Sample records for accessible medical device

  1. Corruption in the health care sector: A barrier to access of orthopaedic care and medical devices in Uganda.

    PubMed

    Bouchard, Maryse; Kohler, Jillian C; Orbinski, James; Howard, Andrew

    2012-05-03

    Globally, injuries cause approximately as many deaths per year as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined, and 90% of injury deaths occur in low- and middle- income countries. Given not all injuries kill, the disability burden, particularly from orthopaedic injuries, is much higher but is poorly measured at present. The orthopaedic services and orthopaedic medical devices needed to manage the injury burden are frequently unavailable in these countries. Corruption is known to be a major barrier to access of health care, but its effects on access to orthopaedic services is still unknown. A qualitative case study of 45 open-ended interviews was conducted to investigate the access to orthopaedic health services and orthopaedic medical devices in Uganda. Participants included orthopaedic surgeons, related healthcare professionals, industry and government representatives, and patients. Participants' experiences in accessing orthopaedic medical devices were explored. Thematic analysis was used to analyze and code the transcripts. Analysis of the interview data identified poor leadership in government and corruption as major barriers to access of orthopaedic care and orthopaedic medical devices. Corruption was perceived to occur at the worker, hospital and government levels in the forms of misappropriation of funds, theft of equipment, resale of drugs and medical devices, fraud and absenteeism. Other barriers elicited included insufficient health infrastructure and human resources, and high costs of orthopaedic equipment and poverty. This study identified perceived corruption as a significant barrier to access of orthopaedic care and orthopaedic medical devices in Uganda. As the burden of injury continues to grow, the need to combat corruption and ensure access to orthopaedic services is imperative. Anti-corruption strategies such as transparency and accountability measures, codes of conduct, whistleblower protection, and higher wages and benefits for workers could be

  2. Corruption in the health care sector: A barrier to access of orthopaedic care and medical devices in Uganda

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Globally, injuries cause approximately as many deaths per year as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined, and 90% of injury deaths occur in low- and middle- income countries. Given not all injuries kill, the disability burden, particularly from orthopaedic injuries, is much higher but is poorly measured at present. The orthopaedic services and orthopaedic medical devices needed to manage the injury burden are frequently unavailable in these countries. Corruption is known to be a major barrier to access of health care, but its effects on access to orthopaedic services is still unknown. Methods A qualitative case study of 45 open-ended interviews was conducted to investigate the access to orthopaedic health services and orthopaedic medical devices in Uganda. Participants included orthopaedic surgeons, related healthcare professionals, industry and government representatives, and patients. Participants’ experiences in accessing orthopaedic medical devices were explored. Thematic analysis was used to analyze and code the transcripts. Results Analysis of the interview data identified poor leadership in government and corruption as major barriers to access of orthopaedic care and orthopaedic medical devices. Corruption was perceived to occur at the worker, hospital and government levels in the forms of misappropriation of funds, theft of equipment, resale of drugs and medical devices, fraud and absenteeism. Other barriers elicited included insufficient health infrastructure and human resources, and high costs of orthopaedic equipment and poverty. Conclusions This study identified perceived corruption as a significant barrier to access of orthopaedic care and orthopaedic medical devices in Uganda. As the burden of injury continues to grow, the need to combat corruption and ensure access to orthopaedic services is imperative. Anti-corruption strategies such as transparency and accountability measures, codes of conduct, whistleblower protection, and higher

  3. Accessing the medical devices market in Egypt and Saudi Arabia: a systematic review of policies and regulations.

    PubMed

    Gad, Mohamed; Kriza, Christine; Fidler, Armin; Kolominsky-Rabas, Peter

    2016-07-01

    Despite the significant medical devices market size in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, information regarding policies and regulations for medical devices market access is highly deficient. The aim of this paper is to provide a systematic review on market access policies and regulations in both countries, to allow safe and timely access to medical technology. The following databases were searched: PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and Al Manhal Arabic database. Additionally, the web portals of regulatory authorities of both countries were searched. There are 34 records included in the qualitative synthesis of this review. Expert commentary: Main findings include; adopted regulatory framework from reference countries, and interim main regulatory documents, In conclusion, the market access schemes are relatively structured. However, some recommendations are put forward to navigate towards a more comprehensive policy framework in both countries.

  4. Research and Development for Advanced Tele-maintenance Capability with Remote Serial Console Access and Proactive Monitoring of Medical Devices

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-09-01

    Tele-maintenance Capability with Remote Serial Console Access and Proactive Monitoring of Medical Devices PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR...Remote Serial Console Access and Proactive Monitoring of Medical Devices 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d...ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER Concepteers LLC 880 Bergen Avenue, Suite 403 Jersey City, NJ 07306 9. SPONSORING / MONITORING

  5. Impact of direct drug delivery via gastric access devices.

    PubMed

    Kurien, Matthew; Penny, Hugo; Sanders, David S

    2015-03-01

    Gastric access devices such as nasogastric tubes and gastrostomy tubes are increasingly being used in clinical practice to provide both short- and long-term nutrition support therapy. Increasingly these devices are being utilized to help deliver oral medications, where swallowing is impaired. This concomitant administration of medications and enteral formulas could derive potential benefits in regard to time and cost; however, uncertainty exists regarding potential drug and nutrient interactions and the influence this may have on both safety and efficacy. This article provides an overview of the differing gastric access devices used in clinical practice and evaluates the evidence base for using oral medications via these routes. Alternative methods of drug administration are discussed, alongside common drug nutrient interactions and potential complications. Delivering medications via gastric access devices can be performed safely; however, careful consideration needs to be made regarding tube and patient influences, alongside drug-nutrient interactions. Improving practice in this area in the future necessitates enhancement of an evidence base to substantiate the safety of drug delivery via gastric access devices and improvement in education among healthcare professionals about the potential problems.

  6. The Medical Devices Special Access Program in Canada: A Scoping Study

    PubMed Central

    Menon, Devidas; Stafinski, Tania

    2018-01-01

    New health technologies enter Canadian healthcare organizations in various ways, and understanding them is essential to the development of a pan-Canadian Health Technology Management (HTM) Strategy, now a priority of governments across Canada. One way is through Health Canada's Medical Devices Special Access Program (MDSAP), which permits unlicensed devices to be obtained by healthcare professionals. However, the circumstances around and implications of the current use of this program are not clear. A scoping literature review was conducted to clarify these and identify important roles and issues related to the MDSAP. Limited information was found on the MDSAP. Nevertheless, three themes demonstrating the roles of the MDSAP in HTM emerged: arbiter in technology selection, a route to technology procurement and facilitator of health technology innovation. No information suggesting that MDSAP is used to circumvent licensing was found. Rather, it enables desired patient outcomes and product commercialization. PMID:29595436

  7. Evaluation of a polymer implanted port access device.

    PubMed

    Brown, J M

    1996-01-01

    The implanted port vascular access system has provided many patients with safe and reliable vascular access. Its implanted design provides improved body image, reduced maintenance and a better quality of life. The Huber needle has been the standard means of accessing the implanted port system. Because of the problems associated with the Huber needle system, current standards recommend that the Huber needle be changed every 7 days. This evaluation examines the use of a polymer cannula to access the implanted port system. This polymer cannula eliminates many of the problems associated with the Huber needle and provides longer dwell times without increased complications. Seventy nine patients were accessed for a total of 1533 days with the mean dwell time being 19.4 days with no increase in complications associated with port access. To establish implanted port access times of greater than 7 days without increased complications. A multicenter voluntary enrollment evaluation of a medical device. Patients were offered the opportunity to participate in the evaluation if they had an implanted port and were going to be accessed for therapy for periods of 7 days or more. Patients were observed for adverse cutaneous reactions at the insertion site and any port access complications such as sepsis, leakage, changes in portal chamber integrity, and implant pocket integrity. From October 1994 through November 1995, 79 L-Cath for Ports (Luther Medical Products) polymer catheter port access devices (Illustration 1) were inserted in 54 patients. This polymer port access device was used instead of a rigid metal Huber needle for port access. The total number of access days was 1533 days with the mean duration of access being 19.4 days. Two patients experienced blood stream infections while they were accessed with the polymer port access device. These infections ensued with fever of unknown origin as the presenting symptom during neutropenic episodes after chemotherapy treatment. The

  8. Medical device reimbursement coverage and pricing rules in Korea: current practice and issues with access to innovation.

    PubMed

    Lee, Sang-Soo; Salole, Eugene

    2014-06-01

    The development of health funding policy in Korea has followed the country's rapid economic development, with a comprehensive National Health Insurance (NHI) system in place by 1989. The funding of medical devices has followed this progression, with incorporation into the NHI reimbursement system in 2000 (several years later than pharmaceuticals), but important issues affecting patient access remain. Although the effect of devices on the NHI budget is relatively modest (only about 4%), because of concerns about NHI sustainability, attention has increasingly been paid to their management and funding. Unlike pharmaceuticals, however, it has been quite challenging to develop clear and fair criteria for reimbursement coverage and pricing of medical devices. The two key and longstanding issues around the reimbursement of medical devices in Korea are how to expedite market entry of improved or innovative medical devices at appropriate prices, and how to satisfactorily lower the reimbursement levels of older devices, thereby making headroom for new technologies to be reimbursed. Despite protracted discussions over the last decade, industry and government have been unable to reach full agreement. There has been some progress (e.g., introduction of the Value Appraisal and the Revaluation Systems), but there remains urgent need for productive discussion and consensus between government and industry regarding reasonable funding rules, transparency, and clarity in the reimbursement pricing process for medical devices. Copyright © 2014 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. 78 FR 951 - Accessible Medical Device Labeling in a Standard Content and Format Public Workshop; Request for...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-01-07

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2012-N-1205] Accessible Medical Device Labeling in a Standard Content and Format Public Workshop; Request for Comments AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. ACTION: Notice of public workshop; request for comments...

  10. 78 FR 6825 - Accessible Medical Device Labeling in a Standard Content and Format Public Workshop; Request for...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-01-31

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2012-N-1205] Accessible Medical Device Labeling in a Standard Content and Format Public Workshop; Request for Comments; Correction AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. ACTION: Notice of public workshop; request for comments...

  11. Registration of Medical Devices

    PubMed Central

    George, Bobby

    2010-01-01

    Globally the medical device (MD) market has been growing quite rapidly over the past decade. The regulatory framework for pharmaceuticals and devices differ substantially. The regulatory authorities in different regions of the world recognize different classes of medical devices (MDs), based on their design complexity, their use characteristics, and their potential for harm, if misused. With the vast majority of MDs in developing countries being imported, the respective governments need to put in place policies & regulations to address all elements related to MDs, ranging from its development, manufacturing, registration to post-marketing obligations & disposal so that public can have access to high quality, safe & affordable products for appropriate use. This article highlights current regulations pertaining to registration of MDs in India, in light of those existing in Global Harmonization Task Force (GHTF) member countries & Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries. PMID:21814626

  12. Analytical Chemistry in the Regulatory Science of Medical Devices.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yi; Guan, Allan; Wickramasekara, Samanthi; Phillips, K Scott

    2018-06-12

    In the United States, regulatory science is the science of developing new tools, standards, and approaches to assess the safety, efficacy, quality, and performance of all Food and Drug Administration-regulated products. Good regulatory science facilitates consumer access to innovative medical devices that are safe and effective throughout the Total Product Life Cycle (TPLC). Because the need to measure things is fundamental to the regulatory science of medical devices, analytical chemistry plays an important role, contributing to medical device technology in two ways: It can be an integral part of an innovative medical device (e.g., diagnostic devices), and it can be used to support medical device development throughout the TPLC. In this review, we focus on analytical chemistry as a tool for the regulatory science of medical devices. We highlight recent progress in companion diagnostics, medical devices on chips for preclinical testing, mass spectrometry for postmarket monitoring, and detection/characterization of bacterial biofilm to prevent infections.

  13. Handheld Diagnostic Device Delivers Quick Medical Readings

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2014-01-01

    To monitor astronauts' health remotely, Glenn Research Center awarded SBIR funding to Cambridge, Massachusetts-based DNA Medical Institute, which developed a device capable of analyzing blood cell counts and a variety of medical biomarkers. The technology will prove especially useful in rural areas without easy access to labs.

  14. Using Medical-Device Wearable to Improve Hemodialysis Patient’s Live and Access the Holistic Health

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, W. L.; Wu, C.-C.; Kan, C. D.

    2017-06-01

    The increasing incidence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is the major burden to health budgets and a threat to public health worldwide. For many years, Taiwan has been ranked the first in the world for the number of hemodialysis patients. For solving the above-mentioned circumstance, we demonstrate the project, here, which goal is to construct the holistic health for hemodialysis patient. The project is to design a wearable medicine-device which can simultaneously measure and monitor the vital sign, including heart rate (HR), pulse oximetry (SPO2), continuous non-invasive blood pressure (c-NIBP), and total body water (TBW), of hemodialysis patient. By aid of the device we design, hemodialysis patients will get better health care than before. This device comprises three techniques. The first is named “Using phonoangiography technique to early detect the dysfunction of arteriovenous access by arteriovenous access (AVA) stenosis detector”. The stenosis detector based on autoregressive model was employed to simultaneously estimate the status of AVA life cycle and to tract changes in frequency spectra. It helps hemodialysis patients to early detect the dysfunction of AVA and alarms them to make a return visit. The second technique is named “Physiological detecting device for wearable medical device and encoding algorithm development”. The feature of the second technique is to optimize the prognosis by analyzing physiological signals, including water content index, pulse oximetry, and blood pressure in the meanwhile. The third technique is named “Intelligent and smart tourniquet”. This technique aims to preclude AVA dysfunction caused by inappropriate hemostasis.

  15. Medical Devices Transition to Information Systems: Lessons Learned

    PubMed Central

    Charters, Kathleen G.

    2012-01-01

    Medical devices designed to network can share data with a Clinical Information System (CIS), making that data available within clinician workflow. Some lessons learned by transitioning anesthesia reporting and monitoring devices (ARMDs) on a local area network (LAN) to integration of anesthesia documentation within a CIS include the following categories: access, contracting, deployment, implementation, planning, security, support, training and workflow integration. Areas identified for improvement include: Vendor requirements for access reconciled with the organizations’ security policies and procedures. Include clauses supporting transition from stand-alone devices to information integrated into clinical workflow in the medical device procurement contract. Resolve deployment and implementation barriers that make the process less efficient and more costly. Include effective field communication and creative alternatives in planning. Build training on the baseline knowledge of trainees. Include effective help desk processes and metrics. Have a process for determining where problems originate when systems share information. PMID:24199054

  16. Long-term central venous access device selection.

    PubMed

    Gabriel, Janice

    Infusion therapy is often viewed as a means to an end - a way to administer medications and fluids. It is one of the few specialties that affect almost all areas of healthcare. Safe, effective and reliable vascular access should be the goal of every health professional who is starting a patient on a prescribed course of intravenous therapy, especially if that patient is undergoing a prolonged course. This article aims to refresh and update nurses' clinical knowledge of the detailed patient assessment required before choosing a central venous access device, as well as supporting a reduction in complications and earlier recognition of potential problems. It discusses clinical indications for devices, the range of long-term intravenous therapies that can be used, and patient assessment.

  17. Design of a secure remote management module for a software-operated medical device.

    PubMed

    Burnik, Urban; Dobravec, Štefan; Meža, Marko

    2017-12-09

    Software-based medical devices need to be maintained throughout their entire life cycle. The efficiency of after-sales maintenance can be improved by managing medical systems remotely. This paper presents how to design the remote access function extensions in order to prevent risks imposed by uncontrolled remote access. A thorough analysis of standards and legislation requirements regarding safe operation and risk management of medical devices is presented. Based on the formal requirements, a multi-layer machine design solution is proposed that eliminates remote connectivity risks by strict separation of regular device functionalities from remote management service, deploys encrypted communication links and uses digital signatures to prevent mishandling of software images. The proposed system may also be used as an efficient version update of the existing medical device designs.

  18. Medical Device Safety

    MedlinePlus

    A medical device is any product used to diagnose, cure, or treat a condition, or to prevent disease. They ... may need one in a hospital. To use medical devices safely Know how your device works. Keep ...

  19. Developing medical device software in compliance with regulations.

    PubMed

    Zema, M; Rosati, S; Gioia, V; Knaflitz, M; Balestra, G

    2015-08-01

    In the last decade, the use of information technology (IT) in healthcare has taken a growing role. In fact, the adoption of an increasing number of computer tools has led to several benefits related to the process of patient care and allowed easier access to social and health care resources. At the same time this trend gave rise to new challenges related to the implementation of these new technologies. Software used in healthcare can be classified as medical devices depending on the way they are used and on their functional characteristics. If they are classified as medical devices they must satisfy specific regulations. The aim of this work is to present a software development framework that can allow the production of safe and high quality medical device software and to highlight the correspondence between each software development phase and the appropriate standard and/or regulation.

  20. Proposed changes to the reimbursement of pharmaceuticals and medical devices in Poland and their impact on market access and the pharmaceutical industry

    PubMed Central

    Badora, Karolina; Caban, Aleksandra; Rémuzat, Cécile; Dussart, Claude; Toumi, Mondher

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT In Poland, two proposed amendments to the reimbursement act are currently in preparation; these are likely to substantially change the pricing and reimbursement landscape for both drugs and medical devices. Proposed changes include: alignment of medical device reimbursement with that of pharmaceuticals; relaxing the strict reimbursement criteria for ultra-orphan drugs; establishment of an additional funding category for vaccines; introduction of compassionate use, and a simplified reimbursement pathway for well-established off-label indications; appreciation of manufacturers’ innovation and research and development efforts by creating a dedicated innovation budget; introduction of a mechanism preventing excessive parallel import; prolonged duration of reimbursement decisions and reimbursement lists; and increased flexibility in defining drug programmes. Both amendments are still at a draft stage and many aspects of the new regulations remain unclear. Nonetheless, the overall direction of some of the changes is already evident and warrants discussion due to their high expected impact on pharmaceutical and device manufacturers. Here we evaluate the main changes proposed to the reimbursement of drugs, vaccines, and medical devices, and examine the impact they are likely to have on market access and pharmaceutical industry in Poland. PMID:29081924

  1. 78 FR 68853 - International Medical Device Regulators Forum; Medical Device Single Audit Program International...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-15

    ...] International Medical Device Regulators Forum; Medical Device Single Audit Program International Coalition Pilot... Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing participation in the Medical Device Single Audit Program International Coalition Pilot Program. The Medical Device Single Audit Program (MDSAP) was designed and...

  2. Mobile devices in medicine: a survey of how medical students, residents, and faculty use smartphones and other mobile devices to find information.

    PubMed

    Boruff, Jill T; Storie, Dale

    2014-01-01

    The research investigated the extent to which students, residents, and faculty members in Canadian medical faculties use mobile devices, such as smartphones (e.g., iPhone, Android, Blackberry) and tablet computers (e.g., iPad), to answer clinical questions and find medical information. The results of this study will inform how health libraries can effectively support mobile technology and collections. An electronic survey was distributed by medical librarians at four Canadian universities to medical students, residents, and faculty members via departmental email discussion lists, personal contacts, and relevant websites. It investigated the types of information sought, facilitators to mobile device use in medical information seeking, barriers to access, support needs, familiarity with institutionally licensed resources, and most frequently used resources. The survey of 1,210 respondents indicated widespread use of smartphones and tablets in clinical settings in 4 Canadian universities. Third- and fourth-year undergraduate students (i.e., those in their clinical clerkships) and medical residents, compared to other graduate students and faculty, used their mobile devices more often, used them for a broader range of activities, and purchased more resources for their devices. Technological and intellectual barriers do not seem to prevent medical trainees and faculty from regularly using mobile devices for their medical information searches; however, barriers to access and lack of awareness might keep them from using reliable, library-licensed resources. Libraries should focus on providing access to a smaller number of highly used mobile resources instead of a huge collection until library-licensed mobile resources have streamlined authentication processes.

  3. Mobile devices in medicine: a survey of how medical students, residents, and faculty use smartphones and other mobile devices to find information*

    PubMed Central

    Boruff, Jill T.; Storie, Dale

    2014-01-01

    Objectives: The research investigated the extent to which students, residents, and faculty members in Canadian medical faculties use mobile devices, such as smartphones (e.g., iPhone, Android, Blackberry) and tablet computers (e.g., iPad), to answer clinical questions and find medical information. The results of this study will inform how health libraries can effectively support mobile technology and collections. Methods: An electronic survey was distributed by medical librarians at four Canadian universities to medical students, residents, and faculty members via departmental email discussion lists, personal contacts, and relevant websites. It investigated the types of information sought, facilitators to mobile device use in medical information seeking, barriers to access, support needs, familiarity with institutionally licensed resources, and most frequently used resources. Results: The survey of 1,210 respondents indicated widespread use of smartphones and tablets in clinical settings in 4 Canadian universities. Third- and fourth-year undergraduate students (i.e., those in their clinical clerkships) and medical residents, compared to other graduate students and faculty, used their mobile devices more often, used them for a broader range of activities, and purchased more resources for their devices. Conclusions: Technological and intellectual barriers do not seem to prevent medical trainees and faculty from regularly using mobile devices for their medical information searches; however, barriers to access and lack of awareness might keep them from using reliable, library-licensed resources. Implications: Libraries should focus on providing access to a smaller number of highly used mobile resources instead of a huge collection until library-licensed mobile resources have streamlined authentication processes. PMID:24415916

  4. The role of tablets in accessing information throughout undergraduate medical education in Botswana.

    PubMed

    Witt, Rachel E; Kebaetse, Masego B; Holmes, John H; Littman-Quinn, Ryan; Ketshogileng, Dineo; Antwi, Cynthia; Kovarik, Carrie; Nkomazana, Oathokwa

    2016-04-01

    Mobile learning (mLearning) uses wireless networks and mobile devices to expand physician trainees' and healthcare providers' access to and exchange of medical information. Opportunities to increase implementation and expand use of mobile devices to support health care information access and delivery in Africa are vast, but the rapid growth of mLearning has caused project implementation to outpace objective measurement of impact. This study makes a contribution to the existing body of literature regarding mLearning implementation in Africa through its focus on the use of smart devices (tablets) in undergraduate medical education and medical students' perceptions of the effects on their learning environment. The population of this prospective mixed-methods study consisted of 82 undergraduate medical students (45 third year and 37 fourth year) at the University of Botswana Faculty of Medicine. They received tablets in the earliest phase of the mLearning project implementation (between November 2012 and January 2013), when they were in the third and fourth year of their medical training. Usage of the tablets was assessed both quantitatively and qualitatively, through both application usage tracking and focus groups. Based on application usage data and coding and analysis of focus group discussions, undergraduate medical students indicated that tablets were useful in their medical education, allowing them continual access to information and opportunities for communication. Participants noted that the primary barrier to use of tablets was the lack of mobile cellular Internet beyond the Wi-Fi zones at the training sites. Moreover, participants offered suggestions for improvements to the implementation process. Even in resource-limited settings where Internet access can be unreliable and intermittent, the adoption of tablets can have benefits to medical education by providing consistent access to extensive and current medical information resources. This study highlights

  5. Value-based purchasing of medical devices.

    PubMed

    Obremskey, William T; Dail, Teresa; Jahangir, A Alex

    2012-04-01

    Health care in the United States is known for its continued innovation and production of new devices and techniques. While the intention of these devices is to improve the delivery and outcome of patient care, they do not always achieve this goal. As new technologies enter the market, hospitals and physicians must determine which of these new devices to incorporate into practice, and it is important these devices bring value to patient care. We provide a model of a physician-engaged process to decrease cost and increase review of physician preference items. We describe the challenges, implementation, and outcomes of cost reduction and product stabilization of a value-based process for purchasing medical devices at a major academic medical center. We implemented a physician-driven committee that standardized and utilized evidence-based, clinically sound, and financially responsible methods for introducing or consolidating new supplies, devices, and technology for patient care. This committee worked with institutional finance and administrative leaders to accomplish its goals. Utilizing this physician-driven committee, we provided access to new products, standardized some products, decreased costs of physician preference items 11% to 26% across service lines, and achieved savings of greater than $8 million per year. The implementation of a facility-based technology assessment committee that critically evaluates new technology can decrease hospital costs on implants and standardize some product lines.

  6. Medical Device Guidebook: A browser information resource for medical device users.

    PubMed

    Clarkson, Douglas M

    2017-03-01

    A web based information resource - the 'Medical Device Guidebook' - for the enabling of safe use of medical devices is described. Medical devices are described within a 'catalogue' of specific models and information on a specific model is provided within a consistent set of information 'keys'. These include 'user manuals', 'points of caution', 'clinical use framework', 'training/assessment material', 'frequently asked questions', 'authorised user comments' and 'consumables'. The system allows identification of known risk/hazards associated with specific devices, triggered, for example, by national alerts or locally raised safety observations. This provides a mechanism for more effective briefing of equipment users on the associated hazards of equipment. A feature of the system is the inclusion of a specific 'Operational Procedure' for each device, where the lack of this focus is shown in the literature to often be a key factor in equipment misuse and associated patient injury. The 'Guidebook' provides a mechanism for the development of an information resource developed within local clinical networks and encourages a consistent approach to medical device use. Copyright © 2017 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Racial/ethnic variation in devices used to access patient portals.

    PubMed

    Chang, Eva; Blondon, Katherine; Lyles, Courtney R; Jordan, Luesa; Ralston, James D

    2018-01-01

    We examined racial/ethnic variation in the devices used by patients to access medical records through an online patient portal. Retrospective, cross-sectional analysis. Using data from 318,700 adults enrolled in an integrated delivery system between December 2012 and November 2013, we examined: 1) online patient portal use that directly engages the electronic health record and 2) portal use over desktops/laptops only, mobile devices only, or both device types. The primary covariate was race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic white, black, Hispanic, and Asian). Other covariates included age, sex, primary language, and neighborhood-level income and education. Portal use and devices used were assessed with multiple and multinomial logistic models, respectively. From December 2012 to November 2013, 56% of enrollees used the patient portal. Of these portal users, 62% used desktops/laptops only, 6% used mobile devices only, and 32% used both desktops/laptops and mobile devices. Black, Hispanic, and Asian enrollees had significantly lower odds of portal use than whites. Black and Hispanic portal users also were significantly more likely to use mobile devices only (relative risk ratio, 1.73 and 1.44, respectively) and both device types (1.21 and 1.07, respectively) than desktops/laptops only compared with whites. Although racial/ethnic minority enrollees were less likely to access the online patient portal overall, a greater proportion of black and Hispanic users accessed the patient portal with mobile devices than did non-Hispanic white users. The rapid spread of mobile devices among racial/ethnic minorities may help reduce variation in online patient portal use. Mobile device use may represent an opportunity for healthcare organizations to further engage black and Hispanic enrollees in online patient portal use.

  8. Medical Device Safety

    MedlinePlus

    ... Cooling and Heating Systems and HX2™ Temperature Management Systems Due to Revised Cleaning Instructions 05/07/18 More Medical Device Recalls Recent Medical Device Safety Communications FDA analyses and recommendations for patients and health care providers about ongoing ...

  9. [Benefit Assessment for Examination and Treatment Methods with Medical Devices of High Hisk: Trade-off between Patient Benefit, Evidence and Access].

    PubMed

    Mühlbacher, Axel C; Juhnke, Christin

    2018-03-01

    The lately inured § 137 h SGB V aims to assess the benefit of new examination and treatment methods with medical devices of class IIb and III. In the future, the decision on the reimbursement eligibility will be marked by high requirements in terms of documentation of benefits and harm. The objective of benefit assessment is the operationalization of benefit to patients. A comparative determination of benefit enables rational decision by regulatory authorities. The process of benefit assessment should guarantee transparent decision-making, and the underlying medical and health economic fundamentals should be documented. In principle, benefit assessment can be divided into 3 phases: measuring causal effects of an intervention, assessment of the measured effects and decision on reimbursement based on the aggregation of an overall benefit. To address the peculiarities of medical devices in this process, adaptive study designs, MCDA and adaptive benefit assessment provide a sustainable concept for rapid access by patients to innovative treatments of high quality and safety. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  10. Medical Device Integration Model Based on the Internet of Things

    PubMed Central

    Hao, Aiyu; Wang, Ling

    2015-01-01

    At present, hospitals in our country have basically established the HIS system, which manages registration, treatment, and charge, among many others, of patients. During treatment, patients need to use medical devices repeatedly to acquire all sorts of inspection data. Currently, the output data of the medical devices are often manually input into information system, which is easy to get wrong or easy to cause mismatches between inspection reports and patients. For some small hospitals of which information construction is still relatively weak, the information generated by the devices is still presented in the form of paper reports. When doctors or patients want to have access to the data at a given time again, they can only look at the paper files. Data integration between medical devices has long been a difficult problem for the medical information system, because the data from medical devices are lack of mandatory unified global standards and have outstanding heterogeneity of devices. In order to protect their own interests, manufacturers use special protocols, etc., thus causing medical decices to still be the "lonely island" of hospital information system. Besides, unfocused application of the data will lead to failure to achieve a reasonable distribution of medical resources. With the deepening of IT construction in hospitals, medical information systems will be bound to develop towards mobile applications, intelligent analysis, and interconnection and interworking, on the premise that there is an effective medical device integration (MDI) technology. To this end, this paper presents a MDI model based on the Internet of Things (IoT). Through abstract classification, this model is able to extract the common characteristics of the devices, resolve the heterogeneous differences between them, and employ a unified protocol to integrate data between devices. And by the IoT technology, it realizes interconnection network of devices and conducts associate matching

  11. Medical Device Integration Model Based on the Internet of Things.

    PubMed

    Hao, Aiyu; Wang, Ling

    2015-01-01

    At present, hospitals in our country have basically established the HIS system, which manages registration, treatment, and charge, among many others, of patients. During treatment, patients need to use medical devices repeatedly to acquire all sorts of inspection data. Currently, the output data of the medical devices are often manually input into information system, which is easy to get wrong or easy to cause mismatches between inspection reports and patients. For some small hospitals of which information construction is still relatively weak, the information generated by the devices is still presented in the form of paper reports. When doctors or patients want to have access to the data at a given time again, they can only look at the paper files. Data integration between medical devices has long been a difficult problem for the medical information system, because the data from medical devices are lack of mandatory unified global standards and have outstanding heterogeneity of devices. In order to protect their own interests, manufacturers use special protocols, etc., thus causing medical decices to still be the "lonely island" of hospital information system. Besides, unfocused application of the data will lead to failure to achieve a reasonable distribution of medical resources. With the deepening of IT construction in hospitals, medical information systems will be bound to develop towards mobile applications, intelligent analysis, and interconnection and interworking, on the premise that there is an effective medical device integration (MDI) technology. To this end, this paper presents a MDI model based on the Internet of Things (IoT). Through abstract classification, this model is able to extract the common characteristics of the devices, resolve the heterogeneous differences between them, and employ a unified protocol to integrate data between devices. And by the IoT technology, it realizes interconnection network of devices and conducts associate matching

  12. Biocompatibility: meeting a key functional requirement of next-generation medical devices.

    PubMed

    Helmus, Michael N; Gibbons, Donald F; Cebon, David

    2008-01-01

    The array of polymeric, biologic, metallic, and ceramic biomaterials will be reviewed with respect to their biocompatibility, which has traditionally been viewed as a requirement to develop a safe medical device. With the emergence of combination products, a paradigm shift is occurring that now requires biocompatibility to be designed into the device. In fact, next-generation medical devices will require enhanced biocompatibility by using, for example, pharmacological agents, bioactive coatings, nano-textures, or hybrid systems containing cells that control biologic interactions to have desirable biologic outcomes. The concept of biocompatibility is moving from a "do no harm" mission (i.e., nontoxic, nonantigenic, nonmutagenic, etc.) to one of doing "good," that is, encouraging positive healing responses. These new devices will promote the formation of normal healthy tissue as well as the integration of the device into adjacent tissue. In some contexts, biocompatibility can become a disruptive technology that can change therapeutic paradigms (e.g., drug-coated stents). New database tools to access biocompatibility data of the materials of construction in existing medical devices will facilitate the use of existing and new biomaterials for new medical device designs.

  13. MEDIC: medical embedded device for individualized care.

    PubMed

    Wu, Winston H; Bui, Alex A T; Batalin, Maxim A; Au, Lawrence K; Binney, Jonathan D; Kaiser, William J

    2008-02-01

    Presented work highlights the development and initial validation of a medical embedded device for individualized care (MEDIC), which is based on a novel software architecture, enabling sensor management and disease prediction capabilities, and commercially available microelectronic components, sensors and conventional personal digital assistant (PDA) (or a cell phone). In this paper, we present a general architecture for a wearable sensor system that can be customized to an individual patient's needs. This architecture is based on embedded artificial intelligence that permits autonomous operation, sensor management and inference, and may be applied to a general purpose wearable medical diagnostics. A prototype of the system has been developed based on a standard PDA and wireless sensor nodes equipped with commercially available Bluetooth radio components, permitting real-time streaming of high-bandwidth data from various physiological and contextual sensors. We also present the results of abnormal gait diagnosis using the complete system from our evaluation, and illustrate how the wearable system and its operation can be remotely configured and managed by either enterprise systems or medical personnel at centralized locations. By using commercially available hardware components and software architecture presented in this paper, the MEDIC system can be rapidly configured, providing medical researchers with broadband sensor data from remote patients and platform access to best adapt operation for diagnostic operation objectives.

  14. Virtual Humans for Implantable Device Safety Assessment in MRI: Mitigating Magnetic Resonance Imaging Hazards for Implanted Medical Devices.

    PubMed

    Brown, James E; Qiang, Rui; Stadnik, Paul J; Stotts, Larry J; Von Arx, Jeffrey A

    2017-01-01

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the preferred modality for soft tissue imaging because of its nonionizing radiation and lack of contrast agent. Due to interactions between the MR system and active implantable medical devices (AIMDs), patients with implants such as pacemakers are generally denied access to MRI, which presents a detriment to that population. It has been estimated that 50-75% of patients with a cardiac device were denied access to MRI scanning and, moreover, that 17% of pacemaker patients need an MRI within 12 months of implantation [1]. In recent years, AIMD manufacturers, such as Biotronik, have assessed the conditional safety of devices in MRI.

  15. Case outsourcing medical device reprocessing.

    PubMed

    Haley, Deborah

    2004-04-01

    IN THE INTEREST OF SAVING MONEY, many hospitals are considering extending the life of some single-use medical devices by using medical device reprocessing programs. FACILITIES OFTEN LACK the resources required to meet the US Food and Drug Administration's tough quality assurance standards. BY OUTSOURCING, hospitals can reap the benefits of medical device reprocessing without assuming additional staffing and compliance burdens. OUTSOURCING enables hospitals to implement a medical device reprocessing program quickly, with no capital investment and minimal effort.

