysiology Instrument Manuals Available Online

Posted on March 6, 2012 by A-M Systems

Did you misplace your manual? Would you like to compare features of different instruments?

Manuals as well as features & specifications sheets for all A-M Systems instruments are available for download from a single page.

Screenshot: Instrument Manuals and Specifications Page

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Would You ‘Steam-Clean’ Your Lung for Efficient Breathing?

Posted on February 28, 2012 by A-M Systems
InterVaporSystem Steam-Cleans Your Lungs

InterVaporSystem steam-cleans your lungs to relieve the effects of COPD. (Photo courtesy Uptake Medical®)

Patients with severe emphysema may soon be able to breathe easier with a new technology that reduces lung volume without a complicated operation. Instead of surgically taking out diseased parts of the lung, this novel approach uses steam and the body’s natural healing process to reduce the effective volume of the lung.

Removing damaged areas of the lung may help other parts of the lung function better when medication, supplemental oxygen and pulmonary rehabilitation are no longer helping improve patients’ quality of life. (There’s no known cure for COPD.)

Emphysema is characterized by weakened and collapsed alveoli, tiny air sacs that exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide. That results in blocked air flow, inflammation of the alveoli and a host of related symptoms.

The new method identifies the damaged alveoli with a scan, isolates the affected branches with an inflatable balloon, and delivers a scalding hot steam to the blocked off parts of the lung.

Developed by Uptake Medical, InterVapor™ System uses a bronchoscope to navigate to the damaged alveoli. A tiny balloon is inflated to seal off that branch and to prevent the steam from reaching other parts of the lung.

The steam permanently damages that part of the lung, leading to the eventual formation of scar tissues. The reduction in lung volume is said to make breathing more efficient. The entire surgical process takes about 30 minutes, according to Uptake.

A study published in the European Respiratory Journal last year endorsed this procedure, saying it “results in clinically relevant improvements in lung function, quality of life and exercise tolerance in upper-lobe predominant emphysema.”

But another warned of risks. “Bronchoscopic administration of steam is a potentially safe means to achieve LVR, but substantial risks are present and further research is recommended,” researchers at the University of Washington, who used an animal model, concluded.

(Via Daily Mail)

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A-M Systems Offers Latex-Free Products

Posted on February 21, 2012 by David Green
Latex-Free Breathing Bags | A-M Systems

Latex-Free Breathing Bags | A-M Systems

One question we field frequently is whether our pulmonary and respiratory products contain latex. Our products do not contain latex except for some of our remaining stock of breathing bags.

After our remaining stock of 2 L, 1 L and 0.5 L breathing bags are exhausted,  we will be offering only latex-free bags. We’re no longer stocking 3 L latex bags.

If you require latex bags, we will attempt to find them for you. But they’re becoming harder and harder to find—for a good reason.

Allergic reactions to natural rubber latex can vary from contact dermatitis to life-threatening anaphylaxis in sensitized individuals. Risk factors can range from congenital conditions to work environment.

Less than 1% of the general population in the U.S. are allergic to latex, according to the American Latex Allergy Association. That number increases to between 8% and 17% for health care workers who come in frequent contact with latex products. And up to 68% of children with spina bifida are allergic to latex due to frequent surgeries they must undergo.

Reducing exposure to latex products can greatly diminish the chance of becoming sensitized to latex. And A-M Systems is helping reduce exposure to latex by offering latex-free alternatives.

Contact us at any time if you have questions about our products, including breathing bags, circuits and more.

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Is Home-Based Spirometry the Wave of the Future?

Posted on February 14, 2012 by A-M Systems
Spiro PD Personal Spirometer

Will a personal spirometer for home use become the future of remote health care for COPD, asthma and lung transplant patients? (Photo courtesy: PMD Healthcare)

Initial findings of what was billed as the world’s largest randomized control trial of remote health care are promising.

Led by the U.K. Department of Health, the three-year study enlisted thousands of volunteers with chronic conditions, such as diabetes, heart faillure, COPD, and arthritis, and equiped them with stationary electronic medical devices for home use or mobile devices for use on the go.

Initial results show that remote health care, or “telehealth,” can deliver the following:

  • 15% reduction in emergency room visits
  • 20% reduction in emergency admissions
  • 14% reduction in elective admissions
  • 14% reduction in bed days
  • 45% reduction in mortality rates

In the U.S., eResearchTechnology, Inc. has teamed up with UCLA to assess the feasibility and efficacy of remote health care in over 200 patients with moderate to severe COPD.

