July 20, 2012 — Sony Electronics is announcing the world's first medical-grade monitor, model PVM-2551MD, based on organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology. The new 25-inch monitor, which recently received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance, is expected to deliver significant benefits for a variety of surgical procedures and combines all the noted advantages of Sony's OLED technology: true-to-life color reproduction, high resolution and virtually no motion blur.

Each year, I find it interesting that some “new” technology being introduced by a vendor is actually an old, recycled idea.  

A Siemens information technology executive showed me a video from the late 1970s of him as a young man demonstrating a futuristic computer system. It stored radiology images and reports electronically to eliminate the need for paper medical records. It was an idea 20 years ahead of its time, when the concept of a picture archiving and communications system (PACS) was very foreign. 


Each year, I find it interesting that some “new” technology being introduced by a vendor is actually an old, recycled idea.  



An unusual exhibitor that seemed very out of place on the expo floor of the Heart Rhythm Society 2012 annual meeting was Ford Motor Company.  Engineers, standing next to a brand new Ford sport utility vehicle,  were there to get feedback from electrophysiologists on the use of car seats that can automatically monitor the driver’s electrocardiogram (ECG) whenever they are driving. 

 


The electrocardiogram (ECG) stress test remains one of the most widely used diagnostic tools for detecting coronary heart disease. While the basics of stress test systems have changed little since their adoption, technologies continue to evolve to improve waveform analysis as well as connectivity to electronic medical records (EMRs) and wireless data acquisition capabilities.

 


Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is a noninvasive tool that can be used for identifying myocardial ischemia and coronary artery plaques. It acts as a proven prognostic/diagnostic tool for patients who are asymptomatic as well as in the mild- to medium-risk spectrum of coronary artery disease (CAD).


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