  16. Medical applications for pharmacists using mobile devices.

    PubMed

    Aungst, Timothy Dy

    2013-01-01

    Mobile devices (eg, smartphones, tablet computers) have become ubiquitous and subsequently there has been a growth in mobile applications (apps). Concurrently, mobile devices have been integrated into health care practice due to the availability and quality of medical apps. These mobile medical apps offer increased access to clinical references and point-of-care tools. However, there has been little identification of mobile medical apps suitable for the practice of pharmacy. To address the shortage of recommendations of mobile medical apps for pharmacists in daily practice. Mobile medical apps were identified via the iTunes and Google Play Stores via the "Medical" app categories and key word searches (eg, drug information, medical calculators). In addition, reviews provided by professional mobile medical app review websites were used to identify apps. Mobile medical apps were included if they had been updated in the previous 3 months, were available in the US, used evidence-based information or literature support, had dedicated app support, and demonstrated stability. Exclusion criteria included apps that were not available in English, had advertisement bias, used nonreferenced sources, were available only via an institution-only subscription, and were web-based portals. Twenty-seven mobile apps were identified and reviewed that involved general pharmacy practice, including apps that involved drug references, clinical references, medical calculators, laboratory references, news and continuing medical education, and productivity. Mobile medical apps have a variety of features that are beneficial to pharmacy practice. Individual clinicians should consider several characteristics of these apps to determine which are suitable to incorporate into their daily practice.

  17. Candida Infections of Medical Devices

    PubMed Central

    Kojic, Erna M.; Darouiche, Rabih O.

    2004-01-01

    The number of indwelling medical devices is escalating, and an increasing proportion of device-related infections are being caused by Candida spp. Candida spp. produce biofilms on synthetic materials, which facilitates adhesion of the organisms to devices and renders them relatively refractory to medical therapy. Management of device-related Candida infections can be challenging. Removal of the infected device is generally needed to establish cure of Candida infections of medical devices. However, since the pathogenesis of Candida bloodstream infection is complicated, more studies are necessary to determine the role of catheter exchange in patients with both gastrointestinal tract mucositis and indwelling catheters. The medical and economic impact of these infections is enormous. PMID:15084500

  18. [Medical Devices Law for pain therapists].

    PubMed

    Regner, M; Sabatowski, R

    2016-08-01

    Medical Devices Law is a relatively new legal system, which has replaced the Medical Devices Regulations still well-known in Germany. German Medical Devices Law is based on European directives, which are, in turn, incorporated into national law by the Medical Devices Act. The Medical Devices Act is a framework law and covers a number of regulations that address specific topics within Medical Devices Law. In turn, in individual regulations, reference is made to guidelines, recommendations, etc. from other sources that provide detailed technical information on specific topics. Medical Devices Law is a very complex legal system, which needs to be permanently observed due to constant updating and adjustment. In the current article, the design and the structure of the system will be described, but special emphasis will be laid on important problem areas that need to be considered when applying and operating medical products, in this case by pain therapists in particular.

  19. Bringing patient centricity to diabetes medication access in Canada

    PubMed Central

    Glennie, Judith L; Kovacs Burns, Katharina; Oh, Paul

    2016-01-01

    Canada must become proactive in addressing type 2 diabetes. With the second highest rate of diabetes prevalence in the developed world, the number of Canadians living with diabetes will soon reach epidemic levels. Against international comparisons, Canada also performs poorly with respect to diabetes-related hospitalizations, mortality rates, and access to medications. Diabetes and its comorbidities pose a significant burden on people with diabetes (PWD) and their families, through out-of-pocket expenses for medications, devices, supplies, and the support needed to manage their illness. Rising direct and indirect costs of diabetes will become a drain on Canada’s economy and undermine the financial stability of our health care system. Canada’s approach to diabetes medication assessment and funding has created a patchwork of medication access across provinces. Access to treatments for those who rely on public programs is highly restricted compared to Canadians with private drug plans, as well in contrast with public payers in other countries. Each person living with diabetes has different needs, so a “patient-centric” approach ensures treatment focused on individual circumstances. Such tailoring is difficult to achieve, with the linear approach required by public payers. We may be undermining optimal care for PWD because of access policies that are not aligned with individualized approaches – and increasing overall health care costs in the process. The scope of Canada’s diabetes challenge demands holistic and proactive solutions. Canada needs to get out from “behind the eight ball” and get “ahead of the curve” when it comes to diabetes care. Improving access to medications is one of the tools for getting there. Canada’s “call to action” for diabetes starts with effective implementation of existing best practices. A personalized approach to medication access, to meet individual needs and optimize outcomes, is also a key enabler. PWD and

  20. A service protocol for post-processing of medical images on the mobile device

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    He, Longjun; Ming, Xing; Xu, Lang; Liu, Qian

    2014-03-01

    With computing capability and display size growing, the mobile device has been used as a tool to help clinicians view patient information and medical images anywhere and anytime. It is uneasy and time-consuming for transferring medical images with large data size from picture archiving and communication system to mobile client, since the wireless network is unstable and limited by bandwidth. Besides, limited by computing capability, memory and power endurance, it is hard to provide a satisfactory quality of experience for radiologists to handle some complex post-processing of medical images on the mobile device, such as real-time direct interactive three-dimensional visualization. In this work, remote rendering technology is employed to implement the post-processing of medical images instead of local rendering, and a service protocol is developed to standardize the communication between the render server and mobile client. In order to make mobile devices with different platforms be able to access post-processing of medical images, the Extensible Markup Language is taken to describe this protocol, which contains four main parts: user authentication, medical image query/ retrieval, 2D post-processing (e.g. window leveling, pixel values obtained) and 3D post-processing (e.g. maximum intensity projection, multi-planar reconstruction, curved planar reformation and direct volume rendering). And then an instance is implemented to verify the protocol. This instance can support the mobile device access post-processing of medical image services on the render server via a client application or on the web page.

  1. Management information system of medical equipment using mobile devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Núñez, C.; Castro, D.

    2011-09-01

    The large numbers of technologies currently incorporated into mobile devices transform them into excellent tools for capture and to manage the information, because of the increasing computing power and storage that allow to add many miscellaneous applications. In order to obtain benefits of these technologies, in the biomedical engineering field, it was developed a mobile information system for medical equipment management. The central platform for the system it's a mobile phone, which by a connection with a web server, it's capable to send and receive information relative to any medical equipment. Decoding a type of barcodes, known as QR-Codes, the management process is simplified and improved. These barcodes identified the medical equipments in a database, when these codes are photographed and decoded with the mobile device, you can access to relevant information about the medical equipment in question. This Project in it's actual state is a basic support tool for the maintenance of medical equipment. It is also a modern alternative, competitive and economic in the actual market.

  2. [Risk management for medical devices].

    PubMed

    Xie, Ying-jie; Xu, Xing-gang

    2007-07-01

    Based on the practices of the risk management activities by Chinese medical device manufacturers and theoretical study of the latest international standard ISO 14971:2007, this article analyses the risk management in medical device manufacturing industry by introducing the status quo of applications, four requirements at operational stages, and future trends of development. Methods and suggestions are therefore given to medical device manufacturers for risk management.

  3. Hacking medical devices a review - biomed 2013.

    PubMed

    Frenger, Paul

    2013-01-01

    Programmable, implantable and external biomedical devices (such as pacemakers, defibrillators, insulin pumps, pain management pumps, vagus nerve stimulators and others) may be vulnerable to unauthorized access, commonly referred to as “hacking”. This intrusion may lead to compromise of confidential patient data or loss of control of the device itself, which may be deadly. Risks to health from unauthorized access is in addition to hazards from faulty (“buggy”) software or circuitry. Historically, this aspect of medical device design has been underemphasized by both manufacturers and regulatory bodies until recently. However, an insulin pump was employed as a murder weapon in 2001 and successful hacking of an implantable defibrillator was demonstrated in 2008. To remedy these problems, professional groups have announced a variety of design standards and the governmental agencies of several countries have enacted device regulations. In turn, manufacturers have developed new software products and hardware circuits to assist biomedical engineering firms to improve their commercial offerings. In this paper the author discusses these issues, reviewing known problems and zero-day threats, with potential solutions. He outlines his approach to secure software and hardware challenges using the Forth language. A plausible scenario is described in which hacking of an implantable defibrillator by terrorists results in a severe national security threat to the United States.

  4. Effects of Medical Device Regulations on the Development of Stand-Alone Medical Software: A Pilot Study.

    PubMed

    Blagec, Kathrin; Jungwirth, David; Haluza, Daniela; Samwald, Matthias

    2018-01-01

    Medical device regulations which aim to ensure safety standards do not only apply to hardware devices but also to standalone medical software, e.g. mobile apps. To explore the effects of these regulations on the development and distribution of medical standalone software. We invited a convenience sample of 130 domain experts to participate in an online survey about the impact of current regulations on the development and distribution of medical standalone software. 21 respondents completed the questionnaire. Participants reported slight positive effects on usability, reliability, and data security of their products, whereas the ability to modify already deployed software and customization by end users were negatively impacted. The additional time and costs needed to go through the regulatory process were perceived as the greatest obstacles in developing and distributing medical software. Further research is needed to compare positive effects on software quality with negative impacts on market access and innovation. Strategies for avoiding over-regulation while still ensuring safety standards need to be devised.

  5. Security mechanism based on Hospital Authentication Server for secure application of implantable medical devices.

    PubMed

    Park, Chang-Seop

    2014-01-01

    After two recent security attacks against implantable medical devices (IMDs) have been reported, the privacy and security risks of IMDs have been widely recognized in the medical device market and research community, since the malfunctioning of IMDs might endanger the patient's life. During the last few years, a lot of researches have been carried out to address the security-related issues of IMDs, including privacy, safety, and accessibility issues. A physician accesses IMD through an external device called a programmer, for diagnosis and treatment. Hence, cryptographic key management between IMD and programmer is important to enforce a strict access control. In this paper, a new security architecture for the security of IMDs is proposed, based on a 3-Tier security model, where the programmer interacts with a Hospital Authentication Server, to get permissions to access IMDs. The proposed security architecture greatly simplifies the key management between IMDs and programmers. Also proposed is a security mechanism to guarantee the authenticity of the patient data collected from IMD and the nonrepudiation of the physician's treatment based on it. The proposed architecture and mechanism are analyzed and compared with several previous works, in terms of security and performance.

  6. Security Mechanism Based on Hospital Authentication Server for Secure Application of Implantable Medical Devices

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    After two recent security attacks against implantable medical devices (IMDs) have been reported, the privacy and security risks of IMDs have been widely recognized in the medical device market and research community, since the malfunctioning of IMDs might endanger the patient's life. During the last few years, a lot of researches have been carried out to address the security-related issues of IMDs, including privacy, safety, and accessibility issues. A physician accesses IMD through an external device called a programmer, for diagnosis and treatment. Hence, cryptographic key management between IMD and programmer is important to enforce a strict access control. In this paper, a new security architecture for the security of IMDs is proposed, based on a 3-Tier security model, where the programmer interacts with a Hospital Authentication Server, to get permissions to access IMDs. The proposed security architecture greatly simplifies the key management between IMDs and programmers. Also proposed is a security mechanism to guarantee the authenticity of the patient data collected from IMD and the nonrepudiation of the physician's treatment based on it. The proposed architecture and mechanism are analyzed and compared with several previous works, in terms of security and performance. PMID:25276797

  7. MEDICAL DEVICE PRICES IN ECONOMIC EVALUATIONS.

    PubMed

    Akpinar, Ilke; Jacobs, Philip; Husereau, Don

    2015-01-01

    Economic evaluations, although not formally used in purchasing decisions for medical devices in Canada, are still being conducted and published. The aim of this study was to examine the way that prices have been included in Canadian economic evaluations of medical devices. We conducted a review of the economic concepts and implications of methods used for economic evaluations of the eleven most implanted medical devices from the Canadian perspective. We found Canadian economic studies for five of the eleven medical devices and identified nineteen Canadian studies. Overall, the device costs were important components of total procedure cost, with an average ratio of 44.1 %. Observational estimates of the device costs were obtained from buyers or sellers in 13 of the 19 studies. Although most of the devices last more than 1 year, standard costing methods for capital equipment was never used. In addition, only eight studies included a sensitivity analysis for the device cost. None of the sensitivity analyses were based on actual price distributions. Economic evaluations are potentially important for policy making, but although they are being conducted, there is no standardized approach for incorporating medical device prices in economic analyses. Our review provides suggestions for improvements in how the prices are incorporated for economic evaluations of medical devices.

  8. Medical device software: defining key terms.

    PubMed

    Pashkov, Vitalii; Gutorova, Nataliya; Harkusha, Andrii

    one of the areas of significant growth in medical devices has been the role of software - as an integral component of a medical device, as a standalone device and more recently as applications on mobile devices. The risk related to a malfunction of the standalone software used within healthcare is in itself not a criterion for its qualification or not as a medical device. It is therefore, necessary to clarify some criteria for the qualification of stand-alone software as medical devices Materials and methods: Ukrainian, European Union, United States of America legislation, Guidelines developed by European Commission and Food and Drug Administration's, recommendations represented by international voluntary group and scientific works. This article is based on dialectical, comparative, analytic, synthetic and comprehensive research methods. the legal regulation of software which is used for medical purpose in Ukraine limited to one definition. In European Union and United States of America were developed and applying special guidelines that help developers, manufactures and end users to difference software on types standing on medical purpose criteria. Software becomes more and more incorporated into medical devices. Developers and manufacturers may not have initially appreciated potential risks to patients and users such situation could have dangerous results for patients or users. It is necessary to develop and adopt the legislation that will intend to define the criteria for the qualification of medical device software and the application of the classification criteria to such software, provide some illustrative examples and step by step recommendations to qualify software as medical device.

  9. 21 CFR 892.2020 - Medical image communications device.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Medical image communications device. 892.2020... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES RADIOLOGY DEVICES Diagnostic Devices § 892.2020 Medical image communications device. (a) Identification. A medical image communications device provides electronic transfer of medical...

  10. 21 CFR 892.2020 - Medical image communications device.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Medical image communications device. 892.2020... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES RADIOLOGY DEVICES Diagnostic Devices § 892.2020 Medical image communications device. (a) Identification. A medical image communications device provides electronic transfer of medical...

  11. 21 CFR 892.2020 - Medical image communications device.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Medical image communications device. 892.2020... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES RADIOLOGY DEVICES Diagnostic Devices § 892.2020 Medical image communications device. (a) Identification. A medical image communications device provides electronic transfer of medical...

  12. 21 CFR 892.2020 - Medical image communications device.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Medical image communications device. 892.2020... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES RADIOLOGY DEVICES Diagnostic Devices § 892.2020 Medical image communications device. (a) Identification. A medical image communications device provides electronic transfer of medical...

  13. 21 CFR 892.2040 - Medical image hardcopy device.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Medical image hardcopy device. 892.2040 Section... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES RADIOLOGY DEVICES Diagnostic Devices § 892.2040 Medical image hardcopy device. (a) Identification. A medical image hardcopy device is a device that produces a visible printed record of a medical...

  14. 21 CFR 892.2040 - Medical image hardcopy device.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Medical image hardcopy device. 892.2040 Section... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES RADIOLOGY DEVICES Diagnostic Devices § 892.2040 Medical image hardcopy device. (a) Identification. A medical image hardcopy device is a device that produces a visible printed record of a medical...

  15. 21 CFR 892.2040 - Medical image hardcopy device.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Medical image hardcopy device. 892.2040 Section... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES RADIOLOGY DEVICES Diagnostic Devices § 892.2040 Medical image hardcopy device. (a) Identification. A medical image hardcopy device is a device that produces a visible printed record of a medical...

  16. 21 CFR 892.2040 - Medical image hardcopy device.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Medical image hardcopy device. 892.2040 Section... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES RADIOLOGY DEVICES Diagnostic Devices § 892.2040 Medical image hardcopy device. (a) Identification. A medical image hardcopy device is a device that produces a visible printed record of a medical...

  17. [Consideration of Mobile Medical Device Regulation].

    PubMed

    Peng, Liang; Yang, Pengfei; He, Weigang

    2015-07-01

    The regulation of mobile medical devices is one of the hot topics in the industry now. The definition, regulation scope and requirements, potential risks of mobile medical devices were analyzed and discussed based on mobile computing techniques and the FDA guidance of mobile medical applications. The regulation work of mobile medical devices in China needs to adopt the risk-based method.

  18. Formal verification of software-based medical devices considering medical guidelines.

    PubMed

    Daw, Zamira; Cleaveland, Rance; Vetter, Marcus

    2014-01-01

    Software-based devices have increasingly become an important part of several clinical scenarios. Due to their critical impact on human life, medical devices have very strict safety requirements. It is therefore necessary to apply verification methods to ensure that the safety requirements are met. Verification of software-based devices is commonly limited to the verification of their internal elements without considering the interaction that these elements have with other devices as well as the application environment in which they are used. Medical guidelines define clinical procedures, which contain the necessary information to completely verify medical devices. The objective of this work was to incorporate medical guidelines into the verification process in order to increase the reliability of the software-based medical devices. Medical devices are developed using the model-driven method deterministic models for signal processing of embedded systems (DMOSES). This method uses unified modeling language (UML) models as a basis for the development of medical devices. The UML activity diagram is used to describe medical guidelines as workflows. The functionality of the medical devices is abstracted as a set of actions that is modeled within these workflows. In this paper, the UML models are verified using the UPPAAL model-checker. For this purpose, a formalization approach for the UML models using timed automaton (TA) is presented. A set of requirements is verified by the proposed approach for the navigation-guided biopsy. This shows the capability for identifying errors or optimization points both in the workflow and in the system design of the navigation device. In addition to the above, an open source eclipse plug-in was developed for the automated transformation of UML models into TA models that are automatically verified using UPPAAL. The proposed method enables developers to model medical devices and their clinical environment using clinical workflows as one

  19. Legislation to regulate medical devices.

    PubMed

    Harris, M

    1975-01-01

    The history of medical device regulation began with the need to rid the marketplace of bogus inventions which were either harmful in themselves or harmful because they delayed meaningful treatment of illness. Since World War II, sophistication in medical technology and development of electronic and other types of medical devices has created a new need for regulation of safety and performance of devices used to cure and mitigate disease in man. The 1938 amendments to the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act gave FDA authority over labeling and advertising of devices, enforceable only after devices were marketed. In 1969 a study by an HEW commission documented the need for further legislation. The commission recommended three categories of medical devices: those requiring premarket clearance or scientific review, those for which standards could be established to protect the public, and those which are generally recognized as safe and for which nor standards would be necessary. In 1974 the Senate unanimously approved Senator Kennedy's "Medical Device Amendments of 1973" legislation which fulfills the recommendations of the HEW commission report. The House of Representatives failed to pass their version of the legislation in the 93rd Congress. Senator Kennedy re-introduced the bill in the 94th Congress and it passed the Senate in April 1975. Representative Rogers re-introduced an amended bill. The bill is expected to become law in 1975.

  20. 21 CFR 880.6310 - Medical device data system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... medical device data; (ii) The electronic storage of medical device data; (iii) The electronic conversion... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Medical device data system. 880.6310 Section 880... Devices § 880.6310 Medical device data system. (a) Identification. (1) A medical device data system (MDDS...

  1. 21 CFR 880.6310 - Medical device data system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... medical device data; (ii) The electronic storage of medical device data; (iii) The electronic conversion... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Medical device data system. 880.6310 Section 880... Devices § 880.6310 Medical device data system. (a) Identification. (1) A medical device data system (MDDS...

  2. 21 CFR 880.6310 - Medical device data system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... medical device data; (ii) The electronic storage of medical device data; (iii) The electronic conversion... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Medical device data system. 880.6310 Section 880... Devices § 880.6310 Medical device data system. (a) Identification. (1) A medical device data system (MDDS...

  3. 21 CFR 880.6310 - Medical device data system.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... medical device data; (ii) The electronic storage of medical device data; (iii) The electronic conversion... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Medical device data system. 880.6310 Section 880... Devices § 880.6310 Medical device data system. (a) Identification. (1) A medical device data system (MDDS...

  4. Medical device development.

    PubMed

    Panescu, Dorin

    2009-01-01

    The development of a successful medical product requires not only engineering design efforts, but also clinical, regulatory, marketing and business expertise. This paper reviews items related to the process of designing medical devices. It discusses the steps required to take a medical product idea from concept, through development, verification and validation, regulatory approvals and market release.

  5. 21 CFR 892.2010 - Medical image storage device.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Medical image storage device. 892.2010 Section 892...) MEDICAL DEVICES RADIOLOGY DEVICES Diagnostic Devices § 892.2010 Medical image storage device. (a) Identification. A medical image storage device is a device that provides electronic storage and retrieval...

  6. 21 CFR 892.2010 - Medical image storage device.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Medical image storage device. 892.2010 Section 892...) MEDICAL DEVICES RADIOLOGY DEVICES Diagnostic Devices § 892.2010 Medical image storage device. (a) Identification. A medical image storage device is a device that provides electronic storage and retrieval...

  7. 21 CFR 892.2010 - Medical image storage device.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Medical image storage device. 892.2010 Section 892...) MEDICAL DEVICES RADIOLOGY DEVICES Diagnostic Devices § 892.2010 Medical image storage device. (a) Identification. A medical image storage device is a device that provides electronic storage and retrieval...

  8. 21 CFR 892.2010 - Medical image storage device.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Medical image storage device. 892.2010 Section 892...) MEDICAL DEVICES RADIOLOGY DEVICES Diagnostic Devices § 892.2010 Medical image storage device. (a) Identification. A medical image storage device is a device that provides electronic storage and retrieval...

  9. 21 CFR 892.2010 - Medical image storage device.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Medical image storage device. 892.2010 Section 892...) MEDICAL DEVICES RADIOLOGY DEVICES Diagnostic Devices § 892.2010 Medical image storage device. (a) Identification. A medical image storage device is a device that provides electronic storage and retrieval...

  10. The new collaborative path in medical device development: the medical device innovation consortium.

    PubMed

    Kampfrath, Thomas; Cotten, Steven W

    2013-10-01

    The United States medical device market is the world's largest with over $100 billion in sales in 2011. Despite robust industry growth, the efficiency of the FDA approval process for moderate-risk (Class II) and high-risk devices (Class III) requiring 510(k) submission or pre-market approval (PMA) has been criticized. Recently, the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) announced the creation of a Medical Device Innovation Consortium (MDIC), a public-private partnership (PPP) to share knowledge in regulatory science. Overarching goals include creating a forum for the exchange of ideas among the FDA, industry, and non-profit entities; providing monetary investments for project proposals prioritized by key working groups; and developing tools that support cost effective innovation, data-driven methodology, and implementation strategies. Clinical chemists and clinical laboratory scientists have several unique opportunities to contribute to the MDIC. These laboratory professionals have invaluable experience with the real-life performance of a variety of medical devices and their expertise can recognize unmet needs and contribute towards the acceleration of device development. Copyright © 2013 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Features and selection of vascular access devices.

    PubMed

    Sansivero, Gail Egan

    2010-05-01

    To review venous anatomy and physiology, discuss assessment parameters before vascular access device (VAD) placement, and review VAD options. Journal articles, personal experience. A number of VAD options are available in clinical practice. Access planning should include comprehensive assessment, with attention to patient participation in the planning and selection process. Careful consideration should be given to long-term access needs and preservation of access sites. Oncology nurses are uniquely suited to perform a key role in VAD planning and placement. With knowledge of infusion therapy, anatomy and physiology, device options, and community resources, nurses can be key leaders in preserving vascular access and improving the safety and comfort of infusion therapy. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. The economic evaluation of medical devices: challenges.

    PubMed

    Kingkaew, Pritaporn; Teerawattananon, Yot

    2014-05-01

    While many of the principles that guide the economic evaluation of medical devices are somewhat similar to those that guide the evaluation of other health technologies, most outline a methodology that focuses on pharmaceutical products rather providing specific guidance for medical devices. Given that medical devices use a wide range of technologies and can be used for many purposes, conducting an economic analysis for medical devices is not straightforward. The cost and effectiveness of a given technology may depend on a number of factors. The objective of this paper is to provide a summary of issues that need to be addressed before undertaking an economic evaluation of medical devices and to outline a number of suggested approaches for undertaking an economic evaluation of medical devices.

  13. 77 FR 6915 - Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-02-09

    ... Israel Deaconess Medical Center (October 22, 2009) accessible facilities and accessible medical equipment... of types of accessible medical equipment required in different types of health care facilities. If... facilities, accessible medical equipment, and auxiliary aids and services; University of Southern California...

  14. 77 FR 50113 - ASTM International-Food and Drug Administration Workshop on Absorbable Medical Devices: Lessons...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-20

    ... telephone number. Those without Internet access should contact Maureen Dreher or Erica Takai to register... participants will be sent technical system requirements after registration and will be sent connection access... approximately 45 days after the public workshop on the Internet at http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/NewsEvents...

  15. OR.NET RT: how service-oriented medical device architecture meets real-time communication.

    PubMed

    Pfeiffer, Jonas H; Kasparick, Martin; Strathen, Benjamin; Dietz, Christian; Dingler, Max E; Lueth, Tim C; Timmermann, Dirk; Radermacher, Klaus; Golatowski, Frank

    2018-02-23

    Today's landscape of medical devices is dominated by stand-alone systems and proprietary interfaces lacking cross-vendor interoperability. This complicates or even impedes the innovation of novel, intelligent assistance systems relying on the collaboration of medical devices. Emerging approaches use the service-oriented architecture (SOA) paradigm based on Internet protocol (IP) to enable communication between medical devices. While this works well for scenarios with no or only soft timing constraints, the underlying best-effort communication scheme is insufficient for time critical data. Real-time (RT) networks are able to reliably guarantee fixed latency boundaries, for example, by using time division multiple access (TDMA) communication patterns. However, deterministic RT networks come with their own limitations such as tedious, inflexible configuration and a more restricted bandwidth allocation. In this contribution we overcome the drawbacks of both approaches by describing and implementing mechanisms that allow the two networks to interact. We introduce the first implementation of a medical device network that offers hard RT guarantees for control and sensor data and integrates into SOA networks. Based on two application examples we show how the flexibility of SOA networks and the reliability of RT networks can be combined to achieve an open network infrastructure for medical devices in the operating room (OR).

  16. The Tablet Device in Hospital Neurology and in Neurology Graduate Medical Education

    PubMed Central

    Newey, Christopher R.; Bhimraj, Adarsh

    2015-01-01

    Background and Purpose: There is limited literature on tablet devices for neurohospitalists and in neurological graduate medical education. This study evaluated utilization, benefits, and limitations of customized tablets on inpatient neurology practice and resident education. The hypothesis was the perception of the tablet would be positive, given their portability, convenience to accessing point-of-care reference, and accessibility to the electronic medical record. Methods: Second-generation iPads with neurology-specific applications and literature were provided to our in-hospital general, stroke, and consult neurology teams. After 1 year, residents on these teams were surveyed on demographic data, familiarity, and utilization of the iPad and their perceptions of the device. Results: All 27 residents responded to the survey. Most participants (23 of 27) used a tablet while on inpatient service. Twelve regularly utilized the neurology-specific apps and/or accessed scientific articles. Technologically savvy residents felt significantly more comfortable using tablets and were more quickly acquainted with the features. Thirteen respondents wanted a formal orientation on the advanced features of the tablet independent of their familiarity with the device or level of technological comfort. Conclusion: Overall, the perception was that the tablet was beneficial for inpatient clinical care and as an educational reference. Participants became easily familiarized with the device features quickly, regardless of whether they owned one previously or not. Most physicians indicated interest in advanced features of tablets; however, a formal orientation may be beneficial for optimal utilization. A reliable network connection is essential to in-hospital use of tablet devices. Additional research pertaining to patient outcomes, objective educational benefit, and cost-effectiveness is necessary. PMID:25553224

  17. Using Zigbee to integrate medical devices.

    PubMed

    Frehill, Paul; Chambers, Desmond; Rotariu, Cosmin

    2007-01-01

    Wirelessly enabling Medical Devices such as Vital Signs Monitors, Ventilators and Infusion Pumps allows central data collection. This paper discusses how data from these types of devices can be integrated into hospital systems using wireless sensor networking technology. By integrating devices you are protecting investment and opening up the possibility of networking with similar devices. In this context we present how Zigbee meets our requirements for bandwidth, power, security and mobility. We have examined the data throughputs for various medical devices, the requirement of data frequency, security of patient data and the logistics of moving patients while connected to devices. The paper describes a new tested architecture that allows this data to be seamlessly integrated into a User Interface or Healthcare Information System (HIS). The design supports the dynamic addition of new medical devices to the system that were previously unsupported by the system. To achieve this, the hardware design is kept generic and the software interface for different types of medical devices is well defined. These devices can also share the wireless resources with other types of sensors being developed in conjunction on this project such as wireless ECG (Electrocardiogram) and Pulse-Oximetry sensors.

  18. Innovation and the medical devices Farady partnership.

    PubMed

    Tavakoli, M; Dunkerton, S B

    2005-06-01

    Demand for development of new generation medical devices has led many governments to support medical-sector research. In the United Kingdom, the Medical Devices Faraday Partnership was created to establish a collaborative network that would enhance the transfer of good ideas into new products and processes. The services it offers medical device manufacturers are outlined here.

  19. Body Implanted Medical Device Communications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yazdandoost, Kamya Yekeh; Kohno, Ryuji

    The medical care day by day and more and more is associated with and reliant upon concepts and advances of electronics and electromagnetics. Numerous medical devices are implanted in the body for medical use. Tissue implanted devices are of great interest for wireless medical applications due to the promising of different clinical usage to promote a patient independence. It can be used in hospitals, health care facilities and home to transmit patient measurement data, such as pulse and respiration rates to a nearby receiver, permitting greater patient mobility and increased comfort. As this service permits remote monitoring of several patients simultaneously it could also potentially decrease health care costs. Advancement in radio frequency communications and miniaturization of bioelectronics are supporting medical implant applications. A central component of wireless implanted device is an antenna and there are several issues to consider when designing an in-body antenna, including power consumption, size, frequency, biocompatibility and the unique RF transmission challenges posed by the human body. The radiation characteristics of such devices are important in terms of both safety and performance. The implanted antenna and human body as a medium for wireless communication are discussed over Medical Implant Communications Service (MICS) band in the frequency range of 402-405MHz.

  20. 75 FR 35439 - Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-22

    ... ARCHITECTURAL AND TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS COMPLIANCE BOARD Medical Diagnostic Equipment... accessibility standards for medical diagnostic equipment to ensure that such equipment is accessible to, and... respect to medical diagnostic equipment and existing guidance for designing accessible medical diagnostic...

  1. Creating a mobile subject guide to improve access to point-of-care resources for medical students: a case study.

    PubMed

    Boruff, Jill T; Bilodeau, Edward

    2012-01-01

    Can a mobile optimized subject guide facilitate medical student access to mobile point-of-care tools? The guide was created at a library at a research-intensive university with six teaching hospital sites. The team created a guide facilitating medical student access to point-of-care tools directly on mobile devices to provide information allowing them to access and set up resources with little assistance. Two librarians designed a mobile optimized subject guide for medicine and conducted a survey to test its usefulness. Web analytics and survey results demonstrate that the guide is used and the students are satisfied. The library will continue to use the subject guide as its primary means of supporting mobile devices. It remains to be seen if the mobile guide facilitates access for those who do not need assistance and want direct access to the resources. Internet access in the hospitals remains an issue.

  2. A medical application integrating remote 3D visualization tools to access picture archiving and communication system on mobile devices.

    PubMed

    He, Longjun; Ming, Xing; Liu, Qian

    2014-04-01

    With computing capability and display size growing, the mobile device has been used as a tool to help clinicians view patient information and medical images anywhere and anytime. However, for direct interactive 3D visualization, which plays an important role in radiological diagnosis, the mobile device cannot provide a satisfactory quality of experience for radiologists. This paper developed a medical system that can get medical images from the picture archiving and communication system on the mobile device over the wireless network. In the proposed application, the mobile device got patient information and medical images through a proxy server connecting to the PACS server. Meanwhile, the proxy server integrated a range of 3D visualization techniques, including maximum intensity projection, multi-planar reconstruction and direct volume rendering, to providing shape, brightness, depth and location information generated from the original sectional images for radiologists. Furthermore, an algorithm that changes remote render parameters automatically to adapt to the network status was employed to improve the quality of experience. Finally, performance issues regarding the remote 3D visualization of the medical images over the wireless network of the proposed application were also discussed. The results demonstrated that this proposed medical application could provide a smooth interactive experience in the WLAN and 3G networks.

  3. Accessible Collaborative Learning Using Mobile Devices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wald, Mike; Li, Yunjia; Draffan, E. A.

    2014-01-01

    This paper describes accessible collaborative learning using mobile devices with mobile enhancements to Synote, the freely available, award winning, open source, web based application that makes web hosted recordings easier to access, search, manage, and exploit for all learners, teachers and other users. Notes taken live during lectures using…

  4. Potential GPRS 900/180-MHz and WCDMA 1900-MHz interference to medical devices.

    PubMed

    Iskra, Steve; Thomas, Barry W; McKenzie, Ray; Rowley, Jack

    2007-10-01

    This study compared the potential for interference to medical devices from radio frequency (RF) fields radiated by GSM 900/1800-MHz, general packet radio service (GPRS) 900/1800-MHz, and wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) 1900-MHz handsets. The study used a balanced half-wave dipole antenna, which was energized with a signal at the standard power level for each technology, and then brought towards the medical device while noting the distance at which interference became apparent. Additional testing was performed with signals that comply with the requirements of the international immunity standard to RF fields, IEC 61000-4-3. The testing provides a sense of the overall interference impact that GPRS and WCDMA (frequency division duplex) may have, relative to current mobile technologies, and to the internationally recognized standard for radiated RF immunity. Ten medical devices were tested: two pulse oximeters, a blood pressure monitor, a patient monitor, a humidifier, three models of cardiac defibrillator, and two models of infusion pump. Our conclusion from this and a related study on consumer devices is that WCDMA handsets are unlikely to be a significant interference threat to medical electronics at typical separation distances.

  5. 5 CFR 297.205 - Access to medical records.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Access to medical records. 297.205... PROCEDURES FOR PERSONNEL RECORDS Request for Access § 297.205 Access to medical records. When a request for access involves medical or psychological records that the system manager believes requires special...

  6. 5 CFR 297.205 - Access to medical records.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Access to medical records. 297.205... PROCEDURES FOR PERSONNEL RECORDS Request for Access § 297.205 Access to medical records. When a request for access involves medical or psychological records that the system manager believes requires special...

  7. 5 CFR 297.205 - Access to medical records.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Access to medical records. 297.205... PROCEDURES FOR PERSONNEL RECORDS Request for Access § 297.205 Access to medical records. When a request for access involves medical or psychological records that the system manager believes requires special...

