Heart “flashlight”
Called a “flashlight” for cardiologists, a new device developed at Georgia Tech can record real-time, 3-D images—from inside the heart, coronary arteries, and even surrounding blood vessels. The doughnut-shaped array is a mere 1.5 millimeters across and can be inserted via catheter. It includes ultrasound transmitters and processing electronics, which relay image data at sixty frames per second along thirteen small cables. The feed of images gives cardiologists a much more 360-degree view inside vessels than current cross-sectional ultrasound. It could also allow more blockages to be cleared without surgery. Researchers plan to hold animal trials before eventually licensing the technology to a medical diagnostic company that can conduct clinical trials and seek FDA approval.
WellStar teams up with the Mayo Clinic
WellStar patients who want expert opinions from Rochester, Minnesota’s prestigious Mayo Clinic can now get them without ever leaving Atlanta. WellStar Health System has joined the Mayo Clinic Care Network, a nationwide partnership of healthcare organizations that uses technology to collaborate and share information. Local doctors have access to consultations from Mayo Clinic colleagues on complex cases and access to medical information vetted by Mayo experts.
Heart falshlight: Rob Felt; Vaccine, Doctor: istockphoto.com
This article originally appeared in our 2014 Health issue.