The patients will use ERT’s SpiroPro® spirometer for daily pulmonary function tests and for tracking physical symptoms, such as breathlessness and cough. Their physical activity levels will be tracked through an accelerometer.

“All patient data will be securely uploaded to a web based data tracking site where trends in symptoms and concerns with patient status can be quickly identified and addressed through clinical care,” UCLA and ERT wrote in a joint press release. They hope to report their initial findings next year.

While trials are being conducted on both sides of the Atlantic, PMD Healthcare has taken the leap and commercialized a personal spirometer for use at home or while on the move. At US$219.00 per spirometer, SpiroPD is an affordable alternative to frequent doctor visits and related expenses.

Spiro PD combines a spirometer, a breathing exerciser, and a medication and  PFT reminder alarm in a portable housing with interchangeable adult and pediatric mouthpieces. Data collected from the unit is then uploaded to the physician prescribing the spirometer.

If you were given the choice between remote monitoring at home and monthly visits to the doctor, which would you choose and why? How would remote health care benefit COPD and chronic asthma patients?

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MIR’s Spirodoc Adds Style, Ultra-Portability to Handheld Spirometer

Posted on February 7, 2012 by A-M Systems
MIR Spirodoc Spirometer with Pulse Oximeter, 3D Motion Sensor

MIR Spirodoc Spirometer with Pulse Oximeter, 3D Motion Sensor

It’s not often that you can look at a medical device and call it ‘stylish.’ Most medical devices, including spirometers and ventilators, are meant to be functional. MIR’s Spirodoc, however, defies the common wisdom and combines function with style and portability.

I had a chance to play with a Spirodoc unit when it was released in Europe in 2010. In addition to being a multifunction respiratory lab, the unit, about the size of a small mobile phone, had the look and feel of a high-tech gadget.

Style

Spirodoc was designed to be light, sturdy and portable—perfect for six-minute walk tests (6MWTs), studies of activity-related oxygen desaturation and overnight oximetry. Its bright orange stripe that rings the main unit and the optional flowmeter is a departure from the countless shades of gray and pastel found on many medical devices.

It’s no surprise the device was conceived, designed and manufactured in Rome, where MIR is headquartered. Why make a dull-looking device when you can make it stand out? And an international jury agreed. For its overall design and usability, Spirodoc earned the coveted red dot design award in 2010.

Function

Spirodoc was born in the age of touch screen interfaces. While it’s not the first spirometer with a touch screen display, its intuitive menus and options are well suited for not just pulmonologists but also for general practitioners who offer screening services and for patients who record their activities.

The optional flowmeter attaches securely to the main unit for full-function spirometry maneuvers: FVC, VC, IC, IVC, MVV (measured and calculated), PRE-POST BD, FEV, FEF, FET, FIVC, FIV, PIF, ERV, VT, VE and more. And an internal sensor automates BTPS conversion.

With or without the flowmeter attachment, Spirodoc is a pulse oximeter with real-time results, a portable recorder for desaturation studies, and a handy unit for six-minute walk tests. Combined with MIR’s WinspiroPRO software, Spirodoc excels at telemedicine.

And for clinics and hospitals striving for electronic health records and information, WinspiroPRO is available with HL7 interface.

 

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A-M Systems: Your Source for Electrode Manufacturing Components

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Dr. Jonathan Bakin

Do you manufacture your own electrodes?

Our selections of spooled bare and insulated fine wires include:

We also offer a variety of pin connectors to terminate your electrodes in.

If you can’t find exactly what you are looking for, contact us. We frequently make custom wire and rod products for our customers, and we’re willing to work with you to get you the items you need.

For more information on custom products, please contact Neuroscience & Physiology Product Manager Dr. Jonathan Bakin.

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A-M Systems to exhibit at Experimental Biology 2012 in San Diego, April 22–25

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Dr. Jonathan Bakin
A-M Systems at Experimental Biology 2012

Join us at Experimental Biology 2012 in San Diego and see our latest instruments.

Are you attending Experimental Biology 2012 in San Diego this April? Then make a point of stopping by A-M Systems’ exhibit (Booth 249) and see our new Model 3800 MultiStim Programmable 8-Channel Stimulator.

In addition to the state-of-the-art stimulator, all of our instruments will be on display:

 

Come by and let us know what you like and what we could change about our gear, and we will work hard to incorporate your ideas in future product offerings.

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