  8. Gastroenterology-urology devices; reclassification of implanted blood access devices. Final rule.

    PubMed

    2014-07-25

    The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is issuing a final order to reclassify implanted blood access devices, a preamendments class III device, into class II (special controls) based on new information and subject to premarket notification and to further clarify the identification.

  9. Creating a mobile subject guide to improve access to point-of-care resources for medical students: a case study

    PubMed Central

    Boruff, Jill T; Bilodeau, Edward

    2012-01-01

    Question: Can a mobile optimized subject guide facilitate medical student access to mobile point-of-care tools? Setting: The guide was created at a library at a research-intensive university with six teaching hospital sites. Objectives: The team created a guide facilitating medical student access to point-of-care tools directly on mobile devices to provide information allowing them to access and set up resources with little assistance. Methods: Two librarians designed a mobile optimized subject guide for medicine and conducted a survey to test its usefulness. Results: Web analytics and survey results demonstrate that the guide is used and the students are satisfied. Conclusion: The library will continue to use the subject guide as its primary means of supporting mobile devices. It remains to be seen if the mobile guide facilitates access for those who do not need assistance and want direct access to the resources. Internet access in the hospitals remains an issue. PMID:22272160

  10. 21 CFR 892.2020 - Medical image communications device.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Medical image communications device. 892.2020 Section 892.2020 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES RADIOLOGY DEVICES Diagnostic Devices § 892.2020 Medical image communications...

  11. 20 CFR 401.55 - Access to medical records.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Access to medical records. 401.55 Section 401... INFORMATION The Privacy Act § 401.55 Access to medical records. (a) General. You have a right to access your medical records, including any psychological information that we maintain. (b) Medical records procedures...

  12. Protecting and securing networked medical devices.

    PubMed

    Riha, Chris

    2004-01-01

    Designing, building, and maintaining a secure environment for medical devices is a critical component in health care technology management. This article will address several avenues to harden a health care information network to provide a secure enclave for medical devices.

  13. Medical adhesive-related skin injuries associated with vascular access.

    PubMed

    Hitchcock, Jan; Savine, Louise

    2017-04-27

    Establishing vascular access and preventing infection, both at insertion and during ongoing care is generally the top priority; the maintenance of optimal skin integrity is often a distant secondary consideration. Skin can react to different types of dressings or adhesives, or problems can arise relating to the securement of lines or the development of sensitivities to cleaning solutions. Clearly, these scenarios are not limited to the securement of vascular access devices; however, a patient with a long-term vascular access device may not have other options for vascular access, which makes this a very important and yet largely unrecognised area. A review of the limited literature that existed up to March 2015 showed it was typically concerned with skin tears connected with dressings and removal, and contact irritant dermatitis. The tissue viability team and vascular access team reviewed the current products associated with a typical vascular access dressing to ensure it was fit for purpose and where at all possible had good scientific literature for validation. The team worked proactively to recognise those patients at risk with the early identification of potential medical adhesive-related skin injuries (MARSI). To facilitate this an algorithm was developed that offers a step-by-step approach, clearly outlining what to do to prevent MARSI and its treatment should it develop. These reactions can result from other factors than the dressing alone, and an increase in these kinds of skin reaction in patients who are on chemotherapy regimens is being explored further. Through the implementation of an algorithm, education for both staff and patients and collaborative working between vascular access and tissue viability teams, a reduction in these phenomena has been seen despite an increasing number of at-risk patients.

  14. A novel network module for medical devices.

    PubMed

    Chen, Ping-Yu

    2008-01-01

    In order to allow medical devices to upload the vital signs to a server on a network without manually configuring for end-users, a new network module is proposed. The proposed network module, called Medical Hub (MH), functions as a bridge to fetch the data from all connecting medical devices, and then upload these data to the server. When powering on, the MH can immediately establish network configuration automatically. Network Address Translation (NAT) traversal is also supported by the MH with the UPnP Internet Gateway Device (IGD) methodology. Besides the network configuration, other configuration in the MH is automatically established by using the remote management protocol TR-069. On the other hand, a mechanism for updating software automatically according to the variant connected medical device is proposed. With this mechanism, newcome medical devices can be detected and supported by the MH without manual operation.

  15. 77 FR 14706 - Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-03-13

    ...-0003] RIN 3014-AA40 Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards AGENCY: Architectural and... for medical diagnostic equipment and issues raised in the public comments on the NPRM. The Access... accessibility standards for medical diagnostic equipment, in consultation with the Commissioner of the Food and...

  16. Certain aspects on medical devices software law regulation.

    PubMed

    Pashkov, Vitalii; Harkusha, Andrii

    some kind of easiness of entry in creating software products on various computing platforms has led to such products being made available perhaps without due consideration of potential risks to users and patients and the most valuable reason for this have been lack of regulatory clarity. Some key points on legal regulation of abovementioned sphere is a base of this study. Ukrainian legislation, European Union`s Guidelines on the qualification and classification of standalone software; Guidance for the Content of Premarket Submissions for Software Contained in Medical Devices that works in United States of America. Article is based on dialectical, comparative, analytic, synthetic and comprehensive research methods. in accordance with Ukrainian legislation, software that has a medical purpose could be a medical device. Ukrainian legislation which is established on European Union Medical Devices Directives divide all medical devices on classes. But there aren't any special recommendations or advices on classifications for software medical devices in Ukraine. It is necessary to develop and adopt guidelines on the qualification and classification of medical device software in Ukraine especially considering the harmonization of Ukrainian legislation with the EU legislation, develop special rules for the application of the national mark of conformity for medical device software and defined the « responsible organization » for the medical device software approval process.

  17. Medical device market in China.

    PubMed

    Boyer, Philip; Morshed, Bashir I; Mussivand, Tofy

    2015-06-01

    With China's growing old-age population and economic presence on the international stage, it has become important to evaluate its domestic and foreign market contribution to medical devices. Medical devices are instruments or apparatuses used in the prevention, rehabilitation, treatment, or knowledge generation with respect to disease or other abnormal conditions. This article provides information drawn from recent publications to describe the current state of the Chinese domestic market for medical devices and to define opportunities for foreign investment potential therein. Recent healthcare reforms implemented to meet rising demand due to an aging and migrating population are having a positive effect on market growth-a global market with a projected growth of 15% per year over the next decade. Copyright © 2015 International Center for Artificial Organs and Transplantation and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. Economic content in medical journal advertisements for medical devices and prescription drugs.

    PubMed

    Ackerly, D Clay; Glickman, Seth W; Schulman, Kevin A

    2010-01-01

    Previous studies of economic content in medical journal advertisements have not examined all types of economic content and have not included advertisements for medical devices. To examine trends in the economic content of medical device and pharmaceutical advertisements in medical journals. Three reviewers examined pharmaceutical and medical device advertisements in six leading medical journals from 1997 through 2006. Product characteristics, economic claims and evidence to support those claims were evaluated. Economic content appeared in 23.5% (561/2389) of pharmaceutical and device advertisements; 11.9% made market share claims and 12.7% made other economic claims. From 1997 through 2006, the percentage of medical device advertisements containing economic content declined from 26.7% to 6.7% (p = 0.02), whereas the percentage of pharmaceutical advertisements containing economic content remained stable (21.6-22.0%; p = 0.99). For pharmaceuticals, price claims declined significantly (15.7-4.2%; p < 0.01) and market share claims increased (2.8-11.5%; p = 0.09), and both consistently presented evidence (83% and 98%, respectively) while other types did not (e.g. 13.5% of formulary claims). Medical device economic claims differed from pharmaceutical economic claims; they made fewer market share claims (1.1% vs 12.8%) but more cost-effectiveness (6.5% vs 0.6%) and reimbursement (4.9% vs 0.8%) claims. Fewer than 2% of device advertisements with economic claims provided supporting evidence. The prevalence and type of economic content in pharmaceutical and device advertisements changed between 1997 and 2006, which may reflect evolving market dynamics, such as changes in reimbursement systems. Furthermore, the lack of supporting evidence in medical device advertisements and pharmaceutical formulary claims are potential areas of concern that require additional scrutiny by regulators and journal editors.

  19. Technology assessment of medical devices at the Center for Devices and Radiological Health.

    PubMed

    Kessler, L; Richter, K

    1998-09-25

    We reviewed the Food and Drug Administration's regulatory process for medical devices and described the issues that arise in assessing device safety and effectiveness during the postmarket period. The Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH), an organization within the Food and Drug Administration, has the legal authority and responsibility for ensuring that medical devices marketed in the United States are both reasonably safe and effective for their intended use. This is an enormous challenge given the diversity of medical devices and the large number of different types of devices on the market. Many scientific and regulatory activities are necessary to ensure device safety and effectiveness, including technology assessment, albeit in a manner quite different from that of conventional technology assessment. The basic approach taken at the CDRH to ensure device safety and effectiveness is to develop an understanding of the way in which a medical device works and how it will perform in clinical situations.

  20. 21 CFR 801.6 - Medical devices; misleading statements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Medical devices; misleading statements. 801.6 Section 801.6 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES LABELING General Labeling Provisions § 801.6 Medical devices; misleading...

  1. 21 CFR 801.6 - Medical devices; misleading statements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Medical devices; misleading statements. 801.6 Section 801.6 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES LABELING General Labeling Provisions § 801.6 Medical devices; misleading...

  2. Physician-industry cooperation in the medical device industry.

    PubMed

    Chatterji, Aaron K; Fabrizio, Kira R; Mitchell, Will; Schulman, Kevin A

    2008-01-01

    Anecdotal evidence suggests that innovative medical devices often arise from physicians' inventive activity, but no studies have documented the extent of such physician-engaged innovation. This paper uses patent data and the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile to provide evidence that physicians contribute to medical device innovation, accounting for almost 20 percent of approximately 26,000 medical device patents filed in the United States during 1990-1996. Moreover, two measures indicate that physician patents had more influence on subsequent inventive activity than nonphysician patents. This finding supports the maintenance of an open environment for physician-industry collaboration in the medical device discovery process.

  3. Legislative aspects of the development of medical devices.

    PubMed

    Marešová, Petra; Klímová, Blanka; Krejcar, Ondřej; Kuča, Kamil

    2015-09-01

    European industry of medical device technologies represents 30% of all worlds sales. New health technologies bring effective treatment approaches, help shorten stays in hospital1),bring better treatment results and accelerate rehabilitation which leads to the earlier patients recovery.Legislative aspects are one of the key areas influencing the speed of development of medical devices and their launching. The aim of this article is to specify current state of legislation in the development of medical devices in the European Union in comparison with the market leaders such as China, Japan and USA.The best established market of medical devices is in the USA. Both Japan and China follow the USA model. However, a non-professional code of ethics in China in some respect contributes to the decrease of quality of medical devices, while Japan as well as the EU countries try really hard to conform to all the regulations imposed on the manufacturing of medical devices.

  4. The Need to Apply Medical Device Informatics in Developing Standards for Safe Interoperable Medical Systems.

    PubMed

    Weininger, Sandy; Jaffe, Michael B; Goldman, Julian M

    2017-01-01

    Medical device and health information technology systems are increasingly interdependent with users demanding increased interoperability. Related safety standards must be developed taking into account these systems' perspective. In this article, we describe the current development of medical device standards and the need for these standards to address medical device informatics. Medical device information should be gathered from a broad range of clinical scenarios to lay the foundation for safe medical device interoperability. Five clinical examples show how medical device informatics principles, if applied in the development of medical device standards, could help facilitate the development of safe interoperable medical device systems. These examples illustrate the clinical implications of the failure to capture important signals and device attributes. We provide recommendations relating to the coordination between historically separate standards development groups, some of which focus on safety and effectiveness and others focus on health informatics. We identify the need for a shared understanding among stakeholders and describe organizational structures to promote cooperation such that device-to-device interactions and related safety information are considered during standards development.

  5. The Need to Apply Medical Device Informatics in Developing Standards for Safe Interoperable Medical Systems

    PubMed Central

    Weininger, Sandy; Jaffe, Michael B.; Goldman, Julian M

    2016-01-01

    Medical device and health information technology systems are increasingly interdependent with users demanding increased interoperability. Related safety standards must be developed taking into account this systems perspective. In this article we describe the current development of medical device standards and the need for these standards to address medical device informatics. Medical device information should be gathered from a broad range of clinical scenarios to lay the foundation for safe medical device interoperability. Five clinical examples show how medical device informatics principles, if applied in the development of medical device standards, could help facilitate the development of safe interoperable medical device systems. These examples illustrate the clinical implications of the failure to capture important signals and device attributes. We provide recommendations relating to the coordination between historically separate standards development groups; some which focus on safety and effectiveness, and others that focus on health informatics. We identify the need for a shared understanding among stakeholders and describe organizational structures to promote cooperation such that device-to-device interactions and related safety information are considered during standards development. PMID:27584685

  6. Regulatory science based approach in development of novel medical devices.

    PubMed

    Sakuma, Ichiro

    2015-08-01

    For development rational evaluation method for medical devices' safety and efficacy, regulatory science studies are important. Studies on regulatory affairs related to a medical device under development should be conducted as well as its technological development. Clinical performance of a medical device is influenced by performance of the device, medical doctors' skill, pathological condition of a patient, and so on. Thus it is sometimes difficult to demonstrate superiority of the device in terms of clinical outcome although its efficacy as a medical device is accepted. Setting of appropriate end points is required to evaluate a medical device appropriately. Risk assessment and risk management are the basis of medical device safety assurance. In case of medical device software, there are difficulties in identifying the risk due to its complexity of user environment and different design and manufacturing procedure compared with conventional hardware based medical devices. Recent technological advancement such as information and communication technologies (ICT) for medical devices and wireless network has raised new issue on risk management: cybersecurity. We have to watch closely the progress of safety standard development.

  7. The tablet device in hospital neurology and in neurology graduate medical education: a preliminary study.

    PubMed

    George, Pravin; Newey, Christopher R; Bhimraj, Adarsh

    2015-01-01

    There is limited literature on tablet devices for neurohospitalists and in neurological graduate medical education. This study evaluated utilization, benefits, and limitations of customized tablets on inpatient neurology practice and resident education. The hypothesis was the perception of the tablet would be positive, given their portability, convenience to accessing point-of-care reference, and accessibility to the electronic medical record. Second-generation iPads with neurology-specific applications and literature were provided to our in-hospital general, stroke, and consult neurology teams. After 1 year, residents on these teams were surveyed on demographic data, familiarity, and utilization of the iPad and their perceptions of the device. All 27 residents responded to the survey. Most participants (23 of 27) used a tablet while on inpatient service. Twelve regularly utilized the neurology-specific apps and/or accessed scientific articles. Technologically savvy residents felt significantly more comfortable using tablets and were more quickly acquainted with the features. Thirteen respondents wanted a formal orientation on the advanced features of the tablet independent of their familiarity with the device or level of technological comfort. Overall, the perception was that the tablet was beneficial for inpatient clinical care and as an educational reference. Participants became easily familiarized with the device features quickly, regardless of whether they owned one previously or not. Most physicians indicated interest in advanced features of tablets; however, a formal orientation may be beneficial for optimal utilization. A reliable network connection is essential to in-hospital use of tablet devices. Additional research pertaining to patient outcomes, objective educational benefit, and cost-effectiveness is necessary.

  8. Venous Access Devices: Clinical Rounds

    PubMed Central

    Matey, Laurl; Camp-Sorrell, Dawn

    2016-01-01

    Nursing management of venous access devices (VADs) requires knowledge of current evidence, as well as knowledge of when evidence is limited. Do you know which practices we do based on evidence and those that we do based on institutional history or preference? This article will present complex VAD infection and occlusion complications and some of the controversies associated with them. Important strategies for identifying these complications, troubleshooting, and evaluating the evidence related to lack of blood return, malposition, infection, access and maintenance protocols, and scope of practice issues are presented. PMID:28083553

  9. Privacy Challenges for Wireless Medical Devices

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lagesse, Brent J

    2010-01-01

    Implantable medical devices are becoming more pervasive as new technologies increase their reliability and safety. Furthermore, these devices are becoming increasingly reliant on wireless communication for interaction with the device. Such technologies have the potential to leak information that could be utilized by an attacker to threaten the lives of patients. Privacy of patient information is essential; however, this information is not the only privacy issue that must be considered. In this paper, we discuss why information privacy is insufficient for protecting patients from some attacks and how information regarding the presence of individual devices can leak vulnerabilities. Furthermore, wemore » examine existing privacy enhancing algorithms and discuss their applicability to implantable medical devices.« less

  10. An update on mobile phones interference with medical devices.

    PubMed

    Mahmoud Pashazadeh, Ali; Aghajani, Mahdi; Nabipour, Iraj; Assadi, Majid

    2013-10-01

    Mobile phones' electromagnetic interference with medical devices is an important issue for the medical safety of patients who are using life-supporting medical devices. This review mainly focuses on mobile phones' interference with implanted medical devices and with medical equipment located in critical areas of hospitals. A close look at the findings reveals that mobile phones may adversely affect the functioning of medical devices, and the specific effect and the degree of interference depend on the applied technology and the separation distance. According to the studies' findings and the authors' recommendations, besides mitigating interference, using mobile phones at a reasonable distance from medical devices and developing technology standards can lead to their effective use in hospital communication systems.

  11. 78 FR 60291 - Investigational Device Exemptions for Early Feasibility Medical Device Clinical Studies...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-10-01

    ...] Investigational Device Exemptions for Early Feasibility Medical Device Clinical Studies, Including Certain First in Human Studies; Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff; Availability AGENCY... Feasibility Medical Device Clinical Studies, Including Certain First in Human (FIH) Studies.'' Through the...

  12. Strengthening the Role of Nurses in Medical Device Development.

    PubMed

    Castner, Jessica; Sullivan, Suzanne S; Titus, Albert H; Klingman, Karen J

    2016-01-01

    Medical devices and innovative technology promise to revolutionize health care. Despite the importance of involving nurses in the collaborative medical device development processes, there are few learning opportunities in nursing programs. The purpose of this article is to provide a conceptual guide for nurse educators and researchers to engage nursing expertise in medical device development processes. A review of the literature guided the creation of the "Strengthening the Role of Nurses in Medical Device Development Roadmap" model. The model was used to describe how nurses can be engaged in multidisciplinary design of medical devices. An academic transdisciplinary team piloted the application of the model. The model includes the stages of needs assessment, planned brainstorm, feasibility determination, concept design, and prototype building. A transdisciplinary team case study of improving an asthma home-monitoring devices illustrates effective application of the model. Nurse leaders in the academic setting can effectively use the "Strengthening the Role of Nurses in Medical Device Development Roadmap" to inform their engagement of nurses in early medical device development and innovation processes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Flushing ports of totally implantable venous access devices, and impact of the Huber point needle bevel orientation: experimental tests and numerical computation.

    PubMed

    Guiffant, Gérard; Durussel, Jean Jacques; Flaud, Patrice; Vigier, Jean Pierre; Merckx, Jacques

    2012-01-01

    The use of totally implantable venous access devices developed as a medical device allowing mid- and long-term, frequent, repeated, or continuous injection of therapeutic products, by vascular, cavitary, or perineural access. The effective flushing of these devices is a central element to assure long-lasting use. Our experimental work demonstrates that directing the Huber point needle opening in the diametrically opposite direction of the implantable port exit channel increases the flushing efficiency. These results are consolidated by numerical computations, which support recommendations not only for their maintenance, but also for their use.

  14. Flushing ports of totally implantable venous access devices, and impact of the Huber point needle bevel orientation: experimental tests and numerical computation

    PubMed Central

    Guiffant, Gérard; Durussel, Jean Jacques; Flaud, Patrice; Vigier, Jean Pierre; Merckx, Jacques

    2012-01-01

    The use of totally implantable venous access devices developed as a medical device allowing mid- and long-term, frequent, repeated, or continuous injection of therapeutic products, by vascular, cavitary, or perineural access. The effective flushing of these devices is a central element to assure long-lasting use. Our experimental work demonstrates that directing the Huber point needle opening in the diametrically opposite direction of the implantable port exit channel increases the flushing efficiency. These results are consolidated by numerical computations, which support recommendations not only for their maintenance, but also for their use. PMID:23166455

  15. Model-based engineering for medical-device software.

    PubMed

    Ray, Arnab; Jetley, Raoul; Jones, Paul L; Zhang, Yi

    2010-01-01

    This paper demonstrates the benefits of adopting model-based design techniques for engineering medical device software. By using a patient-controlled analgesic (PCA) infusion pump as a candidate medical device, the authors show how using models to capture design information allows for i) fast and efficient construction of executable device prototypes ii) creation of a standard, reusable baseline software architecture for a particular device family, iii) formal verification of the design against safety requirements, and iv) creation of a safety framework that reduces verification costs for future versions of the device software. 1.

  16. 77 FR 18829 - Gastroenterology and Urology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-03-28

    ...] Gastroenterology and Urology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting AGENCY... public. Name of Committee: Gastroenterology and Urology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory... and 11, 2012, the committee will discuss general issues related to medical devices intended for obese...

  17. Accessing global data from accelerator devices

    DOEpatents

    Bertolli, Carlo; O'Brien, John K.; Sallenave, Olivier H.; Sura, Zehra N.

    2016-12-06

    An aspect includes a table of contents (TOC) that was generated by a compiler being received at an accelerator device. The TOC includes an address of global data in a host memory space. The global data is copied from the address in the host memory space to an address in the device memory space. The address in the host memory space is obtained from the received TOC. The received TOC is updated to indicate that global data is stored at the address in the device memory space. A kernel that accesses the global data from the address in the device memory space is executed. The address in the device memory space is obtained based on contents of the updated TOC. When the executing is completed, the global data from the address in the device memory space is copied to the address in the host memory space.

  18. A biometric access personal optical storage device

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Davies, David H.; Ray, Steve; Gurkowski, Mark; Lee, Lane

    2007-01-01

    A portable USB2.0 personal storage device that uses built-in encryption and allows data access through biometric scanning of a finger print is described. Biometric image derived templates are stored on the removable 32 mm write once (WO) media. The encrypted templates travel with the disc and allow access to the data providing the biometric feature (e.g. the finger itself) is present. The device also allows for export and import of the templates under secure key exchange protocols. The storage system is built around the small form factor optical engine that uses a tilt arm rotary actuator and front surface media.

  19. [Ethic review on clinical experiments of medical devices in medical institutions].

    PubMed

    Shuai, Wanjun; Chao, Yong; Wang, Ning; Xu, Shining

    2011-07-01

    Clinical experiments are always used to evaluate the safety and validity of medical devices. The experiments have two types of clinical trying and testing. Ethic review must be done by the ethics committee of the medical department with the qualification of clinical research, and the approval must be made before the experiments. In order to ensure the safety and validity of clinical experiments of medical devices in medical institutions, the contents, process and approval criterions of the ethic review were analyzed and discussed.

  20. Regulatory approval of new medical devices: cross sectional study.

    PubMed

    Marcus, Hani J; Payne, Christopher J; Hughes-Hallett, Archie; Marcus, Adam P; Yang, Guang-Zhong; Darzi, Ara; Nandi, Dipankar

    2016-05-20

     To investigate the regulatory approval of new medical devices.  Cross sectional study of new medical devices reported in the biomedical literature.  PubMed was searched between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2004 to identify clinical studies of new medical devices. The search was carried out during this period to allow time for regulatory approval.  Articles were included if they reported a clinical study of a new medical device and there was no evidence of a previous clinical study in the literature. We defined a medical device according to the US Food and Drug Administration as an "instrument, apparatus, implement, machine, contrivance, implant, in vitro reagent, or other similar or related article."  Type of device, target specialty, and involvement of academia or of industry for each clinical study. The FDA medical databases were then searched for clearance or approval relevant to the device.  5574 titles and abstracts were screened, 493 full text articles assessed for eligibility, and 218 clinical studies of new medical devices included. In all, 99/218 (45%) of the devices described in clinical studies ultimately received regulatory clearance or approval. These included 510(k) clearance for devices determined to be "substantially equivalent" to another legally marketed device (78/99; 79%), premarket approval for high risk devices (17/99; 17%), and others (4/99; 4%). Of these, 43 devices (43/99; 43%) were actually cleared or approved before a clinical study was published.  We identified a multitude of new medical devices in clinical studies, almost half of which received regulatory clearance or approval. The 510(k) pathway was most commonly used, and clearance often preceded the first published clinical study. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  1. 46 CFR 4.06-15 - Accessibility of chemical testing devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Accessibility of chemical testing devices. 4.06-15... MARINE CASUALTIES AND INVESTIGATIONS Mandatory Chemical Testing Following Serious Marine Incidents Involving Vessels in Commercial Service § 4.06-15 Accessibility of chemical testing devices. (a) Alcohol...

  2. 46 CFR 4.06-15 - Accessibility of chemical testing devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Accessibility of chemical testing devices. 4.06-15... MARINE CASUALTIES AND INVESTIGATIONS Mandatory Chemical Testing Following Serious Marine Incidents Involving Vessels in Commercial Service § 4.06-15 Accessibility of chemical testing devices. (a) Alcohol...

  3. 46 CFR 4.06-15 - Accessibility of chemical testing devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Accessibility of chemical testing devices. 4.06-15... MARINE CASUALTIES AND INVESTIGATIONS Mandatory Chemical Testing Following Serious Marine Incidents Involving Vessels in Commercial Service § 4.06-15 Accessibility of chemical testing devices. (a) Alcohol...

  4. 46 CFR 4.06-15 - Accessibility of chemical testing devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Accessibility of chemical testing devices. 4.06-15... MARINE CASUALTIES AND INVESTIGATIONS Mandatory Chemical Testing Following Serious Marine Incidents Involving Vessels in Commercial Service § 4.06-15 Accessibility of chemical testing devices. (a) Alcohol...

  5. 46 CFR 4.06-15 - Accessibility of chemical testing devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Accessibility of chemical testing devices. 4.06-15... MARINE CASUALTIES AND INVESTIGATIONS Mandatory Chemical Testing Following Serious Marine Incidents Involving Vessels in Commercial Service § 4.06-15 Accessibility of chemical testing devices. (a) Alcohol...

  6. Case studies of innovative medical device companies from India: barriers and enablers to development

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Over 75% of the medical devices used in India are imported. Often, they are costly and maladapted to low-resource settings. We have prepared case studies of six firms in Bangalore that could contribute to solving this problem. They have developed (or are developing) innovative health care products and therefore are pioneers in the Indian health care sector, better known for its reverse engineering skills. We have sought to understand what enablers and barriers they encountered. Methods Information for the case studies was collected through semi-structured interviews. Initially, over 40 stakeholders of the diagnostics sector in India were interviewed to understand the sector. However the focus here is on the six featured companies. Further information was obtained from company material and other published resources. Results In all cases, product innovation has been enabled by close interaction with local medical practitioners, links to global science and technology and global regulatory requirements. The major challenges were the lack of guidance on product specifications from the national regulatory agency, paucity of institutionalized health care payers and lack of transparency and formalized Health Technology Assessment in coverage decision-making. The absence of national evidence-based guidelines and of compulsory continuous education for medical practitioners were key obstacles in accessing the poorly regulated and fragmented private market. Conclusions Innovative Indian companies would benefit from a strengthened capacity and interdisciplinary work culture of the national device regulatory body, institutionalized health care payers and medical councils and associations. Continuous medical education and national medical guidelines for medical practitioners would facilitate market access for innovative products. PMID:23721110

  7. Case studies of innovative medical device companies from India: barriers and enablers to development.

    PubMed

    Jarosławski, Szymon; Saberwal, Gayatri

    2013-05-30

    Over 75% of the medical devices used in India are imported. Often, they are costly and maladapted to low-resource settings. We have prepared case studies of six firms in Bangalore that could contribute to solving this problem. They have developed (or are developing) innovative health care products and therefore are pioneers in the Indian health care sector, better known for its reverse engineering skills. We have sought to understand what enablers and barriers they encountered. Information for the case studies was collected through semi-structured interviews. Initially, over 40 stakeholders of the diagnostics sector in India were interviewed to understand the sector. However the focus here is on the six featured companies. Further information was obtained from company material and other published resources. In all cases, product innovation has been enabled by close interaction with local medical practitioners, links to global science and technology and global regulatory requirements. The major challenges were the lack of guidance on product specifications from the national regulatory agency, paucity of institutionalized health care payers and lack of transparency and formalized Health Technology Assessment in coverage decision-making. The absence of national evidence-based guidelines and of compulsory continuous education for medical practitioners were key obstacles in accessing the poorly regulated and fragmented private market. Innovative Indian companies would benefit from a strengthened capacity and interdisciplinary work culture of the national device regulatory body, institutionalized health care payers and medical councils and associations. Continuous medical education and national medical guidelines for medical practitioners would facilitate market access for innovative products.

  8. Trustworthy data collection from implantable medical devices via high-speed security implementation based on IEEE 1363.

    PubMed

    Hu, Fei; Hao, Qi; Lukowiak, Marcin; Sun, Qingquan; Wilhelm, Kyle; Radziszowski, Stanisław; Wu, Yao

    2010-11-01

    Implantable medical devices (IMDs) have played an important role in many medical fields. Any failure in IMDs operations could cause serious consequences and it is important to protect the IMDs access from unauthenticated access. This study investigates secure IMD data collection within a telehealthcare [mobile health (m-health)] network. We use medical sensors carried by patients to securely access IMD data and perform secure sensor-to-sensor communications between patients to relay the IMD data to a remote doctor's server. To meet the requirements on low computational complexity, we choose N-th degree truncated polynomial ring (NTRU)-based encryption/decryption to secure IMD-sensor and sensor-sensor communications. An extended matryoshkas model is developed to estimate direct/indirect trust relationship among sensors. An NTRU hardware implementation in very large integrated circuit hardware description language is studied based on industry Standard IEEE 1363 to increase the speed of key generation. The performance analysis results demonstrate the security robustness of the proposed IMD data access trust model.

  9. A concept ideation framework for medical device design.

    PubMed

    Hagedorn, Thomas J; Grosse, Ian R; Krishnamurty, Sundar

    2015-06-01

    Medical device design is a challenging process, often requiring collaboration between medical and engineering domain experts. This collaboration can be best institutionalized through systematic knowledge transfer between the two domains coupled with effective knowledge management throughout the design innovation process. Toward this goal, we present the development of a semantic framework for medical device design that unifies a large medical ontology with detailed engineering functional models along with the repository of design innovation information contained in the US Patent Database. As part of our development, existing medical, engineering, and patent document ontologies were modified and interlinked to create a comprehensive medical device innovation and design tool with appropriate properties and semantic relations to facilitate knowledge capture, enrich existing knowledge, and enable effective knowledge reuse for different scenarios. The result is a Concept Ideation Framework for Medical Device Design (CIFMeDD). Key features of the resulting framework include function-based searching and automated inter-domain reasoning to uniquely enable identification of functionally similar procedures, tools, and inventions from multiple domains based on simple semantic searches. The significance and usefulness of the resulting framework for aiding in conceptual design and innovation in the medical realm are explored via two case studies examining medical device design problems. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. 76 FR 50485 - Obstetrics and Gynecology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Amendment of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-15

    ...] Obstetrics and Gynecology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Amendment of Notice AGENCY... an amendment to the notice of meeting of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Devices Panel of the Medical... Obstetrics and Gynecology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee would be held on September...

  11. [Port device central venous access in children with chronic renal disease--personal experience].

    PubMed

    Szczepańska, Maria; Szprynger, Krystyna; Stoksik, Piotr; Morawiec-Knysak, Aurelia; Adamczyk, Piotr; Ziora, Katarzyna; Oswiecimska, Joanna

    2006-01-01

    The application of central venous lines in children has been widely accepted in the case of pediatric cancer treatment. This is of particular importance when the treatment must be continued during the long period of time. The indication to long-term application of central venous lines became significantly frequent within last years. They are necessary in the treatment of chronic pediatric patients, in whom the central venous line allows continuous access for medication, parenteral rehydration, nutrition and frequent blood sampling. In the current study authors present their experience in subcutaneous port devices application in children with kidney disease. The case history data obtained from 8 children were retrospectively analysed. In these children subcutaneous port devices were applied for mean 26.7 months (totally 9 port devices). The mean age at the time of implantation was 2.2 years, and the mean body weight--10.6 kg. Peripheral venous access in all children was bad. In one child during the time of implantation the hematoma of coli and chest was present. Infectious complications connected with implanted port device were not detected. Thrombotic complications were present in 6 children with chronic renal failure--in 5 the lumen of port device has been successfully recanalysed, in 3 cases even several times. In 1 child the thrombus on the tip of central venous line was detected. In 2 children the removal of port device was necessary because of breakage of venous line and in the second case because of port device thrombosis. Two children died with functioning port device. The cause of death was not connected with implanted port device. The application of subcutaneous port devices definitely improved the comfort of treatment but was significantly associated with thrombotic complications. Infectious complications were not detected as compared to hematological group of patients.

  12. Learning from adverse incidents involving medical devices.

    PubMed

    Amoore, John; Ingram, Paula

    While an adverse event involving a medical device is often ascribed to either user error or device failure, the causes are typically multifactorial. A number of incidents involving medical devices are explored using this approach to investigate the various causes of the incident and the protective barriers that minimised or prevented adverse consequences. User factors, including mistakes, omissions and lack of training, conspired with background factors--device controls and device design, storage conditions, hidden device damage and physical layout of equipment when in use--to cause the adverse events. Protective barriers that prevented or minimised the consequences included staff vigilance, operating procedures and alarms.

  13. Power Approaches for Implantable Medical Devices.

    PubMed

    Ben Amar, Achraf; Kouki, Ammar B; Cao, Hung

    2015-11-13

    Implantable medical devices have been implemented to provide treatment and to assess in vivo physiological information in humans as well as animal models for medical diagnosis and prognosis, therapeutic applications and biological science studies. The advances of micro/nanotechnology dovetailed with novel biomaterials have further enhanced biocompatibility, sensitivity, longevity and reliability in newly-emerged low-cost and compact devices. Close-loop systems with both sensing and treatment functions have also been developed to provide point-of-care and personalized medicine. Nevertheless, one of the remaining challenges is whether power can be supplied sufficiently and continuously for the operation of the entire system. This issue is becoming more and more critical to the increasing need of power for wireless communication in implanted devices towards the future healthcare infrastructure, namely mobile health (m-Health). In this review paper, methodologies to transfer and harvest energy in implantable medical devices are introduced and discussed to highlight the uses and significances of various potential power sources.

  14. Power Approaches for Implantable Medical Devices

    PubMed Central

    Ben Amar, Achraf; Kouki, Ammar B.; Cao, Hung

    2015-01-01

    Implantable medical devices have been implemented to provide treatment and to assess in vivo physiological information in humans as well as animal models for medical diagnosis and prognosis, therapeutic applications and biological science studies. The advances of micro/nanotechnology dovetailed with novel biomaterials have further enhanced biocompatibility, sensitivity, longevity and reliability in newly-emerged low-cost and compact devices. Close-loop systems with both sensing and treatment functions have also been developed to provide point-of-care and personalized medicine. Nevertheless, one of the remaining challenges is whether power can be supplied sufficiently and continuously for the operation of the entire system. This issue is becoming more and more critical to the increasing need of power for wireless communication in implanted devices towards the future healthcare infrastructure, namely mobile health (m-Health). In this review paper, methodologies to transfer and harvest energy in implantable medical devices are introduced and discussed to highlight the uses and significances of various potential power sources. PMID:26580626

  15. 'It's on my iPhone': attitudes to the use of mobile computing devices in medical education, a mixed-methods study.

    PubMed

    Wallace, Sean; Clark, Marcia; White, Jonathan

    2012-01-01

    The last decade has seen the introduction of new technology which has transformed many aspects of our culture, commerce, communication and education. This study examined how medical teachers and learners are using mobile computing devices such as the iPhone in medical education and practice, and how they envision them being used in the future. Semistructured interviews were conducted with medical students, residents and faculty to examine participants' attitudes about the current and future use of mobile computing devices in medical education and practice. A thematic approach was used to summarise ideas and concepts expressed, and to develop an online survey. A mixed methods approach was used to integrate qualitative and quantitative findings. Medical students, residents and faculty at a large Canadian medical school in 2011. Interviews were conducted with 18 participants (10 students, 7 residents and 1 faculty member). Only 213 participants responded to the online survey (76 students, 65 residents and 41 faculty members). Over 85% of participants reported using a mobile-computing device. The main uses described for mobile devices related to information management, communication and time management. Advantages identified were portability, flexibility, access to multimedia and the ability to look up information quickly. Challenges identified included: superficial learning, not understanding how to find good learning resources, distraction, inappropriate use and concerns about access and privacy. Both medical students and physicians expressed the view that the use of these devices in medical education and practice will increase in the future. This new technology offers the potential to enhance learning and patient care, but also has potential problems associated with its use. It is important for leadership in medical schools and healthcare organisations to set the agenda in this rapidly developing area to maximise the benefits of this powerful new technology while

  16. 78 FR 77688 - Ophthalmic Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-12-24

    ...] Ophthalmic Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Food and Drug...: Ophthalmic Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee. General Function of the Committee: To... Swink, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave...

  17. Electronic medication packaging devices and medication adherence: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Checchi, Kyle D; Huybrechts, Krista F; Avorn, Jerry; Kesselheim, Aaron S

    2014-09-24

    Medication nonadherence, which has been estimated to affect 28% to 31% of US patients with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes, may be improved by electronic medication packaging (EMP) devices (adherence-monitoring devices incorporated into the packaging of a prescription medication). To investigate whether EMP devices are associated with improved adherence and to identify and describe common features of EMP devices. Systematic review of peer-reviewed studies testing the effectiveness of EMP systems in the MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, and Sociological Abstracts databases from searches conducted to June 13, 2014, with extraction of associations between the interventions and adherence, as well as other key findings. Each study was assessed for bias using the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions; features of EMP devices and interventions were qualitatively assessed. Thirty-seven studies (32 randomized and 5 nonrandomized) including 4326 patients met inclusion criteria (10 patient interface-only "simple" interventions and 29 "complex" interventions integrated into the health care system [2 qualified for both categories]). Overall, the effect estimates for differences in mean adherence ranged from a decrease of 2.9% to an increase of 34.0%, and the those for differences in the proportion of patients defined as adherent ranged from a decrease of 8.0% to an increase of 49.5%. We identified 5 common EMP characteristics: recorded dosing events and stored records of adherence, audiovisual reminders to cue dosing, digital displays, real-time monitoring, and feedback on adherence performance. Many varieties of EMP devices exist. However, data supporting their use are limited, with variability in the quality of studies testing EMP devices. Devices integrated into the care delivery system and designed to record dosing events are most frequently associated with improved adherence, compared with other

  18. 20 CFR 401.55 - Access to medical records.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... of or access to medical records to an individual on a minor's behalf. (i) To protect the privacy of a....55 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION PRIVACY AND DISCLOSURE OF OFFICIAL RECORDS AND INFORMATION The Privacy Act § 401.55 Access to medical records. (a) General. You have a right to access your...

  19. 20 CFR 401.55 - Access to medical records.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... of or access to medical records to an individual on a minor's behalf. (i) To protect the privacy of a....55 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION PRIVACY AND DISCLOSURE OF OFFICIAL RECORDS AND INFORMATION The Privacy Act § 401.55 Access to medical records. (a) General. You have a right to access your...

  20. Towards sustainable design for single-use medical devices.

    PubMed

    Hanson, Jacob J; Hitchcock, Robert W

    2009-01-01

    Despite their sophistication and value, single-use medical devices have become commodity items in the developed world. Cheap raw materials along with large scale manufacturing and distribution processes have combined to make many medical devices more expensive to resterilize, package and restock than to simply discard. This practice is not sustainable or scalable on a global basis. As the petrochemicals that provide raw materials become more expensive and the global reach of these devices continues into rapidly developing economies, there is a need for device designs that take into account the total life-cycle of these products, minimize the amount of non-renewable materials consumed and consider alternative hybrid reusable / disposable approaches. In this paper, we describe a methodology to perform life cycle and functional analyses to create additional design requirements for medical devices. These types of sustainable approaches can move the medical device industry even closer to the "triple bottom line"--people, planet, profit.

  1. 78 FR 15877 - Taxable Medical Devices; Correction

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-13

    ... Medical Devices; Correction AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Correction to final... on the excise tax imposed on the sale of certain medical devices, enacted by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 in conjunction with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act...

  2. Accessing global data from accelerator devices

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bertolli, Carlo; O'Brien, John K.; Sallenave, Olivier H.

    2016-12-06

    An aspect includes a table of contents (TOC) that was generated by a compiler being received at an accelerator device. The TOC includes an address of global data in a host memory space. The global data is copied from the address in the host memory space to an address in the device memory space. The address in the host memory space is obtained from the received TOC. The received TOC is updated to indicate that global data is stored at the address in the device memory space. A kernel that accesses the global data from the address in the devicemore » memory space is executed. The address in the device memory space is obtained based on contents of the updated TOC. When the executing is completed, the global data from the address in the device memory space is copied to the address in the host memory space.« less

  3. The role of the user within the medical device design and development process: medical device manufacturers' perspectives

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Academic literature and international standards bodies suggest that user involvement, via the incorporation of human factors engineering methods within the medical device design and development (MDDD) process, offer many benefits that enable the development of safer and more usable medical devices that are better suited to users' needs. However, little research has been carried out to explore medical device manufacturers' beliefs and attitudes towards user involvement within this process, or indeed what value they believe can be added by doing so. Methods In-depth interviews with representatives from 11 medical device manufacturers are carried out. We ask them to specify who they believe the intended users of the device to be, who they consult to inform the MDDD process, what role they believe the user plays within this process, and what value (if any) they believe users add. Thematic analysis is used to analyse the fully transcribed interview data, to gain insight into medical device manufacturers' beliefs and attitudes towards user involvement within the MDDD process. Results A number of high-level themes emerged, relating who the user is perceived to be, the methods used, the perceived value and barriers to user involvement, and the nature of user contributions. The findings reveal that despite standards agencies and academic literature offering strong support for the employment formal methods, manufacturers are still hesitant due to a range of factors including: perceived barriers to obtaining ethical approval; the speed at which such activity may be carried out; the belief that there is no need given the 'all-knowing' nature of senior health care staff and clinical champions; a belief that effective results are achievable by consulting a minimal number of champions. Furthermore, less senior health care practitioners and patients were rarely seen as being able to provide valuable input into the process. Conclusions Medical device manufacturers often

  4. Anti-malware software and medical devices.

    PubMed

    2010-10-01

    Just as much as healthcare information systems, medical devices need protection against cybersecurity threats. Anti-malware software can help safeguard the devices in your facility-but it has limitations and even risks. Find out what steps you can take to manage anti-malware applications in your devices.

  5. Practice of Regulatory Science (Development of Medical Devices).

    PubMed

    Niimi, Shingo

    2017-01-01

    Prototypes of medical devices are made in accordance with the needs of clinical practice, and for systems required during the initial process of medical device development for new surgical practices. Verification of whether these prototypes produce the intended performance specifications is conducted using basic tests such as mechanical and animal tests. The prototypes are then improved and modified until satisfactory results are obtained. After a prototype passes through a clinical trial process similar to that for new drugs, application for approval is made. In the approval application process, medical devices are divided into new, improved, and generic types. Reviewers judge the validity of intended use, indications, operation procedures, and precautions, and in addition evaluate the balance between risk and benefit in terms of efficacy and safety. Other characteristics of medical devices are the need for the user to attain proficiency in usage techniques to ensure efficacy and safety, and the existence of a variety of medical devices for which assessment strategies differ, including differences in impact on the body in cases in which a physical burden to the body or failure of a medical device develops. Regulatory science of medical devices involves prediction, judgment, and evaluation of efficacy, safety, and quality, from which data result which can become indices in the development stages from design to application for approval. A reduction in the number of animals used for testing, improvement in efficiency, reduction of the necessity for clinical trials, etc. are expected through rational setting of evaluation items.

  6. 75 FR 35495 - Ophthalmic Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-22

    ...] Ophthalmic Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Food and Drug...: Ophthalmic Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee. General Function of the Committee: To... Glaukos iStent Trabecular Micro-Bypass Stent, Model GTS-100 L/R, sponsored by Glaukos Corp. The device is...

  7. Effects and Satisfaction of Medical Device Safety Information Reporting System Using Electronic Medical Record.

    PubMed

    Jang, Hye Jung; Choi, Young Deuk; Kim, Nam Hyun

    2017-04-01

    This paper describes an evaluation study on the effectiveness of developing an in-hospital medical device safety information reporting system for managing safety information, including adverse incident data related to medical devices, following the enactment of the Medical Device Act in Korea. Medical device safety information reports were analyzed for 190 cases that took place prior to the application of a medical device safety information reporting system and during a period when the reporting system was used. Also, questionnaires were used to measure the effectiveness of the medical device safety information reporting system. The analysis was based on the questionnaire responses of 15 reporters who submitted reports in both the pre- and post-reporting system periods. Sixty-two reports were submitted in paper form, but after the system was set up, this number more than doubled to 128 reports in electronic form. In terms of itemized reporting, a total of 45 items were reported. Before the system was used, 23 items had been reported, but this increased to 32 items after the system was put to use. All survey variables of satisfaction received a mean of over 3 points, while positive attitude , potential benefits , and positive benefits all exceeded 4 points, each receiving 4.20, 4.20, and 4.13, respectively. Among the variables, time-consuming and decision-making had the lowest mean values, each receiving 3.53. Satisfaction was found to be high for system quality and user satisfaction , but relatively low for time-consuming and decision-making . We were able to verify that effective reporting and monitoring of adverse incidents and the safety of medical devices can be implemented through the establishment of an in-hospital medical device safety information reporting system that can enhance patient safety and medical device risk management.

  8. Cost analysis of medical device spare parts

    PubMed Central

    Bektemur, Guven; Muzoglu, Nedim; Arici, Mehmet Ali; Karaaslan, Melike Kaya

    2018-01-01

    Objective: To establish estimation method on budget management of medical device spare parts and to evaluate the cost of medical device spare parts in affiliated hospitals of Istanbul Public Hospital Unions (PHUs). Methods: While this evaluation was performed, the relationship between paid cost for spare parts according to technological development level of device groups and total inventory value was used. Spare part cost analysis was carried out by using the normalized weighted arithmetic average method. Cost analysis of medical equipment spare parts of Istanbul PHUs was performed by using the data retrieved from Ministry of Health Business Intelligence Decision Support System for spending of spare parts in 2015. Results: The medical device spare part groups were categorized based on technological development. Among 1 to 6 PHUs, the cost ratios were acquired for high, middle, low and simple technology group as 17.31 – 40.08%, 29.14 – 43.36%, 22.62 – 27.44% and 8.16 – 11.89%, respectively. The ratio between the spare part and total inventory costs for 1-6 PHUs were calculated as 1.66%, 2.87%, 3.03%, 3.31%, 2.57% and 4.69% respectively. Expected rates based on normalized weighted method were obtained as follows; 5.76%, 4.67%, 5.31%, 4.87%, 4.34% and 4.27%. Conclusion: The expenditure analysis and budget planning for medical device spare parts in PHU could be predicted more accurately by taking into consideration the expected rate calculated by the normal weight method. In additon, the importance of Clinical Engineering Service Units in management of medical devices has been determined. PMID:29805429

  9. Making Medical Devices Safer at Home

    MedlinePlus

    ... and maintain home use devices, which include blood glucose monitors, infusion pumps (a device that delivers fluids, including nutrients and medications, into a patient's body) and respirators. These efforts include issuing a draft ...

  10. J2ME implementation of system for storing and accessing of sensitive data on patient's mobile device

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zabołotny, Wojciech M.; Wielgórski, Radosław; Nowik, Marcin

    2011-10-01

    This paper presents a system allowing to use a patient's mobile phone or PDA for storing of biomedical data, which then, during medical consultation or intervention may be used by the medical staff. The presented solution is aimed on providing both: reliable protection to sensitive patient's data, and easy access to information for authorized medical staff. In the presented system, data are stored in an encrypted form, and the encryption key is available only for authorized persons. The central authentication server verifies the current access rights of the person trying to obtain the information, before providing him or her with the key needed to access the patient's data. The key provided by the server is valid only for the particular device, which minimizes the risk of its misuse. For rare situations when no connection to the authentication server is available (e.g. intervention in the mountains or rural area), system assures an additional "emergency" method to access the encryption key in controlled, registered way. The system has been implemented in Java language and tested in the simulated environment provided by Sun Java Wireless Toolkit for CLDC.

  11. Multi-compartment medication devices and patient compliance.

    PubMed

    McGraw, Caroline

    2004-07-01

    Multi-compartment medication compliance devices are widely used in primary care. The aim of this review is to reveal whether they are effective in promoting adherence among non-adherent adults living at home. Searches were undertaken using two electronic databases (Medline (1966-2003) and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970-2002)). Only randomized controlled trials (including crossover studies) were included in the review. Participants had to be non-institutionalized adults receiving one or more prescription medicines each day and displaying problems with adherence. Studies had to compare multi-compartment medication compliance devices to standard packaging and outcome measures and to include either pill counts, biological assays and/or clinical response. Articles were selected if they described a follow up period of at least three months and demonstrated that over 80% of participants had completed the trial. Two studies were identified that met the criteria, reporting data on a total of 148 patients. The findings from the first study found diabetic patients receiving medication in a compliance device demonstrated better glucose control than patients receiving medication in standard packaging. The second study found compliance devices had no impact on blood pressure control in hypertensive patients. Further research needs to be conducted to assess the effectiveness of multi-compartment medication compliance devices in promoting adherence among non-adherent adults living at home.

  12. 77 FR 62479 - Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-15

    ...-0003] RIN 3014-AA40 Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee AGENCY.... SUMMARY: The Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee (Committee) will hold... Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards. DATES: The Committee...

  13. 77 FR 53163 - Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-31

    ...-0003] RIN 3014-AA40 Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee AGENCY.... SUMMARY: The Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee (Committee) will hold... previously published Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility...

  14. Use of mobile devices for medical imaging.

    PubMed

    Hirschorn, David S; Choudhri, Asim F; Shih, George; Kim, Woojin

    2014-12-01

    Mobile devices have fundamentally changed personal computing, with many people forgoing the desktop and even laptop computer altogether in favor of a smaller, lighter, and cheaper device with a touch screen. Doctors and patients are beginning to expect medical images to be available on these devices for consultative viewing, if not actual diagnosis. However, this raises serious concerns with regard to the ability of existing mobile devices and networks to quickly and securely move these images. Medical images often come in large sets, which can bog down a network if not conveyed in an intelligent manner, and downloaded data on a mobile device are highly vulnerable to a breach of patient confidentiality should that device become lost or stolen. Some degree of regulation is needed to ensure that the software used to view these images allows all relevant medical information to be visible and manipulated in a clinically acceptable manner. There also needs to be a quality control mechanism to ensure that a device's display accurately conveys the image content without loss of contrast detail. Furthermore, not all mobile displays are appropriate for all types of images. The smaller displays of smart phones, for example, are not well suited for viewing entire chest radiographs, no matter how small and numerous the pixels of the display may be. All of these factors should be taken into account when deciding where, when, and how to use mobile devices for the display of medical images. Copyright © 2014 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Patient perceptions regarding the use of smart devices for medical photography: results of a patient-based survey.

    PubMed

    Nair, Akshay Gopinathan; Potdar, Nayana A; Dadia, Suchit; Aulakh, Simranjeet; Ali, Mohammad Javed; Shinde, Chhaya A

    2018-03-06

    To assess patient perceptions regarding medical photography and the use of smart devices, namely mobile phones and tablets for medical photography. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted among 280 consecutive adult patients who presented to the oculoplastics clinic at a tertiary eye care centre. The responses were tabulated and analysed. Of the 280 patients surveyed, 68% felt that medical photography had a positive impact on their understanding of their illnesses and 72% felt that the use of smartphones for medical photography was acceptable. Respondents below the age of 40 years were more likely to approve of the use of mobile phones for photography as compared to those over 40. Most patients (74%) preferred a doctor to be the person photographing them. While a majority approved of doctors and trainee physicians having access to their photographs, they felt non-physician healthcare personnel should not have access to clinical photographs. Also, 72% of the respondents felt that the patient's consent should be taken before using their photographs. It was noted that patient identification and breach of confidentiality could be some of the potential issues with using smart devices as cameras in the clinic. Clinical photography in general and, specifically, using smart devices for clinical photographs have gained acceptance among patients. The outcomes of this study may be utilized to create policy guidelines for the use of smart devices as photography tools in the clinics. The findings of this survey can also help to create standardized, uniform patient consent forms for clinical photography.

  16. A study of medical device regulation management model in Asia.

    PubMed

    Wu, Yi-Hui; Li, Fong-An; Fan, Yin-Ting; Tu, Pei-Weng

    2016-06-01

    With the aging of the post-war baby boomer generation, the increasing demands for healthcare are driving the growth of medical industry and development of new products in order to meet the immense needs from the aging population. However, medical devices are designed to maintain the health and safety of people, therefore, medical devices are undergoing rigorous management by competent health authorities in all countries. In recent years, Asian countries have been reforming their regulations and standards for medical devices with substantial changes. The study is a summary of the framework of medical device regulations in Asian countries, including Asian Harmonization Working Party (AHWP), Japan, China, Taiwan, South Korea, India and Singapore. Expert commentary: Asian countries are constantly reforming their medical device regulations. The emergence of brand-new technology and quality management issues arose by global manufacturing have imposed difficulties in harmonizing and reaching consensus between countries. The third-party conformity assessment system for medical devices can reduce the costs for competent health authorities and shorten the review time, which could facilitate the feasibility of harmonization of medical device regulations.

  17. Development of Implantable Medical Devices: From an Engineering Perspective

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    From the first pacemaker implant in 1958, numerous engineering and medical activities for implantable medical device development have faced challenges in materials, battery power, functionality, electrical power consumption, size shrinkage, system delivery, and wireless communication. With explosive advances in scientific and engineering technology, many implantable medical devices such as the pacemaker, cochlear implant, and real-time blood pressure sensors have been developed and improved. This trend of progress in medical devices will continue because of the coming super-aged society, which will result in more consumers for the devices. The inner body is a special space filled with electrical, chemical, mechanical, and marine-salted reactions. Therefore, electrical connectivity and communication, corrosion, robustness, and hermeticity are key factors to be considered during the development stage. The main participants in the development stage are the user, the medical staff, and the engineer or technician. Thus, there are three different viewpoints in the development of implantable devices. In this review paper, considerations in the development of implantable medical devices will be presented from the viewpoint of an engineering mind. PMID:24143287

  18. Use of Mobile Devices to Access Resources Among Health Professions Students: A Systematic Review.

    PubMed

    Mi, Misa; Wu, Wendy; Qiu, Maylene; Zhang, Yingting; Wu, Lin; Li, Jie

    2016-01-01

    This systematic review examines types of mobile devices used by health professions students, kinds of resources and tools accessed via mobile devices, and reasons for using the devices to access the resources and tools. The review included 20 studies selected from articles published in English between January 2010 and April 2015, retrieved from PubMed and other sources. Data extracted included participants, study designs, mobile devices used, mobile resources/apps accessed, outcome measures, and advantages of and barriers to using mobile devices. The review indicates significant variability across the studies in terms of research methods, types of mobile programs implemented, resources accessed, and outcomes. There were beneficial effects of using mobile devices to access resources as well as conspicuous challenges or barriers in using mobile devices.

  19. Medical instrument data exchange.

    PubMed

    Gumudavelli, Suman; McKneely, Paul K; Thongpithoonrat, Pongnarin; Gurkan, D; Chapman, Frank M

    2008-01-01

    Advances in medical devices and health care has been phenomenal during the recent years. Although medical device manufacturers have been improving their instruments, network connection of these instruments still rely on proprietary technologies. Even if the interface has been provided by the manufacturer (e.g., RS-232, USB, or Ethernet coupled with a proprietary API), there is no widely-accepted uniform data model to access data of various bedside instruments. There is a need for a common standard which allows for internetworking with the medical devices from different manufacturers. ISO/IEEE 11073 (X73) is a standard attempting to unify the interfaces of all medical devices. X73 defines a client access mechanism that would be implemented into the communication controllers (residing between an instrument and the network) in order to access/network patient data. On the other hand, MediCAN technology suite has been demonstrated with various medical instruments to achieve interfacing and networking with a similar goal in its open standardization approach. However, it provides a more generic definition for medical data to achieve flexibility for networking and client access mechanisms. In this paper, a comparison between the data model of X73 and MediCAN will be presented to encourage interoperability demonstrations of medical instruments.

  20. 78 FR 10582 - Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-02-14

    ...-0003] RIN 3014-AA40 Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee AGENCY.... SUMMARY: The Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee will hold its fourth...) on Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards. DATES: The Committee will meet on February...

  1. 76 FR 48871 - Immunology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-09

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2011-N-0002] Immunology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Food and Drug...: Immunology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee. General Function of the Committee: To...

  2. 76 FR 6625 - Neurological Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-02-07

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2011-N-0002] Neurological Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Food and Drug...: Neurological Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee. General Function of the Committee: To...

  3. 78 FR 26786 - Microbiology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-08

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2013-N-0001] Microbiology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Food and Drug...: Microbiology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee. General Function of the Committee: To...

  4. Product-based Safety Certification for Medical Devices Embedded Software.

    PubMed

    Neto, José Augusto; Figueiredo Damásio, Jemerson; Monthaler, Paul; Morais, Misael

    2015-01-01

    Worldwide medical device embedded software certification practices are currently focused on manufacturing best practices. In Brazil, the national regulatory agency does not hold a local certification process for software-intensive medical devices and admits international certification (e.g. FDA and CE) from local and international industry to operate in the Brazilian health care market. We present here a product-based certification process as a candidate process to support the Brazilian regulatory agency ANVISA in medical device software regulation. Center of Strategic Technology for Healthcare (NUTES) medical device embedded software certification is based on a solid safety quality model and has been tested with reasonable success against the Class I risk device Generic Infusion Pump (GIP).

  5. 78 FR 32612 - Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-31

    ...-0003] RIN 3014-AA40 Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee AGENCY.... SUMMARY: The Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee will hold its seventh...) on Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards. DATES: The Committee will meet on June 17...

  6. 78 FR 1166 - Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-01-08

    ...-0003] RIN 3014-AA40 Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee AGENCY.... SUMMARY: The Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee will hold its third...) on Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards. DATES: The Committee will meet on January 22...

  7. 78 FR 23872 - Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-23

    ...-0003] RIN 3014-AA40 Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee AGENCY.... SUMMARY: The Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee will hold its sixth...) on Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards. DATES: The Committee will meet on May 7...

  8. 78 FR 16448 - Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-15

    ...-0003] RIN 3014-AA40 Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee AGENCY.... SUMMARY: The Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee will hold its fifth...) on Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards. DATES: The Committee will meet on March 26...

  9. Medication safety infrastructure in critical-access hospitals in Florida.

    PubMed

    Winterstein, Almut G; Hartzema, Abraham G; Johns, Thomas E; De Leon, Jessica M; McDonald, Kathie; Henshaw, Zak; Pannell, Robert

    2006-03-01

    The medication safety infrastructure of critical-access hospitals (CAHs) in Florida was evaluated. Qualitative assessments, including a self-administered survey and site visits, were conducted in seven of nine CAHs between January and June 2003. The survey consisted of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices Medication Safety Self-assessment, the 2003 Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations patient safety goals, health information technology (HIT) questions, and medication-use-process flow charts. On-site visits included interviews of CAH personnel who had safety responsibility and inspections of pharmacy facilities. The findings were compiled into a matrix reflecting structural and procedural components of the CAH medication safety infrastructure. The nine characteristics that emerged as targets for quality improvement (QI) were medication accessibility and storage, sterile product compounding, access to drug information, access to and utilization of patient information in medication order review, advanced safety technology, drug formularies and standardized medication protocols, safety culture, and medication reconciliation. Based on weighted importance and feasibility, QI efforts in CAHs should focus on enhancing medication order review systems, standardizing procedures for handling high-risk medications, promoting an appropriate safety culture, involvement in seamless care, and investment in HIT.

  10. 31 CFR 597.511 - In-kind donations of medicine, medical devices, and medical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false In-kind donations of medicine... Licensing Policy § 597.511 In-kind donations of medicine, medical devices, and medical services. (a... medicine, medical devices, and medical services to the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health, provided...

  11. A UK medical devices regulator's perspective on registries.

    PubMed

    Wilkinson, John; Crosbie, Andy

    2016-04-01

    Registries are powerful tools to support manufacturers in the fulfilment of their obligations to perform post-market surveillance and post-market clinical follow-up of implantable medical devices. They are also a valuable resource for regulators in support of regulatory action as well as in providing information around the safety of new and innovative technologies. Registries can provide valuable information on the relative performance of both generic types and manufacturer's individual products and they complement other sources of information about device performance such as post-market clinical studies and adverse incident reporting. This paper describes the experience of the UK medical device regulator - the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) - of working with registries to monitor the safety and performance of medical devices. Based upon this experience, the authors identify a number of attributes for a registry which they consider to be key if the registry is to contribute effectively to the work of regulators on patient safety monitoring and medical device regulation.

  12. 76 FR 12973 - Neurological Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Amendment of Notice

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-09

    ...] Neurological Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Amendment of Notice AGENCY: Food and Drug... notice of meeting of the Neurological Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee. This... INFORMATION: In the Federal Register of February 7, 2011, FDA announced that a meeting of the Neurological...

  13. Challenges in the Assessment of Medical Devices: The MedtecHTA Project.

    PubMed

    Tarricone, Rosanna; Torbica, Aleksandra; Drummond, Michael

    2017-02-01

    Assessing medical devices (MDs) raises challenges which require us to reflect on whether current methods are adequate. Major features of devices are: (i) device-operator interaction can generate learning curve effects; (ii) incremental nature of innovation needs to be addressed by careful identification of the alternatives for comparative and incremental cost-effectiveness analysis; and (iii) broader organizational impact in terms of training and infrastructure, coupled with dynamic pricing, requires a more flexible approach to costing. The objective of the MedtecHTA project was to investigate improvements in HTA methods to allow for more comprehensive evaluation of MDs. It consisted of several work packages concerning (i) the available evidence on the currently adopted approaches for regulation and HTA of medical devices; (ii) the geographical variation in access to MDs; (iii) the development of methodological frameworks for conducting comparative effectiveness research and economic evaluation of MDs; and (iv) the organizational impact of MDs. This introductory paper summarizes the main results of the project and draws out the main overarching themes. This supplement represents a comprehensive report of all the main findings of the MedtecHTA project, and it is intended to be the main source for researchers and policy makers wanting information on the project. © 2017 The Authors. Health Economics published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. © 2017 The Authors. Health Economics Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  14. ‘It's on my iPhone’: attitudes to the use of mobile computing devices in medical education, a mixed-methods study

    PubMed Central

    Wallace, Sean; Clark, Marcia; White, Jonathan

    2012-01-01

    Objective The last decade has seen the introduction of new technology which has transformed many aspects of our culture, commerce, communication and education. This study examined how medical teachers and learners are using mobile computing devices such as the iPhone in medical education and practice, and how they envision them being used in the future. Design Semistructured interviews were conducted with medical students, residents and faculty to examine participants’ attitudes about the current and future use of mobile computing devices in medical education and practice. A thematic approach was used to summarise ideas and concepts expressed, and to develop an online survey. A mixed methods approach was used to integrate qualitative and quantitative findings. Setting and participants Medical students, residents and faculty at a large Canadian medical school in 2011. Results Interviews were conducted with 18 participants (10 students, 7 residents and 1 faculty member). Only 213 participants responded to the online survey (76 students, 65 residents and 41 faculty members). Over 85% of participants reported using a mobile-computing device. The main uses described for mobile devices related to information management, communication and time management. Advantages identified were portability, flexibility, access to multimedia and the ability to look up information quickly. Challenges identified included: superficial learning, not understanding how to find good learning resources, distraction, inappropriate use and concerns about access and privacy. Both medical students and physicians expressed the view that the use of these devices in medical education and practice will increase in the future. Conclusions This new technology offers the potential to enhance learning and patient care, but also has potential problems associated with its use. It is important for leadership in medical schools and healthcare organisations to set the agenda in this rapidly developing area

  15. 31 CFR 595.513 - In-kind donations of medicine, medical devices, and medical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false In-kind donations of medicine, medical... donations of medicine, medical devices, and medical services. (a) Effective July 6, 2006, nongovernmental organizations that are U.S. persons are authorized to provide in-kind donations of medicine, medical devices...

  16. 31 CFR 595.513 - In-kind donations of medicine, medical devices, and medical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false In-kind donations of medicine, medical... donations of medicine, medical devices, and medical services. (a) Effective July 6, 2006, nongovernmental organizations that are U.S. persons are authorized to provide in-kind donations of medicine, medical devices...

  17. 31 CFR 595.513 - In-kind donations of medicine, medical devices, and medical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false In-kind donations of medicine, medical... donations of medicine, medical devices, and medical services. (a) Effective July 6, 2006, nongovernmental organizations that are U.S. persons are authorized to provide in-kind donations of medicine, medical devices...

  18. 31 CFR 595.513 - In-kind donations of medicine, medical devices, and medical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false In-kind donations of medicine, medical... donations of medicine, medical devices, and medical services. (a) Effective July 6, 2006, nongovernmental organizations that are U.S. persons are authorized to provide in-kind donations of medicine, medical devices...

  19. [Industry regulation and its relationship to the rapid marketing of medical devices].

    PubMed

    Matsuoka, Atsuko

    2012-01-01

    In the market of medical devices, non-Japanese products hold a large part even in Japan. To overcome this situation, the Japanese government has been announcing policies to encourage the medical devices industry, such as the 5-year strategy for medical innovation (June 6, 2012). The Division of Medical Devices has been contributing to rapid marketing of medical devices by working out the standards for approval review and accreditation of medical devices, guidances on evaluation of medical devices with emerging technology, and test methods for biological safety evaluation of medical devices, as a part of practice in the field of regulatory science. The recent outcomes are 822 standards of accreditation for Class II medical devices, 14 guidances on safety evaluation of medical devices with emerging technology, and the revised test methods for biological safety evaluation (MHLW Notification by Director, OMDE, Yakushokuki-hatsu 0301 No. 20 "Basic Principles of Biological Safety Evaluation Required for Application for Approval to Market Medical Devices").

  20. HOSPITAL-BASED HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT FOR THE ADOPTION OF INNOVATIVE MEDICAL DEVICES WITHIN FRENCH HOSPITALS: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR INDUSTRY.

    PubMed

    Dutot, Camille; Mercier, Grégoire; Borget, Isabelle; de Sauvebeuf, Côme; Martelli, Nicolas

    2017-01-01

    Within French university hospitals, some internal committees are in charge of conducting hospital-based health technology assessment (Hb-HTA) to support managerial decisions regarding the adoption of innovations. For manufacturers, hospitals are usually the entry point for new and innovative medical devices, which cannot be accessed without the Hb-HTA committees' approval. Thus, the main objective of this pilot survey was to explore manufacturers' insights into Hb-HTA processes. A two-step pilot survey was conducted in 2014. First, semi-structured phone interviews were carried out to capture manufacturers' feedback on the Hb-HTA procedure. Second, a prospective and iterative questionnaire designed to explore manufacturers' market access strategies was administered. Eight manufacturers from the medical device industry completed the retrospective phone interviews, and five of them participated in the prospective survey. According to the overall feedback, the Hb-HTA process timeline and transparency are major issues, and the expectations of internal committees, especially in terms of clinical evidence, remain difficult to understand. However, despite this and due to the complexity of reimbursement processes at the national level, manufacturers are increasingly considering hospital adoption through Hb-HTA submission as a viable market access and coverage opportunity. Our study reaffirms the primary role of hospitals in the diffusion of innovative medical devices. However, to ensure efficient and broad access to innovation, cooperation between local and national HTA bodies is critical and should be promoted.

  1. Home Use Devices: How to Prepare for and Handle Power Outages for Medical Devices That Require Electricity

    MedlinePlus

    ... Handle Power Outages for Medical Devices that Require Electricity Center for De CDRH vices and Rad lth ... Handle Power Outages for Medical Devices that Require Electricity As a home medical device user, it is ...

  2. Nurses' use of mobile devices to access information in health care environments in australia: a survey of undergraduate students.

    PubMed

    Mather, Carey; Cummings, Elizabeth; Allen, Penny

    2014-12-10

    The growth of digital technology has created challenges for safe and appropriate use of mobile or portable devices during work-integrated learning (WIL) in health care environments. Personal and professional use of technology has outpaced the development of policy or codes of practice for guiding its use at the workplace. There is a perceived risk that portable devices may distract from provision of patient or client care if used by health professionals or students during employment or WIL. This study aimed to identify differences in behavior of undergraduate nurses in accessing information, using a portable or mobile device, when undertaking WIL compared to other non-work situations. A validated online survey was administered to students while on placement in a range of health care settings in two Australian states. There were 84 respondents, with 56% (n=47) reporting access to a mobile or portable device. Differences in use of a mobile device away from, compared with during WIL, were observed for non-work related activities such as messaging (P<.001), social networking (P<.001), shopping on the Internet (P=.01), conducting personal business online (P=.01), and checking or sending non-work related texts or emails to co-workers (P=.04). Study-related activities were conducted more regularly away from the workplace and included accessing University sites for information (P=.03) and checking or sending study-related text messages or emails to friends or co-workers (P=.01). Students continued to access nursing, medical, professional development, and study-related information away from the workplace. Undergraduate nurses limit their access to non-work or non-patient centered information while undertaking WIL. Work-related mobile learning is being undertaken, in situ, by the next generation of nurses who expect easy access to mobile or portable devices at the workplace, to ensure safe and competent care is delivered to their patients.

  3. 28 CFR 115.182 - Access to emergency medical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... medical services. (a) Detainee victims of sexual abuse in lockups shall receive timely, unimpeded access to emergency medical treatment. (b) Treatment services shall be provided to the victim without... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Access to emergency medical services. 115...

  4. 28 CFR 115.182 - Access to emergency medical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... medical services. (a) Detainee victims of sexual abuse in lockups shall receive timely, unimpeded access to emergency medical treatment. (b) Treatment services shall be provided to the victim without... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Access to emergency medical services. 115...

  5. 28 CFR 115.182 - Access to emergency medical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... medical services. (a) Detainee victims of sexual abuse in lockups shall receive timely, unimpeded access to emergency medical treatment. (b) Treatment services shall be provided to the victim without... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Access to emergency medical services. 115...

  6. The current situation and development of medical device testing institutes in China.

    PubMed

    Yang, Xiaofang; Mu, Ruihong; Fan, Yubo; Wang, Chunren; Li, Deyu

    2017-04-01

    This article analyses the current situation and development of Chinese medical device testing institutes from the perspectives of the two most important functions - testing functions and medical device standardization functions. Areas Covered: The objective of the Chinese government regulations for medical device industry is to ensure the safety and effectiveness of medical devices for Chinese patients. To support the regulation system, the Chinese government has established medical device testing institutes at different levels for example, the national, provincial, and municipal levels. These testing institutes also play an important role in technical support during medical device premarket registration and post market surveillance, they are also the vital practitioners of Chinese medical device standardization. Expert Commentary: Chinese medical device testing institutes are technical departments established by government, and serve the regulatory functions of government agency. In recent years, with the rapid development of medical device industry as well as constantly increasing international and domestic medical device market, the importance of medical device testing institute is more prominent, However, there are still some problems unsolved, such as their overall capacity remains to be improved, construction of standardization is to be strengthened, etc.

  7. 76 FR 45268 - Reprocessing of Reusable Medical Devices

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-28

    ... personal information provided. For additional information on submitting comments, see the ``Comments... problems in all steps of medical device reprocessing,\\1\\ including cleaning, disinfecting, and sterilizing... following issues: 1. What are the nature, scope, and impact of reusable medical device reprocessing problems...

  8. Access to continued-use medication among older adults, Brazil

    PubMed Central

    Viana, Karynna Pimentel; Brito, Alexandre dos Santos; Rodrigues, Claudia Soares; Luiz, Ronir Raggio

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence and associated access factors for all continued-use prescription drugs and the ways in which they can be obtained. METHODS Data was obtained from the 2008 Household National Survey. The sample comprised 27,333 individuals above 60 years who reported that they used continued-use prescription drugs. A descriptive analysis and binary and multiple multinomial logistic regressions were performed. RESULTS 86.0% of the older adults had access to all the medication they needed, and among them, 50.7% purchased said medication. Those who obtained medication from the public health system were younger (60-64 years), did not have health insurance plans, and belonged to the lower income groups. It is remarkable that 14.0% of the subjects still had no access to any continued-use medication, and for those with more than four chronic diseases, this amount reached 22.0%. Those with a greater number of chronic diseases ran a higher risk of not having access to all the medication they needed. CONCLUSIONS There are some groups of older adults with an increased risk of not obtaining all the medication they need and of purchasing it. The results of this study are expected to contribute to guide programs and plans for access to medication in Brazil. PMID:25741646

  9. 77 FR 16239 - Medical Device User Fee Act; Public Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-03-20

    ...] Medical Device User Fee Act; Public Meeting AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. ACTION: Notice of... public meeting to discuss proposed recommendations for the reauthorization of the Medical Device User Fee... use them for the process for the review of medical device applications. The current legislative...

  10. 76 FR 36548 - Circulatory System Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-22

    ...] Circulatory System Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Food and... of Committee: Circulatory System Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee. General... also comes with a sheath, introducer, loader, dilator, balloon (used to pre-dilate the native annulus...

  11. Impact of sanctions on procurement of medicine and medical devices in Iran; a technical response.

    PubMed

    Hosseini, Seyed Alireza

    2013-12-01

    Following recent sanctions on foreign trade, financial and banking services, Iran has faced major difficulties for importing medicines (both finished products and pharmaceutical raw materials) and medical devices. Problems with money transfer have made it extremely lengthy in time to import medicine and medical devices and these have negatively affected access to and affordability of medicines. Quality of pharmaceuticals and treatment of patients have also been affected due to changing the sources of imported medicines and raw materials for locally produced pharmaceuticals. Several interventions have been employed during the past few months in Iran to overcome the effects imposed by recent sanctions and drug shortages have been managed to some extent with attempts made by Iran Food and Drug Organization (IRI FDO). As recommended by the experts, a specific Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication line should be allocated for transferring money for medicines and medical devices and certain financial institutions are assigned for this purpose. It is also suggested that defining a white list of Iranian pharmaceuticals and medical device companies together with their foreign counterparts would facilitate this process. It appears that, in a public health prospective, ordinary people and patients are hurt and paying the cost for current sanctions. It remains the responsibility of the public health and international communities to separate public health from politics and to ease the pain of public from sanctions.

  12. 75 FR 14170 - Medical Device Epidemiology Network: Developing Partnership Between the Center for Devices and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-03-24

    ... methods for medical device comparative analyses, best practices and best design and analysis methods. II... the performance of medical devices (including comparative effectiveness studies). The centers...

  13. Medical devices; hematology and pathology devices; classification of the Factor V Leiden DNA mutation detection systems devices. Final rule.

    PubMed

    2004-03-16

    The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is classifying the Factor V Leiden deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) mutation detections systems device into class II (special controls). The special control that will apply to the device is the guidance document entitled "Class II Special Controls Guidance Document: Factor V Leiden DNA Mutation Detection Systems." The agency is taking this action in response to a petition submitted under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the act) as amended by the Medical Device Amendments of 1976 (the 1976 amendments), the Safe Medical Devices Act of 1990 (SMDA), the Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act of 1997 (FDAMA), and the Medical Device User Fee and Modernization Act of 2002. The agency is classifying this device into class II (special controls) in order to provide a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness of the device. Elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, FDA is publishing a notice of availability of a guidance document that is the special control for this device.

  14. Emergency intraosseous access in a helicopter emergency medical service: a retrospective study.

    PubMed

    Sunde, Geir A; Heradstveit, Bård E; Vikenes, Bjarne H; Heltne, Jon K

    2010-10-07

    Intraosseous access (IO) is a method for providing vascular access in out-of-hospital resuscitation of critically ill and injured patients when traditional intravenous access is difficult or impossible. Different intraosseous techniques have been used by our Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) since 2003. Few articles document IO use by HEMS physicians. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of intraosseous access in pre-hospital emergency situations handled by our HEMS. We reviewed all medical records from the period May 2003 to April 2010, and compared three different techniques: Bone Injection Gun (B.I.G® - Waismed), manual bone marrow aspiration needle (Inter V - Medical Device Technologies) and EZ-IO® (Vidacare), used on both adults and paediatric patients. During this seven-year period, 78 insertion attempts were made on 70 patients. Overall success rates were 50% using the manual needle, 55% using the Bone Injection Gun, and 96% using the EZ-IO®. Rates of success on first attempt were significantly higher using the EZ-IO® compared to the manual needle/Bone Injection Gun (p < 0.01/p < 0.001). Fifteen failures were due to insertion-related problems (19.2%), with four technical problems (5.1%) and three extravasations (3.8%) being the most frequent causes. Intraosseous access was primarily used in connection with 53 patients in cardiac arrest (75.7%), including traumatic arrest, drowning and SIDS. Other diagnoses were seven patients with multi-trauma (10.0%), five with seizures/epilepsy (7.1%), three with respiratory failure (4.3%) and two others (2.9%). Nearly one third of all insertions (n = 22) were made in patients younger than two years. No cases of osteomyelitis or other serious complications were documented on the follow-up. Newer intraosseous techniques may enable faster and more reliable vascular access, and this can lower the threshold for intraosseous access on both adult and paediatric patients in critical situations. We believe

  15. Emergency intraosseous access in a helicopter emergency medical service: a retrospective study

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Background Intraosseous access (IO) is a method for providing vascular access in out-of-hospital resuscitation of critically ill and injured patients when traditional intravenous access is difficult or impossible. Different intraosseous techniques have been used by our Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) since 2003. Few articles document IO use by HEMS physicians. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of intraosseous access in pre-hospital emergency situations handled by our HEMS. Methods We reviewed all medical records from the period May 2003 to April 2010, and compared three different techniques: Bone Injection Gun (B.I.G® - Waismed), manual bone marrow aspiration needle (Inter V - Medical Device Technologies) and EZ-IO® (Vidacare), used on both adults and paediatric patients. Results During this seven-year period, 78 insertion attempts were made on 70 patients. Overall success rates were 50% using the manual needle, 55% using the Bone Injection Gun, and 96% using the EZ-IO®. Rates of success on first attempt were significantly higher using the EZ-IO® compared to the manual needle/Bone Injection Gun (p < 0.01/p < 0.001). Fifteen failures were due to insertion-related problems (19.2%), with four technical problems (5.1%) and three extravasations (3.8%) being the most frequent causes. Intraosseous access was primarily used in connection with 53 patients in cardiac arrest (75.7%), including traumatic arrest, drowning and SIDS. Other diagnoses were seven patients with multi-trauma (10.0%), five with seizures/epilepsy (7.1%), three with respiratory failure (4.3%) and two others (2.9%). Nearly one third of all insertions (n = 22) were made in patients younger than two years. No cases of osteomyelitis or other serious complications were documented on the follow-up. Conclusions Newer intraosseous techniques may enable faster and more reliable vascular access, and this can lower the threshold for intraosseous access on both adult and paediatric

  16. Polymer coating embolism from intravascular medical devices - a clinical literature review.

    PubMed

    Chopra, Amitabh M; Mehta, Monik; Bismuth, Jean; Shapiro, Maksim; Fishbein, Michael C; Bridges, Alina G; Vinters, Harry V

    Over the past three decades, lubricious (hydrophobic and/or hydrophilic) polymer-coated devices have been increasingly adopted by interventional physicians and vascular surgeons to access and treat a wider range of clinical presentations. Recent clinical literature highlights the presence of polymer coating emboli within the anatomy - a result of coating separation from an intravascular device - and associates it with a range of adverse clinical sequelae. The 2015 U.S. Food and Drug Administration safety communication titled "Lubricious Coating Separation from Intravascular Medical Devices" acknowledges these concerns and concludes that it will work with stakeholders to develop nonclinical test methodologies, establish performance criteria, and identify gaps in current national and international device standards for coating integrity performance. Despite this communication and multiple case reports from interventional physicians, pathologists, dermatologists and other involved physician specialties, polymer coating embolism remains clinically underrecognized. This article consolidates the available literature on polymer coating embolism (1986-2016) and highlights the following relevant information for the physician: (a) the history and elusive nature of polymer coating embolism; (b) potential incidence rates of this phenomenon; (c) reported histologic findings and clinical effects of polymer emboli in the anatomy; (d) the importance of the collaborative clinician-pathologist partnership to report polymer embolism findings; and (e) the importance to study particulate release from intravascular devices so as to further understand and potentially evolve coated interventional technologies. Preliminary research on coatings highlights the potential of using iterations of coatings on medical devices that attain the desired therapeutic result and mitigate or eliminate particulates altogether. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. 76 FR 55398 - Immunology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee: Notice of Postponement of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-09-07

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2011-N-0002] Immunology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee: Notice of Postponement of Meeting AGENCY... postponing the meeting of the Immunology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee scheduled...

  18. 77 FR 25183 - Circulatory System Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-04-27

    ...] Circulatory System Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Food and... of Committee: Circulatory System Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee. General..., introducer, loader, dilator, balloon (used to pre-dilate the native annulus) and a crimper. FDA intends to...

  19. 75 FR 57968 - Gastroenterology and Urology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-23

    ...] Gastroenterology and Urology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting AGENCY... public. Name of Committee: Gastroenterology and Urology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory... committee will discuss, make recommendations, and vote on information related to the PMA for the LAP-BAND...

  20. Enabling Medical Device Interoperability for the Integrated Clinical Environment

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-12-01

    else who is eager to work together to mature the healthcare technology ecosystem to enable the next generation of safe and intelligent medical device...Award Number: W81XWH-12-C-0154 TITLE: “Enabling Medical Device Interoperability for the Integrated Clinical Environment ” PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR...SUBTITLE 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER W81XWH-12-C-0154 “Enabling Medical Device Interoperability for the Integrated Clinical Environment ” 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c

  1. Quality management for the processing of medical devices

    PubMed Central

    Klosz, Kerstin

    2008-01-01

    Rules on the reprocessing of medical devices were put into place in Germany in 2001. The present article explains the background situation and the provisions that are currently in force. The implementation of these statutory requirements is described using the example of the quality management system of Germany’s market leader, Vanguard AG. This quality management system was successfully certified pursuant to DIN EN ISO 13485:2003 for the scope "reprocessing of medical devices", including class “critical C”, in accordance with the recommendation of the Commission for Hospital Hygiene and the Prevention of Infection at the Robert-Koch-Institute (RKI) and the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) on the “Hygiene requirements for reprocessing of medical devices”. PMID:20204094

  2. The FDA's role in medical device clinical studies of human subjects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saviola, James

    2005-03-01

    This paper provides an overview of the United States Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) role as a regulatory agency in medical device clinical studies involving human subjects. The FDA's regulations and responsibilities are explained and the device application process discussed. The specific medical device regulatory authorities are described as they apply to the development and clinical study of retinal visual prosthetic devices. The FDA medical device regulations regarding clinical studies of human subjects are intended to safeguard the rights and safety of subjects. The data gathered in pre-approval clinical studies provide a basis of valid scientific evidence in order to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of a medical device. The importance of a working understanding of applicable medical device regulations from the beginning of the device development project is emphasized particularly for novel, complex products such as implantable visual prosthetic devices.

  3. The grays of medical device color additives.

    PubMed

    Seidman, Brenda

    2014-01-01

    The United States' medical device color additive regulations are unknown to some, and confusing to many. This article reviews statutory language on color additives in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), as amended, including the Delaney Clause on carcinogenicity; color additive regulatory language as it relates to medical devices in Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.), Parts 70-82; reports on the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) likely current and historical practices in dealing with color additives in medical devices; and speculates on what may have given rise to decades of seemingly ad hoc color additives practices, which may now be difficult to reconstruct and satisfactorily modify. Also addressed is the Center for Devices and Radiological Health's (CDRH's) recent publicly-vetted approach to color additives in Section 7 of its April 2013 draft guidance, Use of International Standard ISO-10993, "Biological Evaluation of Medical Devices Part 1: Evaluation and Testing," which the author concludes is a change in the right direction, but which, at least in its current draft form, is not a fix to the CDRH's color additives dilemma. Lastly, the article suggests what the CDRH might consider in further developing a new approach to color additives. Such an approach would treat color additives as if they were any other potentially toxic group of chemicals, and could be fashioned in such a way that the CDRH could still satisfy the broad aspects of Congressional color additives mandates, and.yet be consistent with ISO 10993. In doing this, the CDRH would need to recommend a more directed use of its Quality System Regulation, 21 C.F.R. Part 820, for material and vendor qualification and validation in general; approach Congress for needed statutory changes; or make administrative changes. In order for any approach to be successful, whether it is a new twist on past practices, or an entirely new path forward, the FDA must, to the best of its

  4. A primer on intraosseous access: History, clinical considerations, and current devices.

    PubMed

    Burgert, James M

    2016-01-01

    Intraosseous (IO) access is a method recommended by the American Heart Association and the European Resuscitation Council to administer resuscitative drugs and fluids when intravenous (IV) access cannot be rapidly or easily obtained. Many clinicians have limited knowledge or experience with the IO route. The purpose of this review was to provide the reader with a succinct review of the history, clinical considerations, and devices associated with IO access. Narrative review. University-based academic research cell. Not applicable. Not applicable. IO access is a lifesaving bridge to definitive vascular access that may be considered when an IV cannot be rapidly attained and the patient's outcome may be negatively affected without prompt circulatory access. The IO route has few contraindications for use and a low rate of serious complications. Multiple manual and powered devices that may be placed in several anatomic sites are commercially available. All clinicians who provide acute care or respond to cardiovascular emergencies should obtain training and maintain proficiency in placing and using IO devices as the IO route is recommended by the major resuscitation organizations as the preferred route of infusion when rapid, reliable IV access is unavailable.

  5. Accessible virtual reality therapy using portable media devices.

    PubMed

    Bruck, Susan; Watters, Paul A

    2010-01-01

    Simulated immersive environments displayed on large screens are a valuable therapeutic asset in the treatment of a range of psychological disorders. Permanent environments are expensive to build and maintain, require specialized clinician training and technical support and often have limited accessibility for clients. Ideally, virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) could be accessible to the broader community if we could use inexpensive hardware with specifically designed software. This study tested whether watching a handheld non-immersive media device causes nausea and other cybersickness responses. Using a repeated measure design we found that nausea, general discomfort, eyestrain, blurred vision and an increase in salivation significantly increased in response to handheld non-immersive media device exposure.

  6. Open Access Publishing in the Field of Medical Informatics.

    PubMed

    Kuballa, Stefanie

    2017-05-01

    The open access paradigm has become an important approach in today's information and communication society. Funders and governments in different countries stipulate open access publications of funded research results. Medical informatics as part of the science, technology and medicine disciplines benefits from many research funds, such as National Institutes of Health in the US, Wellcome Trust in UK, German Research Foundation in Germany and many more. In this study an overview of the current open access programs and conditions of major journals in the field of medical informatics is presented. It was investigated whether there are suitable options and how they are shaped. Therefore all journals in Thomson Reuters Web of Science that were listed in the subject category "Medical Informatics" in 2014 were examined. An Internet research was conducted by investigating the journals' websites. It was reviewed whether journals offer an open access option with a subsequent check of conditions as for example the type of open access, the fees and the licensing. As a result all journals in the field of medical informatics that had an impact factor in 2014 offer an open access option. A predominantly consistent pricing range was determined with an average fee of 2.248 € and a median fee of 2.207 €. The height of a journals' open access fee did not correlate with the height of its Impact Factor. Hence, medical informatics journals have recognized the trend of open access publishing, though the vast majority of them are working with the hybrid method. Hybrid open access may however lead to problems in questions of double dipping and the often stipulated gold open access.

  7. Medical devices manufactured from latex: European regulatory initiatives.

    PubMed

    De Jong, W H; Geertsma, R E; Tinkler, J J B

    2002-05-01

    In Europe the marketing of medical devices manufactured from latex is regulated by directives describing the essential (safety) requirements that products have to fulfill to obtain marketing approval. This paper describes the general requirements for marketing medical devices in Europe and, more specifically, the requirements for products manufactured from natural rubber latex. The requirements for marketing medical devices can be fulfilled by using the relevant harmonized European standards. These standards are regularly under revision to incorporate the latest scientific developments. For certain devices, for example, latex medical (examination and surgical) gloves, specific standards have been published. Medical devices manufactured from latex pose a serious problem because of the risk of induction of allergy both against the latex proteins inherently present (type I or immediate type allergy) and against chemicals added during processing (type IV or delayed type hypersensitivity) present as residues in the latex products. So, besides requirements for product quality in terms of barrier properties, strength, and sterility, the main focus consists of the allergy-inducing properties of the latex products. Recent developments have reopened the discussion on the value of total protein versus allergen determination in latex medical gloves. However, as long as minimal levels needed for both sensitization and elicitation have not been established, a safe maximum level for leachable proteins/allergens in latex products cannot be determined. A European Commission guidance document on the latex allergy problem is currently being drafted by experts from Competent Authorities. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science (USA).

  8. Medical devices early assessment methods: systematic literature review.

    PubMed

    Markiewicz, Katarzyna; van Til, Janine A; IJzerman, Maarten J

    2014-04-01

    The aim of this study was to get an overview of current theory and practice in early assessments of medical devices, and to identify aims and uses of early assessment methods used in practice. A systematic literature review was conducted in September 2013, using computerized databases (PubMed, Science Direct, and Scopus), and references list search. Selected articles were categorized based on their type, objective, and main target audience. The methods used in the application studies were extracted and mapped throughout the early stages of development and for their particular aims. Of 1,961 articles identified, eighty-three studies passed the inclusion criteria, and thirty were included by searching reference lists. There were thirty-one theoretical papers, and eighty-two application papers included. Most studies investigated potential applications/possible improvement of medical devices, developed early assessment framework or included stakeholder perspective in early development stages. Among multiple qualitative and quantitative methods identified, only few were used more than once. The methods aim to inform strategic considerations (e.g., literature review), economic evaluation (e.g., cost-effectiveness analysis), and clinical effectiveness (e.g., clinical trials). Medical devices were often in the prototype product development stage, and the results were usually aimed at informing manufacturers. This study showed converging aims yet widely diverging methods for early assessment during medical device development. For early assessment to become an integral part of activities in the development of medical devices, methods need to be clarified and standardized, and the aims and value of assessment itself must be demonstrated to the main stakeholders for assuring effective and efficient medical device development.

  9. 77 FR 52741 - MDEpiNet 2012 Annual Meeting: The Medical Device Epidemiology Network as a Partnership for...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-30

    ...) proposed partnership structure and governance; (3) MDEpiNet as a framework for medical device postmarket.... 1061, Rockville, MD 20852 or electronic comments to http://www.regulations.gov . It is only necessary... transcript is available, it will be accessible at http://www.regulations.gov . It may be viewed at the...

  10. Cybersecurity and the Medical Device Product Development Lifecycle.

    PubMed

    Jones, Richard W; Katzis, Konstantinos

    2017-01-01

    Protecting connected medical devices from evolving cyber related threats, requires a continuous lifecycle approach whereby cybersecurity is integrated within the product development lifecycle and both complements and re-enforces the safety risk management processes therein. This contribution reviews the guidance relating to medical device cybersecurity within the product development lifecycle.

  11. Establishment of a public docket for medical device/radiological health policy statements and operating procedure guides--FDA. Notice.

    PubMed

    1993-07-27

    The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing that it is establishing a public docket for policy speeches, policy statements, and standard operating procedure guides pertaining to product evaluation and regulatory enforcement for its medical device and radiological health programs. The docket will operate on a 1-year trial basis and will serve both as a repository for critical policy documents generated by the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) and as a public display mechanism for access by representatives of the industry and other interested persons. This action is one element of an overall communications initiative to ensure uniform and timely access to important information.

  12. A newly developed oval-shaped port device (E•Z ACCESS Oval type) for use in reduced port surgery: initial clinical experiences with cholecystectomy.

    PubMed

    Shibao, Kazunori; Takagi, Tsuyoshi; Higure, Aiichiro; Yamaguchi, Koji

    2013-09-01

    We recently developed an oval-shaped E•Z Access device designed exclusively for use with the LAP PROTECTOR™ Oval type device (Hakko Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan). The transverse abdominal opening diameter made by round-shaped (Alexis® Wound Retractor, Applied Medical, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA; and LAP PROTECTOR™ Round type) and oval-shaped (LAP PROTECTOR™ Oval type) wound retractors was measured and compared in 5 patients with cholecystolithiasis. Each device was placed through a single 25-mm longitudinal umbilical incision, and the length of trocar separation was compared. LESS cholecystectomy was then performed using the oval-shaped E•Z ACCESS/LAP PROTECTOR™. The transverse abdominal opening diameter was maximized with the LAP PROTECTOR™ Oval type device. The average distance between the working-ports for the glove method, round-shaped, and oval-shaped E•Z ACCESS/LAP PROTECTOR™ devices in the 25-mm umbilical incisions were 20 ± 0.8 mm, 24 ± 1.5 mm, and 35 ± 0.8 mm, respectively. Wider trocar separation was achieved using the oval-shaped device, making the surgical procedures easier to perform. No perioperative port-related or surgical complications were observed. LESS cholecystectomy using the E•Z ACCESS Oval type device was found to be technically feasible. The Oval type device appears to allow for wider trocar separation, thereby reducing stress on the surgeon, ensuring patient safety, and providing cosmetic benefits.

  13. 75 FR 61507 - General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Amendment of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-10-05

    ...] General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Amendment of Notice... announcing an amendment to the notice of meeting of the General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the..., FDA announced that a meeting of the General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices...

  14. Older Adults’ Satisfaction with a Medication Dispensing Device in Home Care

    PubMed Central

    Demiris, George; Marek, Karen D.

    2014-01-01

    Introduction Older adults with multiple chronic conditions face the complex task of medication management involving multiple medications of varying doses at different times. Advances in telehealth technologies have resulted in home-based devices for medication management and health monitoring of older adults. We examined older adults’ perceptions of a telehealth medication dispensing device as part of a clinical trial involving home health care clients, nurse coordination and use of the medication dispensing device. Methods Ninety-six frail older adult participants who used the medication dispensing device for 12 months completed a satisfaction survey related to perceived usefulness and reliability. Results were analyzed and grouped by themes in the following areas: Ease of Use, Reliability, Medication Management Assistance, Routine Task Performance and Acceptability. Results Nearly all participants perceived the medication dispensing device as very easy to use, very reliable and helpful in management of their medications. Eighty-four percent of participants expressed a desire to use the machine in the future. Conclusion The technology-enhanced medication management device in this study is an acceptable tool for older adults to manage medication in collaboration with home care nurses. Improved usability and cost models for medication dispensers are areas for future research. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT01321853 PMID:23323721

  15. Challenges to validation of a complex nonsterile medical device tray.

    PubMed

    Prince, Daniel; Mastej, Jozef; Hoverman, Isabel; Chatterjee, Raja; Easton, Diana; Behzad, Daniela

    2014-01-01

    Validation by steam sterilization of reusable medical devices requires careful attention to many parameters that directly influence whether or not complete sterilization occurs. Complex implant/instrument tray systems have a variety of configurations and components. Geobacillus stearothermophilus biological indicators (BIs) are used in overkill cycles to to simulate worst case conditions and are intended to provide substantial sterilization assurance. Survival of G. stearothermophilus spores was linked to steam access and size of load in the chamber. By a small and reproducible margin, it was determined that placement of the trays in a rigid container into minimally loaded chambers were more difficult to completely sterilize than maximally loaded chambers.

  16. 75 FR 47606 - General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-06

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2010-N-0001] General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of... General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee scheduled for August...

  17. 77 FR 67595 - Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-11-13

    ...-0003] RIN 3014-AA40 Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee AGENCY.... SUMMARY: The Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee (Committee) will hold... Equipment Accessibility Standards. DATES: The Committee will meet on December 3, 2012, from 10:00 a.m. to 5...

  18. [Design and application of implantable medical device information management system].

    PubMed

    Cao, Shaoping; Yin, Chunguang; Zhao, Zhenying

    2013-03-01

    Through the establishment of implantable medical device information management system, with the aid of the regional joint sharing of resources, we further enhance the implantable medical device traceability management level, strengthen quality management, control of medical risk.

  19. 78 FR 30928 - General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-23

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2013-N-0001] General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting... the public. Name of Committee: General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices...

  20. 75 FR 49940 - General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-16

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2010-N-0001] General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting... the public. Name of Committee: General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices...

  1. Design considerations for medical devices in the home environment.

    PubMed

    Kaufman-Rivi, Diana; Collins-Mitchell, Janette; Jetley, Raoul

    2010-01-01

    Patient demographics, economic forces, and technological advancements contribute to the rise in home care services. Advanced medical devices and equipment originally designed for use by trained personnel in hospitals and clinics are increasingly migrating into the home. Unlike the clinical setting, the home is an uncontrolled environment with additional hazards. The compatibility of the device with the recipient's knowledge, abilities, lifestyle, and home environment plays a significant role in their therapy and rehabilitation. The advent of new device technologies such as wireless devices and interoperability of systems lends a new and complex perspective for medical device use in the home that must also be addressed. Adequately assessing and matching the patient and their caregiver with the appropriate device technology while considering the suitability of the home environment for device operation and maintenance is a challenge that relies on good human factors principles. There is a need to address these challenges in the growing home care sector In this article, the authors take a look at some important considerations and design issues for medical devices used in the home care environment.

  2. Evaluation of modified work zone traffic control devices at business accesses

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2001-01-01

    Modified work zone traffic control devices at business accesses were evaluated on two Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) projects in 1999 and 2000. On one section project, blue Temporary Business Access" signs were used at business accesses d...

  3. 76 FR 7222 - Medical Device Innovation Initiative; Public Meeting; Request for Comments

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-02-09

    ...] Medical Device Innovation Initiative; Public Meeting; Request for Comments AGENCY: Food and Drug... Administration (FDA) is announcing a public meeting entitled ``CDRH's Medical Device Innovation Initiative Public... Center for Devices and Radiological Health's (CDRH) document, ``Medical Device Innovation Initiative...

  4. Nurses’ Use of Mobile Devices to Access Information in Health Care Environments in Australia: A Survey of Undergraduate Students

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background The growth of digital technology has created challenges for safe and appropriate use of mobile or portable devices during work-integrated learning (WIL) in health care environments. Personal and professional use of technology has outpaced the development of policy or codes of practice for guiding its use at the workplace. There is a perceived risk that portable devices may distract from provision of patient or client care if used by health professionals or students during employment or WIL. Objective This study aimed to identify differences in behavior of undergraduate nurses in accessing information, using a portable or mobile device, when undertaking WIL compared to other non-work situations. Methods A validated online survey was administered to students while on placement in a range of health care settings in two Australian states. Results There were 84 respondents, with 56% (n=47) reporting access to a mobile or portable device. Differences in use of a mobile device away from, compared with during WIL, were observed for non-work related activities such as messaging (P<.001), social networking (P<.001), shopping on the Internet (P=.01), conducting personal business online (P=.01), and checking or sending non-work related texts or emails to co-workers (P=.04). Study-related activities were conducted more regularly away from the workplace and included accessing University sites for information (P=.03) and checking or sending study-related text messages or emails to friends or co-workers (P=.01). Students continued to access nursing, medical, professional development, and study-related information away from the workplace. Conclusions Undergraduate nurses limit their access to non-work or non-patient centered information while undertaking WIL. Work-related mobile learning is being undertaken, in situ, by the next generation of nurses who expect easy access to mobile or portable devices at the workplace, to ensure safe and competent care is delivered to

  5. TAXONOMY OF MEDICAL DEVICES IN THE LOGIC OF HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT.

    PubMed

    Henschke, Cornelia; Panteli, Dimitra; Perleth, Matthias; Busse, Reinhard

    2015-01-01

    The suitability of general HTA methodology for medical devices is gaining interest as a topic of scientific discourse. Given the broad range of medical devices, there might be differences between groups of devices that impact both the necessity and the methods of their assessment. Our aim is to develop a taxonomy that provides researchers and policy makers with an orientation tool on how to approach the assessment of different types of medical devices. Several classifications for medical devices based on varying rationales for different regulatory and reporting purposes were analyzed in detail to develop a comprehensive taxonomic model. The taxonomy is based on relevant aspects of existing classification schemes incorporating elements of risk and functionality. Its 9 × 6 matrix distinguishes between the diagnostic or therapeutic nature of devices and considers whether the medical device is directly used by patients, constitutes part of a specific procedure, or can be used for a variety of procedures. We considered the relevance of different device categories in regard to HTA to be considerably variable, ranging from high to low. Existing medical device classifications cannot be used for HTA as they are based on different underlying logics. The developed taxonomy combines different device classification schemes used for different purposes. It aims at providing decision makers with a tool enabling them to consider device characteristics in detail across more than one dimension. The placement of device groups in the matrix can provide decision support on the necessity of conducting a full HTA.

  6. 76 FR 12743 - Medical Device Reporting; Malfunction Reporting Frequency

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-08

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2011-N-0097] Medical Device Reporting; Malfunction Reporting Frequency AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS... compliance with FDA's Medical Device Reporting regulation, pending future FDA notice under the Federal Food...

  7. Medical education and information literacy in the era of open access.

    PubMed

    Brower, Stewart M

    2010-01-01

    The Open Access movement in scholarly communications poses new issues and concerns for medical education in general and information literacy education specifically. For medical educators, Open Access can affect the availability of new information, instructional materials, and scholarship in medical education. For students, Open Access materials continue to be available to them post-graduation, regardless of affiliation. Libraries and information literacy librarians are challenged in their responses to the Open Access publishing movement in how best to support Open Access endeavors within their own institutions, and how best to educate their user base about Open Access in general.

  8. Instructions included? Make safety training part of medical device procurement process.

    PubMed

    Keller, James P

    2010-04-01

    Before hospitals embrace new technologies, it's important that medical personnel agree on how best to use them. Likewise, hospitals must provide the support to operate these sophisticated devices safely. With this in mind, it's wise for hospitals to include medical device training in the procurement process. Moreover, purchasing professionals can play a key role in helping to increase the amount of user training for medical devices and systems. What steps should you take to help ensure that new medical devices are implemented safely? Here are some tips.

  9. The potential of medical device industry in technological and economical context

    PubMed Central

    Maresova, Petra; Penhaker, Marek; Selamat, Ali; Kuca, Kamil

    2015-01-01

    The high quality of public health improves not only healthy life expectancy, but also the productivity of labor. The most important part of the health care sector is the medical technology industry. The aim of this study is to analyze the current situation in the medical device industry in Europe, its potential strengths and weaknesses in the context of topical economic and demographic development. The contribution specifies an analysis of the economic state of the medical device industry in the context of demographic development of European Union’s macroeconomic indicators and views of experts in the field of medical device development, concerning the opportunities for entities involved in the medical device market. There is fierce competition on the European market. The innovative activity is stable and well regulated by responsible authorities. Worldwide, the medical device market is expected to grow. PMID:26491337

  10. The potential of medical device industry in technological and economical context.

    PubMed

    Maresova, Petra; Penhaker, Marek; Selamat, Ali; Kuca, Kamil

    2015-01-01

    The high quality of public health improves not only healthy life expectancy, but also the productivity of labor. The most important part of the health care sector is the medical technology industry. The aim of this study is to analyze the current situation in the medical device industry in Europe, its potential strengths and weaknesses in the context of topical economic and demographic development. The contribution specifies an analysis of the economic state of the medical device industry in the context of demographic development of European Union's macroeconomic indicators and views of experts in the field of medical device development, concerning the opportunities for entities involved in the medical device market. There is fierce competition on the European market. The innovative activity is stable and well regulated by responsible authorities. Worldwide, the medical device market is expected to grow.

  11. 77 FR 14272 - Medical Devices; Immunology and Microbiology Devices; Classification of Norovirus Serological...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-03-09

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration 21 CFR Part 866 [Docket No. FDA-2012-N-0165] Medical Devices; Immunology and Microbiology Devices; Classification of Norovirus... AND MICROBIOLOGY DEVICES 0 1. The authority citation for 21 CFR part 866 continues to read as follows...

  12. NEED FOR HARMONIZATION OF LABELING OF MEDICAL DEVICES: A REVIEW

    PubMed Central

    Songara, Raiendra K.; Sharma, Ganesh N.; Gupta, Vipul K.; Gupta, Promila

    2010-01-01

    Medical device labeling is any information associated with a device targeted to the patient or lay caregiver. It is intended to help assure that the device is used safely and effectively. Medical device labeling is supplied in many formats, for example, as patient brochures, patient leaflets, user manuals, and videotapes. The European commission has discussed a series of agreements with third countries, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada, Japan and Eastern European countries wishing to join the EU, concerning the mutual acceptance of inspection bodies, proof of conformity in connection with medical devices. Device labeling is exceedingly difficult for manufacturers for many reasons like regulations from government bodies to ensure compliance, increased competent authority surveillance, increased audits and language requirements. PMID:22247840

  13. Standalone medical device software: The evolving regulatory framework.

    PubMed

    McCarthy, Avril D; Lawford, Patricia V

    2014-01-01

    The paper provides an introduction to the regulatory landscape affecting a particular category of medical technology, namely standalone software-sometimes referred to as 'software as a medical device'. To aid the reader's comprehension of an often complex area, six case studies are outlined and discussed before the paper continues to provide detail of how software with a medical purpose in its own right can potentially be classified as a medical device. The reader is provided an appreciation of how to go about classifying such software and references to support the developer new to the field in locating detailed regulatory support documents and contact points for advice.

  14. [Design of medical devices management system supporting full life-cycle process management].

    PubMed

    Su, Peng; Zhong, Jianping

    2014-03-01

    Based on the analysis of the present status of medical devices management, this paper optimized management process, developed a medical devices management system with Web technologies. With information technology to dynamic master the use of state of the entire life-cycle of medical devices. Through the closed-loop management with pre-event budget, mid-event control and after-event analysis, improved the delicacy management level of medical devices, optimized asset allocation, promoted positive operation of devices.

  15. The regulation of cognitive enhancement devices: extending the medical model

    PubMed Central

    Maslen, Hannah; Douglas, Thomas; Cohen Kadosh, Roi; Levy, Neil; Savulescu, Julian

    2014-01-01

    This article presents a model for regulating cognitive enhancement devices (CEDs). Recently, it has become very easy for individuals to purchase devices which directly modulate brain function. For example, transcranial direct current stimulators are increasingly being produced and marketed online as devices for cognitive enhancement. Despite posing risks in a similar way to medical devices, devices that do not make any therapeutic claims do not have to meet anything more than basic product safety standards. We present the case for extending existing medical device legislation to cover CEDs. Medical devices and CEDs operate by the same or similar mechanisms and pose the same or similar risks. This fact coupled with the arbitrariness of the line between treatment and enhancement count in favour of regulating these devices in the same way. In arguing for this regulatory model, the paper highlights potential challenges to its implementation, and suggests solutions. PMID:25243073

  16. Child Health and Access to Medical Care

    PubMed Central

    Leininger, Lindsey; Levy, Helen

    2016-01-01

    It might seem strange to ask whether increasing access to medical care can improve children’s health. Yet Lindsey Leininger and Helen Levy begin by pointing out that access to care plays a smaller role than we might think, and that many other factors, such as those discussed elsewhere in this issue, strongly influence children’s health. Nonetheless, they find that, on the whole, policies to improve access indeed improve children’s health, with the caveat that context plays a big role—medical care “matters more at some times, or for some children, than others.” Focusing on studies that can plausibly show a causal effect between policies to increase access and better health for children, and starting from an economic framework, they consider both the demand for and the supply of health care. On the demand side, they examine what happens when the government expands public insurance programs (such as Medicaid), or when parents are offered financial incentives to take their children to preventive appointments. On the supply side, they look at what happens when public insurance programs increase the payments that they offer to health-care providers, or when health-care providers are placed directly in schools where children spend their days. They also examine how the Affordable Care Act is likely to affect children’s access to medical care. Leininger and Levy reach three main conclusions. First, despite tremendous progress in recent decades, not all children have insurance coverage, and immigrant children are especially vulnerable. Second, insurance coverage alone doesn’t guarantee access to care, and insured children may still face barriers to getting the care they need. Finally, as this issue of Future of Children demonstrates, access to care is only one of the factors that policy makers should consider as they seek to make the nation’s children healthier. PMID:27516723

  17. Human factors and the FDA's goals: improved medical device design.

    PubMed

    Burlington, D B

    1996-01-01

    The Food and Drug Administration's new human factors design requirements for medical devices were previewed by the director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) at AAMI/FDA's Human Factors in Medical Devices Conference held in September 1995. Director Bruce Burlington, MD, said the FDA plans to take a closer look at how new medical devices are designed to ensure proper attention has been paid to human error prevention. As a medical practitioner who has witnessed use-related deaths and injuries, Burlington stressed the importance of the medical community's reporting use errors as they occur and manufacturers' creating easy-to-use labeling and packaging. He also called for simplicity and quality of design in medical products, and asked for a consolidated effort of all professionals involved in human factors issues to help implement and further the FDA's new human factors program. An edited version of his presentation appears here.

  18. Local production of medical technologies and its effect on access in low and middle income countries: a systematic review of the literature

    PubMed Central

    Kaplan, Warren Allan; Ritz, Lindsay Sarah; Vitello, Marie

    2011-01-01

    Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the existing theoretical and empirical literature examining the link between "local production" of pharmaceuticals and medical devices and increased local access to these products. Our preliminary hypothesis is that studies showing a robust relationship between local production and access to medical products are sparse, at best. Methods: An extensive literature search was conducted using a wide variety of databases and search terms intending to capture as many different aspects of this issue as possible. The results of the search were reviewed and categorized according to their relevance to the research question. The literature was also reviewed to determine the rigor used to examine the effects of local production and what implications these experiences hold for other developing countries. Results: Literature addressing the benefits of local production and the link between it and access to medical products is sparse, mainly descriptive and lacking empirical evidence. Of the literature we reviewed that addressed comparative economics and strategic planning of multinational and domestic firms, there are few dealing with emerging markets and lower-middle income countries and even fewer that compare local biomedical producers with multinational corporations in terms of a reasonable metric. What comparisons exist mainly relate to prices of local versus foreign/multinational produced medicines. Conclusions: An assessment of the existing theoretical and empirical literature examining the link between "local production" of pharmaceuticals and medical devices and increased local access to these products reveals a paucity of literature explicitly dealing with this issue. Of the literature that does exist, methods used to date are insufficient to prove a robust relationship between local production of medical products and access to these products. There are mixed messages from various studies, and although the studies may

  19. Image quality assessment for teledermatology: from consumer devices to a dedicated medical device

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amouroux, Marine; Le Cunff, Sébastien; Haudrechy, Alexandre; Blondel, Walter

    2017-03-01

    Aging population as well as growing incidence of type 2 diabetes induce a growing incidence of chronic skin disorders. In the meantime, chronic shortage of dermatologists leaves some areas underserved. Remote triage and assistance to homecare nurses (known as "teledermatology") appear to be promising solutions to provide dermatological valuation in a decent time to patients wherever they live. Nowadays, teledermatology is often based on consumer devices (digital tablets, smartphones, webcams) whose photobiological and electrical safety levels do not match with medical devices' levels. The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) has published recommendations on quality standards for teledermatology. This "quick guide" does not address the issue of image quality which is critical in domestic environments where lighting is rarely reproducible. Standardized approaches of image quality would allow clinical trial comparison, calibration, manufacturing quality control and quality insurance during clinical use. Therefore, we defined several critical metrics using calibration charts (color and resolution charts) in order to assess image quality such as resolution, lighting uniformity, color repeatability and discrimination of key couples of colors. Using such metrics, we compared quality of images produced by several medical devices (handheld and video-dermoscopes) as well as by consumer devices (digital tablet and cameras) widely spread among dermatologists practice. Since diagnosis accuracy may be impaired by "low quality-images", this study highlights that, from an optical point of view, teledermatology should only be performed using medical devices. Furthermore, a dedicated medical device should probably be developed for the time follow-up of skin lesions often managed in teledermatology such as chronic wounds that require i) noncontact imaging of ii) large areas of skin surfaces, both criteria that cannot be matched using dermoscopes.

  20. 21 CFR 801.15 - Medical devices; prominence of required label statements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Medical devices; prominence of required label statements. 801.15 Section 801.15 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES LABELING General Labeling Provisions § 801.15 Medical devices; prominence of required label statements. (a...

  1. From medical invention to clinical practice: the reimbursement challenge facing new device procedures and technology--part 2: coverage.

    PubMed

    Raab, G Gregory; Parr, David H

    2006-10-01

    This paper, the second of 3 that discuss the reimbursement challenges facing new medical device technology in various issues of this journal, explains the key aspects of coverage that affect the adoption of medical devices. The process Medicare uses to make coverage determinations has become more timely and open over the past several years, but it still lacks the predictability that product innovators prefer. The continued uncertainty surrounding evidence requirements undermines the predictability needed for optimal product planning and innovation. Recent steps taken by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to provide coverage in return for evidence development should provide patients with access to promising new technologies and procedures while generating important evidence concerning their effectiveness.

  2. 76 FR 65200 - General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee: Notice of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-10-20

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2011-N-0002] General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee: Notice of... Administration (FDA) is postponing the meeting of the General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical...

  3. [Licensing of Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices in Germany: Weaknesses and Opportunities].

    PubMed

    Reinhardt, D; Wildner, M

    2016-12-01

    The purpose of this study is to describe and compare the licensing of pharmaceuticals and medical devices in Germany. Weaknesses and opportunities of the respective processes are identified. Methods: To describe and compare the two approaches, a systematic literature review was conducted, followed by an archival analysis, guided by experts. Unstructured interviews were conducted with experts (users, financers, surveillants and producers) personally or by telephone to identify weaknesses and opportunities. The data were evaluated by content analysis according to Mayring and MAXQDA 11. The results were critically assessed by comparing them with the current academic literature. Results: A central market authorization for medical devices was mentioned often, but seems politically not viable. However, quality, methodology and depth of the analyses necessary for the licensing of medical devices, especially for high-risk devices, can and should strive for higher standards, comparable to those of pharmaceuticals. With regard to post-market surveillance, the systems for both pharmaceuticals and medical devices should be improved. Innovativeness and competitiveness of European medical device manufacturers should not be promoted by reduced evidence standards and patient safety. Subsidies or easier licensing procedures for small product lines with particular importance for public health, similar to orphan drug regulations, are more desirable. Conclusion: This study helps to identify areas of improvement for licensing of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Concrete recommendations were developed. Higher evidence standards should be mandatory especially for high-risk devices, comparable to those of pharmaceuticals. Post-marketing surveillance should be improved for pharmaceuticals and medical devices. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  4. 31 CFR 561.327 - Food, medicine, and medical devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Food, medicine, and medical devices... REGULATIONS General Definitions § 561.327 Food, medicine, and medical devices. (a) The term food means items...-grade gelatin powder, and peptones and their derivatives. (b) The term medicine has the same meaning...

  5. Enabling Medical Device Interoperability for the Integrated Clinical Environment

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-02-01

    Pajic M, Mangharam R, Sokolsky O, Arney D, Goldman JM, Lee I. Model-Driven Safety Analysis of Closed - Loop Medical Systems. IEEE Transactions on...Manigel J, Osborn D, Roellike T, Weininger S, Westenskow D, “Development of a Standard for Physiologic Closed Loop Controllers in Medical Devices...3 2010. 27. Arney D, Pajic M, Goldman JM, Lee I, Mangharam R, Sokolsky O, “Toward Patient Safety in Closed - Loop Medical Device Systems,” In

  6. Injection device-related risk management toward safe administration of medications: experience in a university teaching hospital in The People's Republic of China.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Ling-Ling; Li, Wei; Song, Ping; Zhou, Quan

    2014-01-01

    The use of injection devices to administer intravenous or subcutaneous medications is common practice throughout a variety of health care settings. Studies suggest that one-half of all harmful medication errors originate during drug administration; of those errors, about two-thirds involve injectables. Therefore, injection device management is pivotal to safe administration of medications. In this article, the authors summarize the relevant experiences by retrospective analysis of injection device-related near misses and adverse events in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, People's Republic of China. Injection device-related near misses and adverse events comprised the following: 1) improper selection of needle diameter for subcutaneous injection, material of infusion sets, and pore size of in-line filter; 2) complications associated with vascular access; 3) incidents induced by absence of efficient electronic pump management and infusion tube management; and 4) liquid leakage of chemotherapeutic infusion around the syringe needle. Safe injection drug use was enhanced by multidisciplinary collaboration, especially among pharmacists and nurses; drafting of clinical pathways in selection of vascular access; application of approaches such as root cause analysis using a fishbone diagram; plan-do-check-act and quality control circle; and construction of a culture of spontaneous reporting of near misses and adverse events. Pharmacists must be professional in regards to medication management and use. The depth, breadth, and efficiency of cooperation between nurses and pharmacists are pivotal to injection safety.

  7. [Better medical devices regulations for better health care: enlightenment for medical devices regulatory reform in China, from experiences of the E.U. and the U.S.A].

    PubMed

    Sun, Qin; Yan, Liang

    2006-01-01

    The expansion of applications of medical devices has attracted the increased attention of government regulatory bodies around the world to the safety and effectiveness of these products. Most developed countries, such as the United States and European Union, have developed well-established regulatory systems for medical devices, which have also consistently been amended to accommodate the changing requirements of safety and the trend of globalization.The current "Regulations for the Supervision and Administration of Medical Device (China)", established in 2000, has brought about great improvements for the safety and effectiveness of products, safeguarding public health. But there are still, at present, a lot of counterfeit and poor quality devices and device-related adverse events for lack of powerful post -market and in-use regulatory controls for products. It is therefore very urgent for the Chinese government to reform its medical device administration and management. This research paper analyses and compares the different requirements and executions of medical devices regulations in the EU, the US and China, to draw some experiences of the EU and US regimes that are very useful to China's regulatory reform. It is suggested that when developing a new scheme of medical devices regulatory reform in China, two prominent aspects have to be considered by policy makers and regulators. Firstly, the global trend of medical devices regulations has to be taken into account. Secondly, the experiences learned from the EU and US systems should be applied to the Chinese regulatory reform in combination with the concrete practice of China.

  8. Poverty, Transportation Access, and Medication Nonadherence.

    PubMed

    Hensley, Caroline; Heaton, Pamela C; Kahn, Robert S; Luder, Heidi R; Frede, Stacey M; Beck, Andrew F

    2018-04-01

    Variability in primary medication nonadherence (PMN), or failure to fill a new prescription, influences disparities and widens equity gaps. This study sought to evaluate PMN across 1 metropolitan area and assess relationships with underlying zip code-level measures. This was a retrospective observational study using data extracted from 1 regional community pharmacy market-share leader (October 2016-April 2017). Data included patient age, sex, payer, medication type, and home zip code. This zip code was connected to US census measures enumerating poverty and vehicle access, which were treated as continuous variables and within quintiles. The prescription-level outcome was whether prescriptions were not filled within 30 days of reaching the pharmacy. The ecological-level outcome was PMN calculated for each zip code (numerator, unfilled prescriptions; denominator, received prescriptions). There were 213 719 prescriptions received by 54 included pharmacies; 12.2% were unfilled. Older children, boys, and those with public insurance were more likely to have prescriptions not filled. Prescriptions originating from the highest poverty quintile were significantly more likely to not be filled than those from the lowest poverty quintile (adjusted odds ratio 1.60; 95% confidence interval 1.52-1.69); a similar pattern was noted for vehicle access (adjusted odds ratio 1.77; 95% confidence interval 1.68-1.87). At the ecological level, there were significant, graded relationships between PMN rates and poverty and vehicle access (both P < .0001); these gradients extended across all medication classes. Poverty and vehicle access are related to significant differences in prescription- and ecological-level PMN across 1 metropolitan area. Pharmacists and pharmacies can be key partners in population health efforts. Copyright © 2018 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  9. ACCESS, SOURCES AND VALUE OF NEW MEDICAL INFORMATION - VIEWS OF FINAL YEAR MEDICAL STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI

    PubMed Central

    Gituma, Adrian; Masika, Moses; Muchangi, Eric; Nyagah, Lily; Otieno, Vincent; Irimu, Grace; Wasunna, Aggrey; Ndiritu, Moses; English, Mike

    2009-01-01

    Background Globally many doctors, particularly in low-income countries, have no formal training in using new information to improve their practice. As a first step clinicians must have access to information and so we explored reported access in graduating medical students in Nairobi. Objectives To evaluate final year medical students’ access to new medical information. Methods A cross-sectional survey of fifth (final) year medical students at the University of Nairobi using anonymous, self-administered questionnaires. Findings Questionnaires were distributed to 291 (85%) of a possible 343 students and returned by 152 (44%). Within the previous 12 months half reported accessing some form of new medical information most commonly from books and the internet. However, only a small number reported regular access and specific, new journal articles were rarely accessed. Absence of internet facilities, slow internet speeds and cost were common barriers to access while current training seems rarely to encourage students to seek new information. Conclusion Almost half the students had not accessed any new medical information in their final year in medical school suggesting they are ill prepared for a career that may increasingly demand life-long, self-learning. PMID:19152558

  10. Issues and challenges of involving users in medical device development.

    PubMed

    Bridgelal Ram, Mala; Grocott, Patricia R; Weir, Heather C M

    2008-03-01

    User engagement has become a central tenet of health-care policy. This paper reports on a case study in progress that highlights user engagement in the research process in relation to medical device development. To work with a specific group of medical device users to uncover unmet needs, translating these into design concepts, novel technologies and products. To validate a knowledge transfer model that may be replicated for a range of medical device applications and user groups. In depth qualitative case study to elicit and analyse user needs. The focus is on identifying design concepts for medical device applications from unmet needs, and validating these in an iterative feedback loop to the users. The case study has highlighted three interrelated challenges: ensuring unmet needs drive new design concepts and technology development; managing user expectations and managing the research process. Despite the challenges, active participation of users is crucial to developing usable and clinically effective devices.

  11. Bluetooth Communication for Battery Powered Medical Devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Babušiak, Branko; Borik, Štefan

    2016-01-01

    wireless communication eliminates obtrusive cables associated with wearable sensors and considerably increases patient comfort during measurement and collection of medical data. Wireless communication is very popular in recent years and plays a significant role in telemedicine and homecare applications. Bluetooth technology is one of the most commonly used wireless communication types in medicine. This paper describes the design of a universal wireless communication device with excellent price/performance ratio. The said device is based on the low-cost RN4020 Bluetooth module with Microchip Low-energy Data Profile (MLDP) and due to low-power consumption is especially suitable for the transmission of biological signals (ECG, EMG, PPG, etc.) from wearable medical/personal health devices. A unique USB dongle adaptor was developed for wireless communication via UART interface and power consumption was evaluated under various conditions.

  12. Assurance Cases for Medical Devices

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-04-28

    the patient, and the hospital setting. Some pumps allow the patient to control part of the injection process (e.g. to inject more painkiller ...overdose, incorrect therapy, etc.   Design and development decisions that bear on safety and effectiveness http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices

  13. Electronic medical devices: a primer for pathologists.

    PubMed

    Weitzman, James B

    2003-07-01

    Electronic medical devices (EMDs) with downloadable memories, such as implantable cardiac pacemakers, defibrillators, drug pumps, insulin pumps, and glucose monitors, are now an integral part of routine medical practice in the United States, and functional organ replacements, such as the artificial heart, pancreas, and retina, will most likely become commonplace in the near future. Often, EMDs end up in the hands of the pathologist as a surgical specimen or at autopsy. No established guidelines for systematic examination and reporting or comprehensive reviews of EMDs currently exist for the pathologist. To provide pathologists with a general overview of EMDs, including a brief history; epidemiology; essential technical aspects, indications, contraindications, and complications of selected devices; potential applications in pathology; relevant government regulations; and suggested examination and reporting guidelines. Articles indexed on PubMed of the National Library of Medicine, various medical and history of medicine textbooks, US Food and Drug Administration publications and product information, and specifications provided by device manufacturers. Studies were selected on the basis of relevance to the study objectives. Descriptive data were selected by the author. Suggested examination and reporting guidelines for EMDs received as surgical specimens and retrieved at autopsy. Electronic medical devices received as surgical specimens and retrieved at autopsy are increasing in number and level of sophistication. They should be systematically examined and reported, should have electronic memories downloaded when indicated, will help pathologists answer more questions with greater certainty, and should become an integral part of the formal knowledge base, research focus, training, and practice of pathology.

  14. Wearable Devices in Medical Internet of Things: Scientific Research and Commercially Available Devices

    PubMed Central

    Thurow, Kerstin; Stoll, Regina

    2017-01-01

    Objectives Wearable devices are currently at the heart of just about every discussion related to the Internet of Things. The requirement for self-health monitoring and preventive medicine is increasing due to the projected dramatic increase in the number of elderly people until 2020. Developed technologies are truly able to reduce the overall costs for prevention and monitoring. This is possible by constantly monitoring health indicators in various areas, and in particular, wearable devices are considered to carry this task out. These wearable devices and mobile apps now have been integrated with telemedicine and telehealth efficiently, to structure the medical Internet of Things. This paper reviews wearable health care devices both in scientific papers and commercial efforts. Methods MIoT is demonstrated through a defined architecture design, including hardware and software dealing with wearable devices, sensors, smart phones, medical application, and medical station analyzers for further diagnosis and data storage. Results Wearables, with the help of improved technology have been developed greatly and are considered reliable tools for long-term health monitoring systems. These are applied in the observation of a large variety of health monitoring indicators in the environment, vital signs, and fitness. Conclusions Wearable devices are now used for a wide range of healthcare observation. One of the most important elements essential in data collection is the sensor. During recent years with improvement in semiconductor technology, sensors have made investigation of a full range of parameters closer to realization. PMID:28261526

  15. Wearable Devices in Medical Internet of Things: Scientific Research and Commercially Available Devices.

    PubMed

    Haghi, Mostafa; Thurow, Kerstin; Stoll, Regina

    2017-01-01

    Wearable devices are currently at the heart of just about every discussion related to the Internet of Things. The requirement for self-health monitoring and preventive medicine is increasing due to the projected dramatic increase in the number of elderly people until 2020. Developed technologies are truly able to reduce the overall costs for prevention and monitoring. This is possible by constantly monitoring health indicators in various areas, and in particular, wearable devices are considered to carry this task out. These wearable devices and mobile apps now have been integrated with telemedicine and telehealth efficiently, to structure the medical Internet of Things. This paper reviews wearable health care devices both in scientific papers and commercial efforts. MIoT is demonstrated through a defined architecture design, including hardware and software dealing with wearable devices, sensors, smart phones, medical application, and medical station analyzers for further diagnosis and data storage. Wearables, with the help of improved technology have been developed greatly and are considered reliable tools for long-term health monitoring systems. These are applied in the observation of a large variety of health monitoring indicators in the environment, vital signs, and fitness. Wearable devices are now used for a wide range of healthcare observation. One of the most important elements essential in data collection is the sensor. During recent years with improvement in semiconductor technology, sensors have made investigation of a full range of parameters closer to realization.

  16. Vat rates on medical devices: foreign experience and Ukrainian practice.

    PubMed

    Pashkov, Vitalii; Hutorova, Nataliia; Harkusha, Andrii

    2017-01-01

    In Ukraine differentiated VAT rates is a matter of debate. Today the Cabinet approved a list of medical products that has been changed three times resulting in changed VAT rates for specific products. European Union provides another method of regulation of VAT rates on medical devices. The abovementioned demonstrates the relevance of this study. Comparative analysis of Ukrainian and European Union legislation based on dialectical, comparative, analytic, synthetic and comprehensive research methods were used in this article. In Ukraine general rate of VAT for all business activities is 20 %. But for medical devices, Tax Code of Ukraine provides special rules. VAT rate of 7% for transactions supplies into Ukraine and imported into the customs territory of Ukraine of medical products on the list approved by the Cabinet. The list generated by the medical product name and nomenclature code that does not correspond to European experience and Council Directive 2006/112/EC. In our opinion, reduced VAT rates should to be established for all medical devices that are in a stream of commerce, have all necessary documents, that proved their quality and safety and fall under definition of medical devices.

  17. [Thoughts on the Witnessed Audit in Medical Device Single Audit Program].

    PubMed

    Wen, Jing; Xiao, Jiangyi; Wang, Aijun

    2018-02-08

    Medical Device Single Audit Program is one of the key projects in International Medical Device Regulators Forum, which has much experience to be used for reference. This paper briefly describes the procedures and contents of the Witnessed Audit in Medical Device Single Audit Program. Some revelations about the work of Witnessed Audit have been discussed, for reference by the Regulatory Authorities and the Auditing Organizations.

  18. Medical device development: managing conflicts of interest encountered by physicians.

    PubMed

    Baim, Donald S; Donovan, Aine; Smith, John J; Briefs, Nancy; Geoffrion, Richard; Feigal, David; Kaplan, Aaron V

    2007-04-01

    New technologies introduced over the past three decades have transformed medical diagnosis and treatment, and significantly improved patient outcomes. These changes have been mediated by the introduction of new medical devices, particularly for the treatment of cardiovascular, orthopedic, and ophthalmic disorders. These devices, in turn, have created large markets and spawned a burgeoning medical device industry, including six Fortune 500 companies whose combined market capitalization now exceeds 400 billion dollars. This success story, which has unquestionably benefited patients and society alike, has been dependent upon an intense collaboration among industry, clinicians, and regulatory authorities. However, when physicians actively involved in patient care participate in such collaborations, they are increasingly vulnerable to creating potential conflicts between these two (clinical and device development) roles. Such conflicts, which may ultimately erode public trust, have important consequences not only for the individual physicians, but also for their parent institutions, their patients, sponsoring companies, and the entire clinical research enterprise that makes the development and introduction of new devices possible. The third Dartmouth Device Development Symposium held in October 2005 brought together thought leaders within the medical device community, including academicians, clinical investigators, regulators from the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), large and small device manufacturers and the financial (venture capital and investment banks) community. The Symposium examined the conflicts of interest encountered during the early development and commercialization of a medical device. The goal of these discussions was to (1) identify and characterize the conflicts that arise and (2) provide strategies to address these conflicts. This manuscript was prepared by a writing committee to provide a summary

  19. Considering Governance for Patient Access to E-Medical Records.

    PubMed

    Day, Karen; Wells, Susan

    2015-01-01

    People having access to their medical records could have a transformative improvement effect on healthcare delivery and use. Our research aimed to explore the concerns and attitudes of giving people electronic access to their medical records through patient portals. We conducted 28 semi-structured interviews with 30 people, asking questions about portal design, organisational implications and governance. We report the findings of the governance considerations raised during the interviews. These revealed that (1) there is uncertainty about the possible design and extent of giving people access to their medical records to view/use, (2) existing policies about patient authentication, proxy, and privacy require modification, and (3) existing governance structures and functions require further examination and adjustment. Future research should include more input from patients and health informaticians.

  20. Harmonized Medical Device Regulation: Need, Challenges, and Risks of not Harmonizing the Regulation in Asia

    PubMed Central

    Kaushik, A; Saini, KS; Anil, B; Rambabu, S

    2010-01-01

    Medical device sector is one of the most complex and challenging business segments of the healthcare industry with close collaboration between science and engineering. Despite the fact that Asia has 60% of the world population providing large market potential, Asian healthcare expenditure constitutes only 15% of the global healthcare expenditure. The accelerated ageing population and increasing prevalence of chronic disease are the key drivers that contribute toward the increase in the total healthcare expenditure on medical devices in the region. Several policies clearly showed the eagerness of the government to provide better healthcare infrastructure with better medical devices and facilities. The fundamental objective of the regulatory harmonization is to improve the efficiency of national economies and their ability to adopt to change and remain competitive. After the era of liberalization and globalization, the desires of developing economies is to ensure safety and performance of the product brought to their markets and for this harmonized regulation is an important tool for strengthening the same. If we talk about the industry need, then this approach will eliminate redundant requirements that do not contribute to safety and effectiveness. In addition, Asia is diverse in many respects and with it come the various challenges to harmonizing the regulation which includes diversity in culture, politics, economy, historical issues, etc. If, by any reason, the regulation of medical devices is not harmonized and consequently, the harmonized regulation is not adopted, then it leads to serious concerns like delayed or absent access to innovative technology, continued rise in the cost of medical therapies, etc. So this issue is written to attract all stakeholders to move toward the concept of harmonization, keeping in mind their need, challenges, and risks of not harmonizing the regulation as well. PMID:21331201

  1. Biomedical devices and systems security.

    PubMed

    Arney, David; Venkatasubramanian, Krishna K; Sokolsky, Oleg; Lee, Insup

    2011-01-01

    Medical devices have been changing in revolutionary ways in recent years. One is in their form-factor. Increasing miniaturization of medical devices has made them wearable, light-weight, and ubiquitous; they are available for continuous care and not restricted to clinical settings. Further, devices are increasingly becoming connected to external entities through both wired and wireless channels. These two developments have tremendous potential to make healthcare accessible to everyone and reduce costs. However, they also provide increased opportunity for technology savvy criminals to exploit them for fun and profit. Consequently, it is essential to consider medical device security issues. In this paper, we focused on the challenges involved in securing networked medical devices. We provide an overview of a generic networked medical device system model, a comprehensive attack and adversary model, and describe some of the challenges present in building security solutions to manage the attacks. Finally, we provide an overview of two areas of research that we believe will be crucial for making medical device system security solutions more viable in the long run: forensic data logging, and building security assurance cases.

  2. Identification of Bodies by Unique Serial Numbers on Implanted Medical Devices.

    PubMed

    Blessing, Melissa M; Lin, Peter T

    2018-05-01

    Visual identification is the most common identification method used by medical examiners but is not always possible. Alternative methods include X-ray, fingerprint, or DNA comparison, but these methods require additional resources. Comparison of serial numbers on implanted medical devices is a rapid and definitive method of identification. To assess the practicality of using this method, we reviewed 608 consecutive forensic autopsies performed at a regional medical examiner office. Of these, 56 cases required an alternative method of identification due to decomposition (n = 35), gunshot wound (n = 9), blunt trauma (n = 6), or charring (n = 6). Of these 56 cases, eight (14.3%) were known to have an implanted medical device. Of these eight cases, five (63%) could be positively identified by comparing serial numbers. If an implanted medical device is known to be present, and medical records are available, identification by medical device serial number should be a first-line method. © 2017 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  3. Child Health and Access to Medical Care

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leininger, Lindsey; Levy, Helen

    2015-01-01

    It might seem strange to ask whether increasing access to medical care can improve children's health. Yet Lindsey Leininger and Helen Levy begin by pointing out that access to care plays a smaller role than we might think, and that many other factors, such as those discussed elsewhere in this issue, strongly influence children's health.…

  4. Singaporean Parents' Views of Their Young Children's Access and Use of Technological Devices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ebbeck, Marjory; Yim, Hoi Yin Bonnie; Chan, Yvonne; Goh, Mandy

    2016-01-01

    Debates continue about the access young children have to technological devices, given the increasingly accessible and available technology in most developed countries. Concerns have been expressed by parents/caregivers and researchers, and questions have been raised about possible risks and benefits of these devices on young children who, in some…

  5. 78 FR 9349 - Medical Devices; Ophthalmic Devices; Classification of the Eyelid Weight

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-02-08

    ... MR incompatibility or the conditions for safe use in an MR environment. Labeling will mitigate the... Amendments of 1976 (Pub. L. 94-295), the Safe Medical Devices Act of 1990 (Pub. L. 101-629), and the Food and...) and nonclinical testing evaluating the compatibility of the device in a MR environment. In addition...

  6. The Effects of Promoting Patient Access to Medical Records: A Review

    PubMed Central

    Ross, Stephen E.; Lin, Chen-Tan

    2003-01-01

    The Health Insurance Privacy and Portability Act (HIPPA) stipulates that patients must be permitted to review and amend their medical records. As information technology makes medical records more accessible to patients, it may become more commonplace for patients to review their records routinely. This article analyzes the potential benefits and drawbacks of facilitating patient access to the medical record by reviewing previously published research. Previous research includes analysis of clinical notes, surveys of patients and practitioners, and studies of patient-accessible medical records. Overall, studies suggest the potential for modest benefits (for instance, in enhancing doctor-patient communication). Risks (for instance, increasing patient worry or confusion) appear to be minimal in medical patients. The studies, however, were of limited quality and low statistical power to detect the variety of outcomes that may result from implementation of a patient-accessible medical record. The data from these studies lay the foundation for future research. PMID:12595402

  7. 21 CFR 801.122 - Medical devices for processing, repacking, or manufacturing.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ....122 Medical devices for processing, repacking, or manufacturing. A device intended for processing... act if its label bears the statement “Caution: For manufacturing, processing, or repacking”. ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Medical devices for processing, repacking, or...

  8. Detection and response to unauthorized access to a communication device

    DOEpatents

    Smith, Rhett; Gordon, Colin

    2015-09-08

    A communication gateway consistent with the present disclosure may detect unauthorized physical or electronic access and implement security actions in response thereto. A communication gateway may provide a communication path to an intelligent electronic device (IED) using an IED communications port configured to communicate with the IED. The communication gateway may include a physical intrusion detection port and a network port. The communication gateway may further include control logic configured to evaluate physical intrusion detection signal. The control logic may be configured to determine that the physical intrusion detection signal is indicative of an attempt to obtain unauthorized access to one of the communication gateway, the IED, and a device in communication with the gateway; and take a security action based upon the determination that the indication is indicative of the attempt to gain unauthorized access.

  9. Medical device problem reporting for the betterment of healthcare.

    PubMed

    1998-08-01

    Given that there are nearly 5,000 individual classes of medical devices, tens of thousands of medical device suppliers, and millions of healthcare providers around the world, device-related problems are bound to happen. But effective problem reporting can help reduce or eliminate many of these problems--not only within an institution, but also potentially around the world. In this article, we trace the problem reporting process from its beginnings in the hospital to its global impact in making critical information available throughout the healthcare community.

  10. Communication devices in the operating room.

    PubMed

    Ruskin, Keith J

    2006-12-01

    Effective communication is essential to patient safety. Although radio pagers have been the cornerstone of medical communication, new devices such as cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and laptop or tablet computers can help anesthesiologists to get information quickly and reliably. Anesthesiologists can use these devices to speak with colleagues, access the medical record, or help a colleague in another location without having to leave a patient's side. Recent advances in communication technology offer anesthesiologists new ways to improve patient care. Anesthesiologists rely on a wide variety of information to make decisions, including vital signs, laboratory values, and entries in the medical record. Devices such as PDAs and computers with wireless networking can be used to access this information. Mobile telephones can be used to get help or ask for advice, and are more efficient than radio pagers. Voice over Internet protocol is a new technology that allows voice conversations to be routed over computer networks. It is widely believed that wireless devices can cause life-threatening interference with medical devices. The actual risk is very low, and is offset by a significant reduction in medical errors that results from more efficient communication. Using common technology like cellular telephones and wireless networks is a simple, cost-effective way to improve patient care.

  11. Home Healthcare Medical Devices: A Checklist

    MedlinePlus

    ... not using it. Contact your doctor and home healthcare team often to review your health condition. * Check ... assurance of their safety and effectiveness. A home healthcare medical device is any product or equipment used ...

  12. Rapid Access Real-Time device and Rapid Access software: new tools in the armamentarium of capsule endoscopy.

    PubMed

    Spada, Cristiano; Riccioni, Maria Elena; Costamagna, Guido

    2007-07-01

    Small bowel capsule endoscopy represents a significant advance in the investigation of the small bowel, allowing direct visualization of this section of the gastrointestinal system. More recently, new video capsules have been released, specifically designed to investigate the esophagus and the colon. In June 2006, Given Imaging Ltd received marketing clearance from the US FDA for the Rapid Access Real-Time (RT) and Rapid Access software. The Rapid Access RT is a handheld device that enables real-time viewing during capsule endoscopy procedures. To date, the clinical benefits of this device are unknown as studies on the Rapid Access RT system have not yet been published. However, it appears that the Rapid Access RT system may reduce the examination and reading time, and may impact significantly in cases where it is important to know the precise localization of the capsule (during PillCam ESO ingestion procedures, PillCam Colon examinations or when delayed gastric transit is suspected) or in case of severe gastrointestinal bleeding (when a therapeutic procedure is required urgently).

  13. 76 FR 7220 - Medical Device Innovation Initiative; Request for Comments

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-02-09

    ...] Medical Device Innovation Initiative; Request for Comments AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS... availability of a document for public comment entitled ``Medical Device Innovation Initiative'' (the report... Innovation Initiative would consider the creation of a special Innovation Pathway intended to provide earlier...

  14. Laser-generated shockwave for clearing medical device biofilms.

    PubMed

    Kizhner, Victor; Krespi, Yosef P; Hall-Stoodley, Luanne; Stoodley, Paul

    2011-04-01

    This study aimed to evaluate a laser method of biofilm interruption from the surface of various common medical devices and from surgically removed sinus tissue with adherent biofilms in a timely manner. Biofilm has emerged as a new threat not amenable to most antibiotic treatments. Biofilms, as opposed to planktonic bacteria, develop an extracellular polymeric slime matrix to facilitate adherence to host tissue or a prosthetic surface and to form a protective shield. A laser-induced biofilms disruption concept was previously described. Biofilms were grown in the laboratory on metallic and plastic medical device surfaces such as stents. Attempts to remove the biofilms with a laser were undertaken three times for each device. Q-switched Nd:YAG laser-generated shockwaves affecting Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms expressing yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) biofilm coating were applied with biologically safe parameters utilizing a fiber delivery system and a special probe. A confocal microscope was used to identify the biofilm structure prior to, during, and after laser application. The amount of biofilm removed from the medical devices in time was measured by quantifying green fluorescence. The biofilm fluctuated and eventually broke off the surface as shock waves neared the target. The time to remove 97.9 ± 0.4% (mean ± 1SD, n = 3) the biofilm from the surface of a Nitinol (NiTi) stent ranged from 4 to 10 s. The detached biofilm was observed floating in fluid media in various microscopic size particles. A new treatment modality using laser-generated shockwaves in the warfare against biofilms growing on surgical devices was demonstrated. Q-switched laser pulses stripped biofilm from the surface it adhered to, changing the bacteria to their planktonic form, making them amenable to conventional treatment. This therapeutic modality appears to be rapid, effective, and safe on metallic and plastic medical device surfaces.

  15. Characterization of Therapeutic Coatings on Medical Devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wormuth, Klaus

    Therapeutic coatings on medical devices such as catheters, guide wires, and stents improve biocompatibility by favorably altering the chemical nature of the device/tissue or device/blood interface. Such coatings often minimize tissue damage (reduce friction), decrease chances for blood clot formation (prevent platelet adsorption), and improve the healing response (deliver drugs). Confocal Raman microscopy provides valuable information about biomedical coatings by, for example, facilitating the measurement of the thickness and swelling of frictionreducing hydrogel coatings on catheters and by determining the distribution of drug within a polymer-based drug-eluting coatings on stents. This chapter explores the application of Raman microscopy to the imaging of thin coatings of cross-linked poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) gels, parylene films, mixtures of dexamethasone with various polymethacrylates, and mixtures of rapamycin with hydrolysable (biodegradable) poly(lactide-co-glycolide) polymers. Raman microscopy measures the thickness and swelling of coatings, reveals the degree of mixing of drug and polymer, senses the hydrolysis of biodegradable polymers, and determines the polymorphic forms of drug present within thin therapeutic coatings on medical devices.

  16. 75 FR 45641 - Medical Device User Fee Rates for Fiscal Year 2011

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-03

    ...] Medical Device User Fee Rates for Fiscal Year 2011 AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. ACTION... payment procedures for medical device user fees for fiscal year (FY) 2011. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the act), as amended by the Medical Device User Fee Amendments of 2007 (title II of the Food...

  17. 78 FR 11612 - Medical Devices; Pediatric Uses of Devices; Requirement for Submission of Information on...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-02-19

    ... information that will have been reviewed by the applicant during the course of its development of the device..., infants, children, adolescents) that suffer from the disease or condition that the device is intended to.... FDA-2009-N-0458] RIN 0910-AG29 Medical Devices; Pediatric Uses of Devices; Requirement for Submission...

  18. Medical Device Plug-and-Play Interoperability Standards and Technology Leadership

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-10-01

    Award Number: W81XWH-09-1-0705 TITLE: “Medical Device Plug-and-Play Interoperability Standards and Technology Leadership” PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR...Sept 2016 – 20 Sept 2017 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE “Medical Device Plug-and-Play Interoperability 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER Standards and Technology ...efficiency through interoperable medical technologies . We played a leadership role on interoperability safety standards (AAMI, AAMI/UL Joint

  19. Transmitting patient and device data via GSM--central management for decentral mobile medical devices.

    PubMed

    Bachmor, T; Schöchlin, J; Bolz, A

    2002-01-01

    Equipping medical devices with long range telemetry opens completely new possibilities for emergency response, home care and remote diagnosis. Mobile communications nowadays seem to be a generally accepted part of our modern world, but bridging the gap between new (consumer-) technologies and medical devices still is a challenge today. Providing a telemetry link (GSM) is just the trivial part--ensuring security, reliability and service management are the more critical tasks that need to be addressed. Therefore, a complete system concept consists of an automatic fleet management (e.g. periodic device-initiated service calls) as well as customer relationship management (CRM), including technical service and a trouble-ticket system.

  20. Cellular telephone interference with medical equipment.

    PubMed

    Tri, Jeffrey L; Severson, Rodney P; Firl, Allen R; Hayes, David L; Abenstein, John P

    2005-10-01

    To assess the potential electromagnetic interference (EMI) effects that new or current-generation cellular telephones have on medical devices. For this study, performed at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn, between March 9, 2004, and April 24, 2004, we tested 16 different medical devices with 6 cellular telephones to assess the potential for EMI. Two of the medical devices were tested with both new and old interface modules. The 6 cellular telephones chosen represent the different cellular technology protocols in use: Code Division Multiple Access (2 models), Global System for Mobile communications, Integrated Digital Enhanced Network, Time Division Multiple Access, and analog. The cellular telephones were tested when operating at or near their maximum power output. The medical devices, connected to clinical simulators during testing, were monitored by observing the device displays and alarms. Of 510 tests performed, the incidence of clinically important interference was 1.2%; EMI was Induced in 108 tests (21.2%). Interference occurred in 7 (44%) of the 16 devices tested. Cellular telephones can interfere with medical equipment. Technology changes in both cellular telephones and medical equipment may continue to mitigate or may worsen clinically relevant interference. Compared with cellular telephones tested in previous studies, those currently in use must be closer to medical devices before any interference is noticed. However, periodic testing of cellular telephones to determine their effects on medical equipment will be required.

  1. Technology Access and Smartphone App Preferences for Medication Adherence in Adolescents and Young Adults With Sickle Cell Disease.

    PubMed

    Badawy, Sherif M; Thompson, Alexis A; Liem, Robert I

    2016-05-01

    Hydroxyurea is the only Food and Drug Administration approved medication for sickle cell disease (SCD) with short- and long-term benefits for both morbidity and mortality. However, hydroxyurea underutilization and adherence remain challenges for patients with SCD. The objectives of this study were to determine access to technology among adolescents and young adults (AYA) with SCD and to identify their preferred technology-based strategies for improving medication adherence. A cross-sectional survey was administered in a variety of clinical settings from October 2014 through May 2015 to AYA (12-22 years) with SCD (all genotypes) followed in a Comprehensive Sickle Cell Program. Eighty of 107 eligible participants completed the survey for a 75% response rate. Participants (51% female, 94% Black) had a mean age of 15.3 ± 2.8 years. Most participants (75%) were on a daily medication with about half on hydroxyurea. Forgetfulness (67%) was the most common barrier to medication adherence. The majority of participants (85%) owned smartphones and either owned or had access to electronic tablets (83%), laptops (72%), or desktops (70%). Of the proposed smartphone app features, daily medication reminders were ranked first most frequently, followed by education about SCD, adherence text prompts, education about SCD medications, and medication log. The majority of our AYA with SCD owned smartphones and had access to other electronic devices. Our survey results provided valuable insight into the preferred app features and optimal strategies for developing technology-based interventions, such as a multicomponent app, to increase medication adherence for AYA with SCD or other chronic conditions. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  2. Cybersecurity and medical devices: A practical guide for cardiac electrophysiologists

    PubMed Central

    Kramer, Daniel B.; Foo Kune, Denis; Auto de Medeiros, Julio; Yan, Chen; Xu, Wenyuan; Crawford, Thomas; Fu, Kevin

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Medical devices increasingly depend on software. While this expands the ability of devices to perform key therapeutic and diagnostic functions, reliance on software inevitably causes exposure to hazards of security vulnerabilities. This article uses a recent high‐profile case example to outline a proactive approach to security awareness that incorporates a scientific, risk‐based analysis of security concerns that supports ongoing discussions with patients about their medical devices. PMID:28512774

  3. Novel Use of a Pneumatic Compression Device for Haemostasis of Haemodialysis Fistula Access Catheterisation Sites

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    O’Reilly, Michael K., E-mail: moreilly1@mater.ie; Ryan, David; Sugrue, Gavin

    PurposeTransradial pneumatic compression devices can be used to achieve haemostasis following radial artery puncture. This article describes a novel technique for acquiring haemostasis of arterio-venous haemodialysis fistula access sites without the need for suture placement using one such compression device.Materials and MethodsA retrospective review of fistulograms with or without angioplasty/thrombectomy in a single institution was performed. 20 procedures performed on 12 patients who underwent percutaneous intervention of failing or thrombosed arterio-venous fistulas (AVF) had 27 puncture sites. Haemostasis was achieved using a pneumatic compression device at all access sites. Procedure details including size of access sheath, heparin administration and complicationsmore » were recorded.ResultsTwo diagnostic fistulograms, 14 fistulograms and angioplasties and four thrombectomies were performed via access sheaths with an average size (±SD) of 6 Fr (±1.12). IV unfractionated heparin was administered in 11 of 20 procedures. Haemostasis was achieved in 26 of 27 access sites following 15–20 min of compression using the pneumatic compression device. One case experienced limited bleeding from an inflow access site that was successfully treated with reinflation of the device for a further 5 min. No other complication was recorded.ConclusionsHaemostasis of arterio-venous haemodialysis fistula access sites can be safely and effectively achieved using a pneumatic compression device. This is a technically simple, safe and sutureless technique for acquiring haemostasis after AVF intervention.« less

  4. [Discussion on Technical Evaluation for Medical Device Registration Material].

    PubMed

    Chu, Yungao; Qian, Hong; Zhu, Yingfeng

    2017-07-30

    This article first introduces the main contents of the requirements for medical device registration. Secondly, this article chooses the vertebral forming surgery system as an example to discuss the technical evaluation for the registration research material. The article hopes to provide a reference for the applicant who prepare the registration material and the technical evaluator who make the evaluation for the medical device registration.

  5. Medication abortion: Potential for improved patient access through pharmacies.

    PubMed

    Raifman, Sarah; Orlando, Megan; Rafie, Sally; Grossman, Daniel

    2018-05-08

    To discuss the potential for improving access to early abortion care through pharmacies in the United States. Despite the growing use of medications to induce termination of early pregnancy, pharmacist involvement in abortion care is currently limited. The Food and Drug Administration's Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) for Mifeprex® (mifepristone 200 mg), the principal drug used in early medication abortion, prohibits the dispensing of the drug by prescription at pharmacies. This commentary reviews the pharmacology of medication abortion with the use of mifepristone and misoprostol, as well as aspects of service delivery and data on safety, efficacy, and acceptability. Given its safety record, mifepristone no longer fits the profile of a drug that requires an REMS. The recent implementation of pharmacy dispensing of mifepristone in community pharmacies in Australia and some provinces of Canada has improved access to medication abortion by increasing the number of medication abortion providers, particularly in rural areas. Provision of mifepristone in pharmacies, which involves dispensing and patient counseling, would likely improve access to early abortion in the United States without increasing risks to women. Copyright © 2018 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Enabling Access to Medical and Health Education in Rwanda Using Mobile Technology: Needs Assessment for the Development of Mobile Medical Educator Apps

    PubMed Central

    Tomaszewski, Brian; Dusabejambo, Vincent; Ndayiragije, Vincent; Gonsalves, Snedden; Sawant, Aishwarya; Mumararungu, Angeline; Gasana, George; Amendezo, Etienne; Haake, Anne; Mutesa, Leon

    2016-01-01

    locally adapted mobile education app that utilizes specific Rwandan medical education resources. Based on our results, we propose a mobile medical education app that could provide many benefits such as rapid decision making with lower error rates, increasing the quality of data management and accessibility, and improving practice efficiency and knowledge. In areas where Internet access is limited, the proposed mobile medical education app would need to run on a mobile device without Internet access. Conclusions A user-centered design approach was adopted, starting with a needs assessment with representative end users, which provided recommendations for the development of a mobile medical education app specific to Rwanda. Specific app features were identified through the needs assessment and it was evident that there will be future benefits to ongoing incorporation of user-centered design methods to better inform the software development and improve its usability. Results of the user-centered design reported here can inform other medical education technology developments in LMIC to ensure that technologies developed are usable by all stakeholders. PMID:27731861

  7. Enabling Access to Medical and Health Education in Rwanda Using Mobile Technology: Needs Assessment for the Development of Mobile Medical Educator Apps.

    PubMed

    Rusatira, Jean Christophe; Tomaszewski, Brian; Dusabejambo, Vincent; Ndayiragije, Vincent; Gonsalves, Snedden; Sawant, Aishwarya; Mumararungu, Angeline; Gasana, George; Amendezo, Etienne; Haake, Anne; Mutesa, Leon

    2016-06-01

    that utilizes specific Rwandan medical education resources. Based on our results, we propose a mobile medical education app that could provide many benefits such as rapid decision making with lower error rates, increasing the quality of data management and accessibility, and improving practice efficiency and knowledge. In areas where Internet access is limited, the proposed mobile medical education app would need to run on a mobile device without Internet access. A user-centered design approach was adopted, starting with a needs assessment with representative end users, which provided recommendations for the development of a mobile medical education app specific to Rwanda. Specific app features were identified through the needs assessment and it was evident that there will be future benefits to ongoing incorporation of user-centered design methods to better inform the software development and improve its usability. Results of the user-centered design reported here can inform other medical education technology developments in LMIC to ensure that technologies developed are usable by all stakeholders.

  8. 31 CFR 560.533 - Brokering sales of agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... commodities, medicine, and medical devices. 560.533 Section 560.533 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations... Brokering sales of agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices. (a) General license for... agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices, provided that the sale and exportation or...

  9. 31 CFR 560.533 - Brokering sales of agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... commodities, medicine, and medical devices. 560.533 Section 560.533 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations... Brokering sales of agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices. (a) General license for... agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices, provided that the sale and exportation or...

  10. Optical tests for using smartphones inside medical devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bernat, Amir S.; Acobas, Jennifer K.; Phang, Ye Shang; Hassan, David; Bolton, Frank J.; Levitz, David

    2018-02-01

    Smartphones are currently used in many medical applications and are more frequently being integrated into medical imaging devices. The regulatory requirements in existence today however, particularly the standardization of smartphone imaging through validation and verification testing, only partially cover imaging characteristics with a smartphone. Specifically, it has been shown that smartphone camera specifications are of sufficient quality for medical imaging, and there are devices which comply with the FDA's regulatory requirements for a medical device such as a device's field of view, direction of viewing and optical resolution and optical distortion. However, these regulatory requirements do not call specifically for color testing. Images of the same object using automatic settings or different light sources can show different color composition. Experimental results showing such differences are presented. Under some circumstances, such differences in color composition could potentially lead to incorrect diagnoses. It is therefore critical to control the smartphone camera and illumination parameters properly. This paper examines different smartphone camera settings that affect image quality and color composition. To test and select the correct settings, a test methodology is proposed. It aims at evaluating and testing image color correctness and white balance settings for mobile phones and LED light sources. Emphasis is placed on color consistency and deviation from gray values, specifically by evaluating the ΔC values based on the CIEL*a*b* color space. Results show that such standardization minimizes differences in color composition and thus could reduce the risk of a wrong diagnosis.

  11. Laser direct writing of micro- and nano-scale medical devices

    PubMed Central

    Gittard, Shaun D; Narayan, Roger J

    2010-01-01

    Laser-based direct writing of materials has undergone significant development in recent years. The ability to modify a variety of materials at small length scales and using short production times provides laser direct writing with unique capabilities for fabrication of medical devices. In many laser-based rapid prototyping methods, microscale and submicroscale structuring of materials is controlled by computer-generated models. Various laser-based direct write methods, including selective laser sintering/melting, laser machining, matrix-assisted pulsed-laser evaporation direct write, stereolithography and two-photon polymerization, are described. Their use in fabrication of microstructured and nanostructured medical devices is discussed. Laser direct writing may be used for processing a wide variety of advanced medical devices, including patient-specific prostheses, drug delivery devices, biosensors, stents and tissue-engineering scaffolds. PMID:20420557

  12. Advertising and promotion of medical devices.

    PubMed

    Portnoy, Stuart

    2006-01-01

    Dr. Portnoy, a former senior clinical reviewer and manager for the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, provides guidance for determining acceptable practices for the claims, content, and appearance of advertising and promotional materials for medical devices. In the course of doing so, he discusses important regulatory and legal precedents, and provides examples of successful and problematic advertising and promotion strategies including those that resulted in FDA Warning Letters, enforcement activities, and in some cases, monetary and criminal penalties.

  13. Open-source hardware for medical devices.

    PubMed

    Niezen, Gerrit; Eslambolchilar, Parisa; Thimbleby, Harold

    2016-04-01

    Open-source hardware is hardware whose design is made publicly available so anyone can study, modify, distribute, make and sell the design or the hardware based on that design. Some open-source hardware projects can potentially be used as active medical devices. The open-source approach offers a unique combination of advantages, including reducing costs and faster innovation. This article compares 10 of open-source healthcare projects in terms of how easy it is to obtain the required components and build the device.

  14. Improving acute care through use of medical device data.

    PubMed

    Kennelly, R J

    1998-02-01

    The Medical Information Bus (MIB) is a data communications standard for bedside patient connected medical devices. It is formally titled IEEE 1073 Standard for Medical Device Communications. MIB defines a complete seven layer communications stack for devices in acute care settings. All of the design trade-offs in writing the standard were taken to optimize performance in acute care settings. The key clinician based constraints on network performance are: (1) the network must be able to withstand multiple daily reconfigurations due to patient movement and condition changes; (2) the network must be 'plug-and-play' to allow clinicians to set up the network by simply plugging in a connector, taking no other actions; (3) the network must allow for unambiguous associations of devices with specific patients. A network of this type will be used by clinicians, thus giving complete, accurate, real time data from patient connected devices. This capability leads to many possible improvements in patient care and hospital cost reduction. The possible uses for comprehensive automatic data capture are only limited by imagination and creativity of clinicians adapting to the new hospital business paradigm.

  15. 76 FR 73676 - Certain Dynamic Random Access Memory Devices, and Products Containing Same; Receipt of Complaint...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-11-29

    ... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [DN 2859] Certain Dynamic Random Access Memory Devices, and.... International Trade Commission has received a complaint entitled In Re Certain Dynamic Random Access Memory... certain dynamic random access memory devices, and products containing same. The complaint names Elpida...

  16. 31 CFR 560.533 - Brokering sales of agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... commodities, medicine, and medical devices. 560.533 Section 560.533 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations... Policy § 560.533 Brokering sales of agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices. (a) General... agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices, provided that the sale and exportation or...

  17. Multiple constraints compromise decision-making about implantable medical devices for individual patients: qualitative interviews with physicians.

    PubMed

    Gagliardi, Anna R; Ducey, Ariel; Lehoux, Pascale; Turgeon, Thomas; Kolbunik, Jeremy; Ross, Sue; Trbovich, Patricia; Easty, Anthony; Bell, Chaim; Urbach, David R

    2017-12-22

    Little research has examined how physicians choose medical devices for treating individual patients to reveal if interventions are needed to support decision-making and reduce device-associated morbidity and mortality. This study explored factors that influence choice of implantable device from among available options. A descriptive qualitative approach was used. Physicians who implant orthopedic and cardiovascular devices were identified in publicly available directories and web sites. They were asked how they decided what device to use in a given patient, sources of information they consulted, and how patients were engaged in decision-making. Sampling was concurrent with data collection and analysis to achieve thematic saturation. Data were analyzed using constant comparative technique by all members of the research team. Twenty-two physicians from five Canadian provinces (10 cardiovascular, 12 orthopedic; 8, 10 and 4 early, mid and late career, respectively) were interviewed. Responses did not differ by specialty, geographic region or career stage. Five major categories of themes emerged that all influence decision-making about a range of devices, and often compromise choice of the most suitable device for a given patient, potentially leading to sub-optimal clinical outcomes: lack of evidence on device performance, patient factors, physician factors, organizational and health system factors, and device and device market factors. In the absence of evidence from research or device registries, tacit knowledge from trusted colleagues and less-trusted industry representatives informed device choice. Patients were rarely engaged in decision-making. Physician preference for particular devices was a barrier to acquiring competency in devices potentially more suitable for patients. Access to suitable devices was further limited to the number of comparable devices on the market, local inventory and purchasing contract specifications. This study revealed that decision

  18. Salespeople in the Surgical Suite: Relationships between Surgeons and Medical Device Representatives.

    PubMed

    O'Connor, Bonnie; Pollner, Fran; Fugh-Berman, Adriane

    2016-01-01

    Industry payments to surgeons have received public attention, but little is known about the relationships between surgeons and medical device representatives. Medical device representatives ("device reps") have become an integral part of operating room personnel. The effect of their presence on patient care deserves discussion. We conducted a qualitative, ethnographic study to explore relationships between surgeons and medical device representatives, and characterize industry involvement in the training of surgeons. We used group and individual open-ended interviews to gain insight into the beliefs, values, and perspectives of surgeons and device reps. We conducted two focus groups, one with ear, nose, and throat surgeons, and one with hospital-based attending orthopedic surgeons. We also conducted individual interviews with three former or current medical device representatives, a director of a surgical residency program at an academic medical center, and a medical assistant for a multi-physician orthopedic practice. While surgeons view themselves as indisputably in charge, device reps work hard to make themselves unobtrusively indispensable in order to establish and maintain influence, and to imbue the products they provide with personalized services that foster a surgeon's loyalty to the reps and their companies. Surgeons view industry-funded training opportunities as a necessary service. Device reps and some surgeons believe that reps benefit patient care, by increasing efficiency and mitigating deficiencies among operating room personnel (including the surgeons themselves). Our study raises ethical questions about the reliance of surgeons on device reps and device companies for education and surgical assistance and practical concerns regarding existing levels of competence among OR personnel.

  19. 31 CFR 597.511 - In-kind donations of medicine, medical devices, and medical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false In-kind donations of medicine, medical... § 597.511 In-kind donations of medicine, medical devices, and medical services. (a) Effective July 6... provision by nongovernmental organizations that are U.S. persons of in-kind donations of medicine, medical...

  20. 31 CFR 597.511 - In-kind donations of medicine, medical devices, and medical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false In-kind donations of medicine, medical... § 597.511 In-kind donations of medicine, medical devices, and medical services. (a) Effective July 6... provision by nongovernmental organizations that are U.S. persons of in-kind donations of medicine, medical...

  1. 31 CFR 597.511 - In-kind donations of medicine, medical devices, and medical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false In-kind donations of medicine, medical... § 597.511 In-kind donations of medicine, medical devices, and medical services. (a) Effective July 6... provision by nongovernmental organizations that are U.S. persons of in-kind donations of medicine, medical...

  2. 31 CFR 597.511 - In-kind donations of medicine, medical devices, and medical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false In-kind donations of medicine, medical... § 597.511 In-kind donations of medicine, medical devices, and medical services. (a) Effective July 6... provision by nongovernmental organizations that are U.S. persons of in-kind donations of medicine, medical...

  3. A network collaboration implementing technology to improve medication dispensing and administration in critical access hospitals.

    PubMed

    Wakefield, Douglas S; Ward, Marcia M; Loes, Jean L; O'Brien, John

    2010-01-01

    We report how seven independent critical access hospitals collaborated with a rural referral hospital to standardize workflow policies and procedures while jointly implementing the same health information technologies (HITs) to enhance medication care processes. The study hospitals implemented the same electronic health record, computerized provider order entry, pharmacy information systems, automated dispensing cabinets (ADC), and barcode medication administration systems. We conducted interviews and examined project documents to explore factors underlying the successful implementation of ADC and barcode medication administration across the network hospitals. These included a shared culture of collaboration; strategic sequencing of HIT component implementation; interface among HIT components; strategic placement of ADCs; disciplined use and sharing of workflow analyses linked with HIT applications; planning for workflow efficiencies; acquisition of adequate supply of HIT-related devices; and establishing metrics to monitor HIT use and outcomes.

  4. Effects of accessible website design on nondisabled users: age and device as moderating factors.

    PubMed

    Schmutz, Sven; Sonderegger, Andreas; Sauer, Juergen

    2018-05-01

    This study examined how implementing recommendations from Web accessibility guidelines affects nondisabled people in different age groups using different technical devices. While recent research showed positive effects of implementing such recommendations for nondisabled users, it remains unclear whether such effects would apply to different age groups and kind of devices. A 2 × 2 × 2 design was employed with website accessibility (high accessibility vs. very low accessibility), age (younger adults vs. older adults) and type of device (laptop vs. tablet) as independent variables. 110 nondisabled participants took part in a usability test, in which performance and satisfaction were measured as dependent variables. The results showed that higher accessibility increased task completion rate, task completion time and satisfaction ratings of nondisabled users. While user age did not have any effects, users showed faster task completion time under high accessibility when using a tablet rather than a laptop. The findings confirmed previous findings, which showed benefits of accessible websites for nondisabled users. These beneficial effects may now be generalised to a wide age range and across different devices. Practitioner Summary: This work is relevant to the design of websites since it emphasises the need to consider the characteristics of different user groups. Accessible website design (aimed at users with disabilities) leads to benefits for nondisabled users across different ages. These findings provide further encouragement for practitioners to apply WCAG 2.0.

  5. 31 CFR 560.533 - Brokering sales of agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... commodities, medicine, and medical devices. 560.533 Section 560.533 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations... Policy § 560.533 Brokering sales of agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices. (a) General... of agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices, provided that the sale and exportation or...

  6. 31 CFR 538.526 - Brokering sales of agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... commodities, medicine, and medical devices. 538.526 Section 538.526 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations... Brokering sales of agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices. (a) General license for... agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices to the Government of Sudan, to any individual or entity...

  7. 31 CFR 538.526 - Brokering sales of agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... commodities, medicine, and medical devices. 538.526 Section 538.526 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations... Brokering sales of agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices. (a) General license for... agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices to the Government of Sudan, to any individual or entity...

  8. 21 CFR 806.30 - FDA access to records.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false FDA access to records. 806.30 Section 806.30 Food... DEVICES MEDICAL DEVICES; REPORTS OF CORRECTIONS AND REMOVALS Reports and Records § 806.30 FDA access to... designated by FDA and under section 704(e) of the act, permit such officer or employee at all reasonable...

  9. 21 CFR 806.30 - FDA access to records.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false FDA access to records. 806.30 Section 806.30 Food... DEVICES MEDICAL DEVICES; REPORTS OF CORRECTIONS AND REMOVALS Reports and Records § 806.30 FDA access to... designated by FDA and under section 704(e) of the act, permit such officer or employee at all reasonable...

  10. 21 CFR 806.30 - FDA access to records.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false FDA access to records. 806.30 Section 806.30 Food... DEVICES MEDICAL DEVICES; REPORTS OF CORRECTIONS AND REMOVALS Reports and Records § 806.30 FDA access to... designated by FDA and under section 704(e) of the act, permit such officer or employee at all reasonable...

  11. 21 CFR 806.30 - FDA access to records.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false FDA access to records. 806.30 Section 806.30 Food... DEVICES MEDICAL DEVICES; REPORTS OF CORRECTIONS AND REMOVALS Reports and Records § 806.30 FDA access to... designated by FDA and under section 704(e) of the act, permit such officer or employee at all reasonable...

  12. 21 CFR 806.30 - FDA access to records.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false FDA access to records. 806.30 Section 806.30 Food... DEVICES MEDICAL DEVICES; REPORTS OF CORRECTIONS AND REMOVALS Reports and Records § 806.30 FDA access to... designated by FDA and under section 704(e) of the act, permit such officer or employee at all reasonable...

  13. Structural barriers in access to medical marijuana in the USA-a systematic review protocol.

    PubMed

    Valencia, Celina I; Asaolu, Ibitola O; Ehiri, John E; Rosales, Cecilia

    2017-08-07

    There are 43 state medical marijuana programs in the USA, yet limited evidence is available on the demographic characteristics of the patient population accessing these programs. Moreover, insights into the social and structural barriers that inform patients' success in accessing medical marijuana are limited. A current gap in the scientific literature exists regarding generalizable data on the social, cultural, and structural mechanisms that hinder access to medical marijuana among qualifying patients. The goal of this systematic review, therefore, is to identify the aforementioned mechanisms that inform disparities in access to medical marijuana in the USA. This scoping review protocol outlines the proposed study design for the systematic review and evaluation of peer-reviewed scientific literature on structural barriers to medical marijuana access. The protocol follows the guidelines set forth by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) checklist. The overarching goal of this study is to rigorously evaluate the existing peer-reviewed data on access to medical marijuana in the USA. Income, ethnic background, stigma, and physician preferences have been posited as the primary structural barriers influencing medical marijuana patient population demographics in the USA. Identification of structural barriers to accessing medical marijuana provides a framework for future policies and programs. Evidence-based policies and programs for increasing medical marijuana access help minimize the disparity of access among qualifying patients.

  14. Use-related risk analysis for medical devices based on improved FMEA.

    PubMed

    Liu, Long; Shuai, Ma; Wang, Zhu; Li, Ping

    2012-01-01

    In order to effectively analyze and control use-related risk of medical devices, quantitative methodologies must be applied. Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is a proactive technique for error detection and risk reduction. In this article, an improved FMEA based on Fuzzy Mathematics and Grey Relational Theory is developed to better carry out user-related risk analysis for medical devices. As an example, the analysis process using this improved FMEA method for a certain medical device (C-arm X-ray machine) is described.

  15. Airway management and vascular access simulation during a medical student rotation.

    PubMed

    Sakawi, Yasser; Vetter, Thomas R

    2011-03-01

    Medical students electing to spend a month in anaesthesiology during their third or fourth year often experience airway management and vascular access for the first time on an actual patient. An airway management and vascular access simulation course for medical students was developed and implemented at our institution. The purpose of this study was to assess the subjective comfort level after implementing this teaching tool in medical students. A brief didactic course on airway management and vascular access was provided to medical students on the first day of their anaesthesiology rotation. A survey was presented to the students immediately after a focused 1-hour lecture and prior to a simulation session. The pre-simulation survey was comprised of eight questions asking the medical students to rate their level of comfort with both types of procedures. The lecture was followed by a 1-hour simulation course on manikins. The medical students were asked to complete a post-simulation survey, which was comprised of the same initial eight questions. After participating in the didactic course and manikin simulation, the self-perceived comfort level of medical students with airway management (p < 0.0005), vascular access (p < 0.0005) and interpretation of the vascular pressure waveforms (p < 0.0005) demonstrated significant improvement. The results of this study suggest that providing medical students with a brief didactic session on airway and vascular access, including simulation on manikins, prior to the start of their encounter with actual surgical patients, can improve their comfort level in performing both procedures. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2011.

  16. Open-source hardware for medical devices

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    Open-source hardware is hardware whose design is made publicly available so anyone can study, modify, distribute, make and sell the design or the hardware based on that design. Some open-source hardware projects can potentially be used as active medical devices. The open-source approach offers a unique combination of advantages, including reducing costs and faster innovation. This article compares 10 of open-source healthcare projects in terms of how easy it is to obtain the required components and build the device. PMID:27158528

  17. Extended device profiles and testing procedures for the approval process of integrated medical devices using the IEEE 11073 communication standard.

    PubMed

    Janß, Armin; Thorn, Johannes; Schmitz, Malte; Mildner, Alexander; Dell'Anna-Pudlik, Jasmin; Leucker, Martin; Radermacher, Klaus

    2018-02-23

    Nowadays, only closed and proprietary integrated operating room systems (IORS) from big manufacturers are available on the market. Hence, the interconnection of components from third-party vendors is only possible with increased time and costs. In the context of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)-funded project OR.NET (2012-2016), the open integration of medical devices from different manufacturers was addressed. An integrated operating theater based on the open communication standard IEEE 11073 shall give clinical operators the opportunity to choose medical devices independently of the manufacturer. This approach would be advantageous especially for hospital operators and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) of medical devices. Actual standards and concepts regarding technical feasibility and the approval process do not cope with the requirements for a modular integration of medical devices in the operating room (OR), based on an open communication standard. Therefore, innovative approval strategies and corresponding certification and test procedures, which cover actual legal and normative standards, have to be developed in order to support the future risk management and the usability engineering process of open integrated medical devices in the OR. The use of standardized device and service profiles and a three-step testing procedure, including conformity, interoperability and integration tests are described in this paper and shall support the manufacturers to integrate their medical devices without disclosing the medical devices' risk analysis and related confidential expertise or proprietary information.

  18. A Framework for Context Sensitive Risk-Based Access Control in Medical Information Systems

    PubMed Central

    Choi, Donghee; Kim, Dohoon; Park, Seog

    2015-01-01

    Since the access control environment has changed and the threat of insider information leakage has come to the fore, studies on risk-based access control models that decide access permissions dynamically have been conducted vigorously. Medical information systems should protect sensitive data such as medical information from insider threat and enable dynamic access control depending on the context such as life-threatening emergencies. In this paper, we suggest an approach and framework for context sensitive risk-based access control suitable for medical information systems. This approach categorizes context information, estimating and applying risk through context- and treatment-based permission profiling and specifications by expanding the eXtensible Access Control Markup Language (XACML) to apply risk. The proposed framework supports quick responses to medical situations and prevents unnecessary insider data access through dynamic access authorization decisions in accordance with the severity of the context and treatment. PMID:26075013

  19. 76 FR 22322 - Medical Devices; Immunology and Microbiology Devices; Classification of Ovarian Adnexal Mass...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-04-21

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration 21 CFR Part 866 [Docket No. FDA-2010-N-0026] Medical Devices; Immunology and Microbiology Devices; Classification of Ovarian Adnexal Mass Assessment Score Test System; Correction AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. ACTION...

  20. Salespeople in the Surgical Suite: Relationships between Surgeons and Medical Device Representatives

    PubMed Central

    O’Connor, Bonnie; Pollner, Fran; Fugh-Berman, Adriane

    2016-01-01

    Background Industry payments to surgeons have received public attention, but little is known about the relationships between surgeons and medical device representatives. Medical device representatives ("device reps") have become an integral part of operating room personnel. The effect of their presence on patient care deserves discussion. Study Design We conducted a qualitative, ethnographic study to explore relationships between surgeons and medical device representatives, and characterize industry involvement in the training of surgeons. We used group and individual open-ended interviews to gain insight into the beliefs, values, and perspectives of surgeons and device reps. We conducted two focus groups, one with ear, nose, and throat surgeons, and one with hospital-based attending orthopedic surgeons. We also conducted individual interviews with three former or current medical device representatives, a director of a surgical residency program at an academic medical center, and a medical assistant for a multi-physician orthopedic practice. Results While surgeons view themselves as indisputably in charge, device reps work hard to make themselves unobtrusively indispensable in order to establish and maintain influence, and to imbue the products they provide with personalized services that foster a surgeon's loyalty to the reps and their companies. Surgeons view industry-funded training opportunities as a necessary service. Device reps and some surgeons believe that reps benefit patient care, by increasing efficiency and mitigating deficiencies among operating room personnel (including the surgeons themselves). Conclusions Our study raises ethical questions about the reliance of surgeons on device reps and device companies for education and surgical assistance and practical concerns regarding existing levels of competence among OR personnel. PMID:27486992

  1. Method and device for maximizing memory system bandwidth by accessing data in a dynamically determined order

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schwab, Andrew J. (Inventor); Aylor, James (Inventor); Hitchcock, Charles Young (Inventor); Wulf, William A. (Inventor); McKee, Sally A. (Inventor); Moyer, Stephen A. (Inventor); Klenke, Robert (Inventor)

    2000-01-01

    A data processing system is disclosed which comprises a data processor and memory control device for controlling the access of information from the memory. The memory control device includes temporary storage and decision ability for determining what order to execute the memory accesses. The compiler detects the requirements of the data processor and selects the data to stream to the memory control device which determines a memory access order. The order in which to access said information is selected based on the location of information stored in the memory. The information is repeatedly accessed from memory and stored in the temporary storage until all streamed information is accessed. The information is stored until required by the data processor. The selection of the order in which to access information maximizes bandwidth and decreases the retrieval time.

  2. Government health policy and the diffusion of new medical devices.

    PubMed Central

    Hillman, B J

    1986-01-01

    The combination of absent financial incentives, aspects of physicians' clinical training, and the uncertainty surrounding the appropriate application of expensive new medical devices have been the most significant factors in promoting their wasteful diffusion and use. This presentation summarizes the forces that have resulted in regulatory and reimbursement initiatives to make more efficient the acquisition and utilization of new medical devices. The case histories of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) serve as a paradigm demonstrating why such initiatives have thus far proved ineffectual. More effective would be to abandon distinctions between inpatient and outpatient reimbursement for using new medical devices and to improve the relationship between reimbursement and technology assessment. PMID:3818311

  3. New IEEE 11073 Standards for interoperable, networked Point-of-Care Medical Devices.

    PubMed

    Kasparick, Martin; Schlichting, Stefan; Golatowski, Frank; Timmermann, Dirk

    2015-08-01

    Surgical procedures become more and more complex and the number of medical devices in an operating room (OR) increases continuously. Today's vendor-dependent solutions for integrated ORs are not able to handle this complexity. They can only form isolated solutions. Furthermore, high costs are a result of vendor-dependent approaches. Thus we present a service-oriented device communication for distributed medical systems that enables the integration and interconnection between medical devices among each other and to (medical) information systems, including plug-and-play functionality. This system will improve patient's safety by making technical complexity of a comprehensive integration manageable. It will be available as open standards that are part of the IEEE 11073 family of standards. The solution consists of a service-oriented communication technology, the so called Medical Devices Profile for Web Services (MDPWS), a Domain Information & Service Model, and a binding between the first two mechanisms. A proof of this concept has been done with demonstrators of real world OR devices.

  4. Protecting computer-based medical devices: defending against viruses and other threats.

    PubMed

    2005-07-01

    The increasing integration of computer hardware has exposed medical devices to greater risks than ever before. More and more devices rely on commercial off-the-shelf software and operating systems, which are vulnerable to the increasing proliferation of viruses and other malicious programs that target computers. Therefore, it is necessary for hospitals to take steps such as those outlined in this article to ensure that their computer-based devices are made safe and continue to remain safe in the future. Maintaining the security of medical devices requires planning, careful execution, and a commitment of resources. A team should be created to develop a process for surveying the security status of all computerized devices in the hospital and making sure that patches and other updates are applied as needed. These patches and updates should be approved by the medical system supplier before being implemented. The team should consider using virtual local area networks to isolate susceptible devices on the hospital's network. All security measures should be carefully documented, and the documentation should be kept up-to-date. Above all, care must be taken to ensure that medical device security involves a collaborative, supportive partnership between the hospital's information technology staff and biomedical engineering personnel.

  5. Global cardiovascular device innovation: Japan-USA synergies: Harmonization by Doing (HBD) program, a consortium of regulatory agencies, medical device industry, and academic institutions.

    PubMed

    Uchida, Takahiro; Ikeno, Fumiaki; Ikeda, Koji; Suzuki, Yuka; Todaka, Koji; Yokoi, Hiroyoshi; Thompson, Gary; Krucoff, Mitchel; Saito, Shigeru

    2013-01-01

    Global medical devices have become more popular, but investment money for medical device development is not easily available in the market. Worldwide health-care budget constraints mean that efficient medical device development has become essential. To achieve efficient development, globalization is a key to success. Spending large amounts of money in different regions for medical device development is no longer feasible. In order to streamline processes of global medical device development, an academic, governmental, and industrial consortium, called the Harmonization by Doing program, has been set up. The program has been operating between Japan and the USA since 2003. The program has 4 working groups: (1) Global Cardiovascular Device Trials; (2) Study on Post-Market Registry; (3) Clinical Trials; and (4) Infrastructure and Methodology Regulatory Convergence and Communication. Each working group has as its goals the achievement of speedy and efficient medical device development in Japan and the USA. The program has held multiple international meetings to deal with obstacles against efficient medical device development. This kind of program is very important to deliver novel medical devices. Involvement of physicians in this type of activity is also very helpful to achieve these goals.

  6. Evaluation of a simplified augmented reality device for ultrasound-guided vascular access in a vascular phantom.

    PubMed

    Jeon, Yunseok; Choi, Seungpyo; Kim, Heechan

    2014-09-01

    To investigate whether a novel ultrasound device may be used with a simplified augmented reality technique, and to compare this device with conventional techniques during vascular access using a vascular phantom. Prospective, randomized study. Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine departments of a university-affiliated hospital. 20 physicians with no experience with ultrasound-guided techniques. All participants performed the vascular access technique on the vascular phantom model using both a conventional device and the new ultrasound device. Time and the number of redirections of the needle until aspiration of dye into a vessel of the vascular phantom were measured. The median/interquartile range of time was 39.5/41.7 seconds versus 18.6/10.0 seconds (P < 0.001) and number of redirections was 3/3.5 versus 1/0 (P < 0.001) for the conventional and novel ultrasound devices, respectively. During vascular access in a vascular phantom model, the novel device decreased the time and the number of redirections significantly. The device successfully improved the efficiency of the ultrasound-guided vascular access technique. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. 31 CFR 594.515 - In-kind donations of medicine, medical devices, and medical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false In-kind donations of medicine, medical...-kind donations of medicine, medical devices, and medical services. (a) Effective July 6, 2006, nongovernmental organizations that are U.S. persons are authorized to provide in-kind donations of medicine...

  8. 31 CFR 594.515 - In-kind donations of medicine, medical devices, and medical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false In-kind donations of medicine, medical...-kind donations of medicine, medical devices, and medical services. (a) Effective July 6, 2006, nongovernmental organizations that are U.S. persons are authorized to provide in-kind donations of medicine...

  9. 31 CFR 594.515 - In-kind donations of medicine, medical devices, and medical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false In-kind donations of medicine, medical...-kind donations of medicine, medical devices, and medical services. (a) Effective July 6, 2006, nongovernmental organizations that are U.S. persons are authorized to provide in-kind donations of medicine...

  10. 31 CFR 594.515 - In-kind donations of medicine, medical devices, and medical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false In-kind donations of medicine, medical...-kind donations of medicine, medical devices, and medical services. (a) Effective July 6, 2006, nongovernmental organizations that are U.S. persons are authorized to provide in-kind donations of medicine...

  11. The use of medication compliance devices by district nursing services.

    PubMed

    McGraw, C; Drennan, V

    2000-07-01

    This article presents a critical review of the literature relating to medication compliance devices and the findings of a survey that examined the use of such devices by district nursing services. The UKCC (1992) does not regard the loading of compliance devices by nurses as safe practice; however, compliance devices continue to be used by district nurses. The evidence base concerning the value and use of medication compliance devices is examined and significant gaps in the literature relating to the use of such devices are identified. There is an absence of studies that focus on the effect of compliance devices on adherence among older patients and the nature and frequency of drug administration errors involving these devices. The survey findings show that nurse-loaded compliance devices are used in over one-third of the sample. Further research is necessary to assess the clinical effectiveness of, and clinical risk attached to, compliance devices for older patients in the community. It is suggested that this is an issue of serious concern for primary care groups considering the principles of clinical governance.

  12. Specific barriers to the conduct of randomised clinical trials on medical devices.

    PubMed

    Neugebauer, Edmund A M; Rath, Ana; Antoine, Sunya-Lee; Eikermann, Michaela; Seidel, Doerthe; Koenen, Carsten; Jacobs, Esther; Pieper, Dawid; Laville, Martine; Pitel, Séverine; Martinho, Cecilia; Djurisic, Snezana; Demotes-Mainard, Jacques; Kubiak, Christine; Bertele, Vittorio; Jakobsen, Janus C; Garattini, Silvio; Gluud, Christian

    2017-09-13

    Medical devices play an important role in the diagnosis, prevention, treatment and care of diseases. However, compared to pharmaceuticals, there is no rigorous formal regulation for demonstration of benefits and exclusion of harms to patients. The medical device industry argues that the classical evidence hierarchy cannot be applied for medical devices, as randomised clinical trials are impossible to perform. This article aims to identify the barriers for randomised clinical trials on medical devices. Systematic literature searches without meta-analysis and internal European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network (ECRIN) communications taking place during face-to-face meetings and telephone conferences from 2013 to 2017 within the context of the ECRIN Integrating Activity (ECRIN-IA) project. In addition to the barriers that exist for all trials, we identified three major barriers for randomised clinical trials on medical devices, namely: (1) randomisation, including timing of assessment, acceptability, blinding, choice of the comparator group and considerations on the learning curve; (2) difficulties in determining appropriate outcomes; and (3) the lack of scientific advice, regulations and transparency. The present review offers potential solutions to break down the barriers identified, and argues for applying the randomised clinical trial design when assessing the benefits and harms of medical devices.

  13. Accessible medical equipment for patients with disabilities in primary care clinics: why is it lacking?

    PubMed

    Pharr, Jennifer

    2013-04-01

    Previous research has identified inaccessible medical equipment as a barrier to health care services encountered by people with disabilities. However, no research has been conducted to understand why medical practices lack accessible equipment. The purpose of this study was to examine practice administrators' knowledge of accessible medical equipment and cost of accessible medical equipment to understand why medical practices lack such equipment. Hypotheses were: 1) Practice administrators lacked knowledge about accessible medical equipment and 2) The cost of accessible medical equipment was too great compared to standard equipment for the clinic. This study was a mixed methods survey of primary care practice administrators. The sixty-three participates were members of a medical management organization. Data were collected between December 20, 2011 and January 17, 2012. Proportions, Guttman scalogram, and Spearman's Rho correlation analyses were utilized. For this sample, less than half of the administrators knew that accessible equipment existed and a fourth knew what accessible equipment existed. There was a significant (p < 0.01), positive correlation between knowledge of accessible equipment and pieces of accessible equipment in the clinics. Because less than half of the administrators had ever considered purchasing accessible equipment, it was inconclusive if cost of accessible equipment was too great. Practice administrators' lack of knowledge of accessible medical equipment emphasizes the need not only for more education about the availability of accessible equipment but also about the importance of accessible equipment for their patients with disabilities and for physicians who provide them care. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Medication coverage for lawmakers may worsen access for everyone else.

    PubMed

    Taglione, Michael S; Boozary, Andrew; Persaud, Nav

    2018-03-01

    Despite numerous recommendations for universal public coverage of prescription drugs in Canada based on evidence that millions of Canadians cannot afford medications, no province or territory has adopted first dollar coverage for all residents. However, one group unaffected by the lack of public coverage are lawmakers. Lawmakers receive excellent drug coverage plans for themselves and their immediate families. Evidence suggests that lawmakers' decisions are influenced by their personal circumstances; in this case, they are insulated from the effects of poor access to medications by their drug coverage plans. In contrast, a patchwork system of 46 programs across Canada provides some drug coverage to vulnerable populations. Reducing the disparity in prescription drug access between Canadian lawmakers and the public may promote progress towards better medication access for everyone. This could be achieved either by reducing lawmaker coverage or improving upon the public patchwork system. Since the goal should be to improve the overall access of medications for all Canadians, lawmakers included, the latter method is preferred. A universal drug plan with first dollar coverage could replace the current patchwork system and expand coverage to all Canadians. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. [Impact of an automated dispensing system for medical devices in cardiac surgery department].

    PubMed

    Clou, E; Dompnier, M; Kably, B; Leplay, C; Poupon, E; Archer, V; Paul, M

    2018-01-01

    To secure medical devices' management, the implementation of automated dispensing system in surgical service has been realized. The objective of this study was to evaluate security, organizational and economic impact of installing automated dispensing system for medical devices (ASDM). The implementation took place in a cardiac surgery department. Security impact was assessed by comparing traceability rate of implantable medical devices one year before and one year after installation. Questionnaire on nurses' perception and satisfaction completed this survey. Resupplying costs, stocks' evolution and investments for the implementation of ASDM were the subject of cost-benefit study. After one year, traceability rate is excellent (100%). Nursing staffs were satisfied with 87.5% by this new system. The introduction of ASDM allowed a qualitative and quantitative decrease in stocks, with a reduction of 30% for purchased medical devices and 15% for implantable medical devices in deposit-consignment. Cost-benefit analysis shows a rapid return on investment. Real stock decrease (purchased medical devices) is equivalent to 46.6% of investment. Implementation of ASDM allows to secure storage and dispensing of medical devices. This system has also an important economic impact and appreciated by users. Copyright © 2017 Académie Nationale de Pharmacie. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  16. A Review of Simulators with Haptic Devices for Medical Training.

    PubMed

    Escobar-Castillejos, David; Noguez, Julieta; Neri, Luis; Magana, Alejandra; Benes, Bedrich

    2016-04-01

    Medical procedures often involve the use of the tactile sense to manipulate organs or tissues by using special tools. Doctors require extensive preparation in order to perform them successfully; for example, research shows that a minimum of 750 operations are needed to acquire sufficient experience to perform medical procedures correctly. Haptic devices have become an important training alternative and they have been considered to improve medical training because they let users interact with virtual environments by adding the sense of touch to the simulation. Previous articles in the field state that haptic devices enhance the learning of surgeons compared to current training environments used in medical schools (corpses, animals, or synthetic skin and organs). Consequently, virtual environments use haptic devices to improve realism. The goal of this paper is to provide a state of the art review of recent medical simulators that use haptic devices. In particular we focus on stitching, palpation, dental procedures, endoscopy, laparoscopy, and orthopaedics. These simulators are reviewed and compared from the viewpoint of used technology, the number of degrees of freedom, degrees of force feedback, perceived realism, immersion, and feedback provided to the user. In the conclusion, several observations per area and suggestions for future work are provided.

  17. [Regulatory Program for Medical Devices in Cuba: experiences and current challenges].

    PubMed

    Pereira, Dulce María Martínez; Rodríguez, Yadira Álvarez; Valdés, Yamila Cedeño; Ribas, Silvia Delgado

    2016-05-01

    Regulatory control of medical devices in Cuba is conducted through a system based on the Regulatory Program for Medical Devices as a way to ensure the safety, efficacy, and effectiveness of these technologies, which are in use by the National Health System. This program was launched in 1992, when the Regulations for State Evaluation and Registration of Medical Devices were approved. Its successive stages and the merging of regulatory activities for drugs and medical equipment have meant progress toward stronger, more transparent strategies and greater control of industry and the National Health System. Throughout its course the Cuban program has met with challenges and difficulties that it has addressed by drawing on its own experiences. During the new period, the greatest challenges revolve around ensuring that regulatory systems incorporate scientific evaluation, risk levels, maximum rigor through the use of technical standards, and the implementation of international recommendations, together with the application of the ISO 13485 certification scheme, enhanced market monitoring, and classification of medical devices in accordance with their relevance to the country's national health policies. From the regional standpoint, the greatest challenge lies in working toward regulatory convergence. The Collaborating Centre for the Regulation of Health Technologies will support the proposed regulatory strategy and established regional priorities, in particular in connection with the implementation of actions involving medical devices.

  18. Design and implementation of a seamless and comprehensive integrated medical device interface system for outpatient electronic medical records in a general hospital.

    PubMed

    Choi, Jong Soo; Lee, Jean Hyoung; Park, Jong Hwan; Nam, Han Seung; Kwon, Hyuknam; Kim, Dongsoo; Park, Seung Woo

    2011-04-01

    Implementing an efficient Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system is regarded as one of the key strategies for improving the quality of healthcare services. However, the system's interoperability between medical devices and the EMR is a big barrier to deploying the EMR system in an outpatient clinical setting. The purpose of this study is to design a framework for a seamless and comprehensively integrated medical device interface system, and to develop and implement a system for accelerating the deployment of the EMR system. We designed and developed a framework that could transform data from medical devices into the relevant standards and then store them in the EMR. The framework is composed of 5 interfacing methods according to the types of medical devices utilized at an outpatient clinical setting, registered in Samsung Medical Center (SMC) database. The medical devices used for this study were devices that have microchips embedded or that came packaged with personal computers. The devices are completely integrated with the EMR based on SMC's long term IT strategies. First deployment of integrating 352 medical devices into the EMR took place in April, 2006, and it took about 48 months. By March, 2010, every medical device was interfaced with the EMR. About 66,000 medical examinations per month were performed taking up an average of 50GB of storage space. We surveyed users, mainly the technicians. Out of 73 that responded, 76% of the respondents replied that they were strongly satisfied or satisfied, 20% replied as being neutral and only 4% complained about the speed of the system, which was attributed to the slow speed of the old-fashioned medical devices and computers. The current implementation of the medical device interface system based on the SMC framework significantly streamlines the clinical workflow in a satisfactory manner. 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. 77 FR 6028 - Taxable Medical Devices

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-02-07

    ... use by the purchaser for further manufacture, or for resale by the purchaser to a second purchaser for use by such second purchaser in further manufacture, and (ii) for export, or for resale by the... manufacture, prepare, propagate, compound, assemble, process, repackage, or relabel medical devices intended...

  20. Principles and Benefits of Explicitly Designed Medical Device Safety Architecture.

    PubMed

    Larson, Brian R; Jones, Paul; Zhang, Yi; Hatcliff, John

    The complexity of medical devices and the processes by which they are developed pose considerable challenges to producing safe designs and regulatory submissions that are amenable to effective reviews. Designing an appropriate and clearly documented architecture can be an important step in addressing this complexity. Best practices in medical device design embrace the notion of a safety architecture organized around distinct operation and safety requirements. By explicitly separating many safety-related monitoring and mitigation functions from operational functionality, the aspects of a device most critical to safety can be localized into a smaller and simpler safety subsystem, thereby enabling easier verification and more effective reviews of claims that causes of hazardous situations are detected and handled properly. This article defines medical device safety architecture, describes its purpose and philosophy, and provides an example. Although many of the presented concepts may be familiar to those with experience in realization of safety-critical systems, this article aims to distill the essence of the approach and provide practical guidance that can potentially improve the quality of device designs and regulatory submissions.

  1. An evaluation of emergency medicine investigators' views on open access to medical literature.

    PubMed

    Rodriguez, R M; Wong, J; Hardy, J; Frankel, E

    2006-12-01

    Scientists and governmental agencies have called for free universal access to research publications via the internet--open access. To examine the current medical literature reading practices of emergency medicine investigators (EMIs) and their views towards open access. Surveys were mailed to the 212 corresponding authors of all original research articles published in years 2002 and 2003 in the Annals of Emergency Medicine, Academic Emergency Medicine and The Journal of Emergency Medicine. The most commonly read forms of medical literature reported by the 129 (61%) EMI respondents were hard-copy medical journals and online literature review services. 59% of EMIs were in favour of open access; 58% stated they would read a wider variety of medical literature; 21% believed open access would improve the quality of publications and 39% thought it would decrease the quality. When asked how a US 1500 dollars fee for open access would affect their ability to publish research, 69% said it would greatly impede and 19% said it would slightly impede their research. Despite concerns that open access may impede their ability to publish research and decrease the quality of publications, most EMIs surveyed favoured open access. They believed open access would increase and broaden their medical literature reading.

  2. How Medical Tourism Enables Preferential Access to Care: Four Patterns from the Canadian Context.

    PubMed

    Snyder, Jeremy; Johnston, Rory; Crooks, Valorie A; Morgan, Jeff; Adams, Krystyna

    2017-06-01

    Medical tourism is the practice of traveling across international borders with the intention of accessing medical care, paid for out-of-pocket. This practice has implications for preferential access to medical care for Canadians both through inbound and outbound medical tourism. In this paper, we identify four patterns of medical tourism with implications for preferential access to care by Canadians: (1) Inbound medical tourism to Canada's public hospitals; (2) Inbound medical tourism to a First Nations reserve; (3) Canadian patients opting to go abroad for medical tourism; and (4) Canadian patients traveling abroad with a Canadian surgeon. These patterns of medical tourism affect preferential access to health care by Canadians by circumventing domestic regulation of care, creating jurisdictional tensions over the provision of health care, and undermining solidarity with the Canadian health system.

  3. 77 FR 52742 - Public Meeting-Strengthening the National Medical Device Postmarket Surveillance System; Request...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-30

    ...] Public Meeting--Strengthening the National Medical Device Postmarket Surveillance System; Request for... ``Public Meeting--Strengthening the National Medical Device Postmarket Surveillance System.'' The purpose of the meeting is to solicit public feedback regarding the medical device postmarket surveillance...

  4. Methodological considerations in observational comparative effectiveness research for implantable medical devices: an epidemiologic perspective.

    PubMed

    Jalbert, Jessica J; Ritchey, Mary Elizabeth; Mi, Xiaojuan; Chen, Chih-Ying; Hammill, Bradley G; Curtis, Lesley H; Setoguchi, Soko

    2014-11-01

    Medical devices play a vital role in diagnosing, treating, and preventing diseases and are an integral part of the health-care system. Many devices, including implantable medical devices, enter the market through a regulatory pathway that was not designed to assure safety and effectiveness. Several recent studies and high-profile device recalls have demonstrated the need for well-designed, valid postmarketing studies of medical devices. Medical device epidemiology is a relatively new field compared with pharmacoepidemiology, which for decades has been developed to assess the safety and effectiveness of medications. Many methodological considerations in pharmacoepidemiology apply to medical device epidemiology. Fundamental differences in mechanisms of action and use and in how exposure data are captured mean that comparative effectiveness studies of medical devices often necessitate additional and different considerations. In this paper, we discuss some of the most salient issues encountered in conducting comparative effectiveness research on implantable devices. We discuss special methodological considerations regarding the use of data sources, exposure and outcome definitions, timing of exposure, and sources of bias. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  5. [Study on the reform and improvement of the medical device registration system in China].

    PubMed

    Wang, Lanming

    2012-11-01

    Based on the theories of the Government Regulation and Administrative Licensure, aiming at the current situations of medical device registration system in China, some policy suggestions for future reform and improvement were provided as follows. (1) change the concepts of medical device registration administration. (2) perfect the regulations of medical device registration administration. (3) reform the medical device review organizational system. (4) Optimize the procedure of review and approval. (5) set up and maintain a professional team of review and approval staff. (6) reinforce the post-marketing supervision of medical devices. (7) foster and bring into play of the role of non-government organizations.

  6. Use of technical skills and medical devices among new registered nurses: A questionnaire study.

    PubMed

    Ewertsson, Mona; Gustafsson, Margareta; Blomberg, Karin; Holmström, Inger K; Allvin, Renée

    2015-12-01

    One comprehensive part of nursing practice is performing technical skills and handling of medical equipment. This might be challenging for new registered nurses (RNs) to do in patient-safe way. The aim of this study was to describe and compare the extent to which new RNs perform various technical skills and handle medical devices in different settings, and to investigate their possibility for continued learning in this respect. A further aim was to describe their perceptions of incident reporting related to technical skills and medical devices. A cross-sectional study with descriptive and comparative design. RNs who recently graduated from a nursing programme at three Swedish universities and had worked as a RN for up to 1 year were included in the study (n=113, response rate 57%). Data were collected by means of a postal questionnaire. Half of the RNs reported that they performed several of the listed tasks every day or every week, regardless of workplace. These tasks were most frequently performed in surgical departments. The majority of the participants (76%) stated a need of continued practical training. However, less than half of them (48%) had access to a training environment. Several participants (43%) had been involved in incidents related to technical skills or medical devices, which were not always reported. Nearly a third of the participants (31%) did not use the existing guidelines when performing technical skills, and reflection on performance was uncommon. This study highlights the importance of shared responsibilities between nurse educators and health care employers to provide learning opportunities for new RNs in technical skills, to maintain patient safety. To increase the safety culture where nursing students and new RNs understand the importance of using evidence-based guidelines and taking a reflective approach in the performance of technical tasks is needed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. 77 FR 39656 - Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-07-05

    ...-0003] RIN 3014-AA40 Medical Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee AGENCY... Diagnostic Equipment Accessibility Standards. DATES: The first meeting of the committee will be held at a... Equipment Accessibility Standards. See 77 FR 14706 (March 13, 2012). Section 510 of the Rehabilitation Act...

  8. The patient perspective on the effects of medical record accessibility: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Vermeir, Peter; Degroote, Sophie; Vandijck, Dominique; Van Tiggelen, Hanne; Peleman, Renaat; Verhaeghe, Rik; Mariman, An; Vogelaers, Dirk

    2017-06-01

    Health care is shifting from a paternalistic to a participatory model, with increasing patient involvement. Medical record accessibility to patients may contribute significantly to patient comanagement. To systematically review the literature on the patient perspective of effects of personal medical record accessibility on the individual patient, patient-physician relationship and quality of medical care. Screening of PubMed, Web of Science, Cinahl, and Cochrane Library on the keywords 'medical record', 'patient record', 'communication', 'patient participation', 'doctor-patient relationship', 'physician-patient relationship' between 1 January 2002 and 31 January 2016; systematic review after assessment for methodological quality. Out of 557 papers screened, only 12 studies qualified for the systematic review. Only a minority of patients spontaneously request access to their medical file, in contrast to frequent awareness of this patient right and the fact that patients in general have a positive view on open visit notes. The majority of those who have actually consulted their file are positive about this experience. Access to personal files improves adequacy and efficiency of communication between physician and patient, in turn facilitating decision-making and self-management. Increased documentation through patient involvement and feedback on the medical file reduces medical errors, in turn increasing satisfaction and quality of care. Information improvement through personal medical file accessibility increased reassurance and a sense of involvement and responsibility. From the patient perspective medical record accessibility contributes to co-management of personal health care.

  9. MRI-powered biomedical devices.

    PubMed

    Hovet, Sierra; Ren, Hongliang; Xu, Sheng; Wood, Bradford; Tokuda, Junichi; Tse, Zion Tsz Ho

    2017-11-16

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is beneficial for imaging-guided procedures because it provides higher resolution images and better soft tissue contrast than computed tomography (CT), ultrasound, and X-ray. MRI can be used to streamline diagnostics and treatment because it does not require patients to be repositioned between scans of different areas of the body. It is even possible to use MRI to visualize, power, and control medical devices inside the human body to access remote locations and perform minimally invasive procedures. Therefore, MR conditional medical devices have the potential to improve a wide variety of medical procedures; this potential is explored in terms of practical considerations pertaining to clinical applications and the MRI environment. Recent advancements in this field are introduced with a review of clinically relevant research in the areas of interventional tools, endovascular microbots, and closed-loop controlled MRI robots. Challenges related to technology and clinical feasibility are discussed, including MRI based propulsion and control, navigation of medical devices through the human body, clinical adoptability, and regulatory issues. The development of MRI-powered medical devices is an emerging field, but the potential clinical impact of these devices is promising.

  10. Analysis of metallic medical devices after cremation: The importance in identification.

    PubMed

    De Angelis, Danilo; Collini, Federica; Muccino, Enrico; Cappella, Annalisa; Sguazza, Emanuela; Mazzucchi, Alessandra; Cattaneo, Cristina

    2017-03-01

    The recovery of a charred cadaver raises many issues concerning personal identification; the presence of prosthetic materials may provide very important and decisive information. Who is involved in the recovery of a charred body or of burnt human fragments, should therefore be able to recognize medical devices even if modified by fire effects. Metallic residues (585kg) that came from 2785 cremations were studied. Medical devices were then divided by type and material in order to esteem the representativeness of each typology. The study illustrates the great presence of metal medical devices that could be of great help in identifying bodies and underlines that metallic medical devices types and morphology should be known by forensic practitioner involved in identification cases and that this kind of material can still be identified by physician and dentists, even if exposed to very high temperatures. Copyright © 2016 The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. 78 FR 76710 - Notice of Buy America Waiver for a Video Ready Access Device Cabinet

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-12-18

    ... Buy America Waiver for a Video Ready Access Device Cabinet AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT... America waiver for a Video Ready Access Device (VRAD) cabinet, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA... Transit Administration (FTA) has granted a non- availability waiver for the procurement of a Video Ready...

  12. Sustaining the success of medical device innovation.

    PubMed

    Fearis, Paul J; Craft, Brandon

    2016-11-01

    Paul Fearis is CEO of Clinvue, Brandon Craft is COO of Clinvue. Clinvue is medical device innovation consultancy specializing in Insight Informed Innovation in the medical industry. Paul and Brandon are also lecturers in innovation for the 'Center for Bioengineering, Innovation & Design' Masters course in Bioengineering Innovation & Design at the Johns Hopkins University, and guest lecturers at Rice University and Virginia Tech. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Drugs and Medical Devices: Adverse Events and the Impact on Women's Health.

    PubMed

    Carey, Jennifer L; Nader, Nathalie; Chai, Peter R; Carreiro, Stephanie; Griswold, Matthew K; Boyle, Katherine L

    2017-01-01

    A large number of medications and medical devices removed from the market by the US Food and Drug Administration over the past 4 decades specifically posed greater health risks to women. This article reviews the historical background of sex and gender in clinical research policy and describes several approved drugs and devices targeted for use in women that have caused major morbidity and mortality. The intended population for the medications and devices, population affected, approval process, and the basic and legal actions taken against the medication/drug company are also discussed. It is recognized that women are still at risk for harm from unsafe medications and devices, and continued improvements in legislation that promotes inclusion of sex and gender into the design and analysis of research will improve safety for both men and women. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier HS Journals, Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Accession Medical Standards Analysis and Research Activity (AMSARA)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2004-01-01

    young adults with psychiatric disorders 15. SUBJECT TERMS Accession, medical, standards, attrition, waiver, discharge, hospitalization, disability...86 Research to Develop a Screening Test for Detection of Psychiatric Disorders in Young Adults ...secondary to organic or functional mental disorders that interfere with work or school after age 12 or current use of medication to improve or maintain

  15. How much do physician-entrepreneurs contribute to new medical devices?

    PubMed

    Smith, Sheryl Winston; Sfekas, Andrew

    2013-05-01

    As recent public and private initiatives have sought to increase the transparency of physician-industry financial relationships (including calls for restricting collaboration), it is important to understand the extent of physicians' contributions to new medical devices. We quantify the contribution of information from physician-founded startup companies to 170 premarket approval (PMA) applications filed by 4 large incumbent medical device manufacturers over the period 1978-2007. We ask: Are incumbents more likely to incorporate information from physician-founded firms than nonphysician-founded firms? We matched the text in 4 incumbent medical device firms' PMAs (Medtronic, Johnson & Johnson, Boston Scientific, and Guidant) to the text in patent applications of 118 startup companies that received investment from these incumbents between 1978 and 2007. We use a text-matching algorithm to quantify the information contribution from physician and nonphysician-founded startups to incumbent firms' PMAs. We analyze correlates of backward citations and degree of overlap between incumbents' PMAs and startups' patents using negative binomial and tobit regressions. On average, physician-founded companies account for 11% of the information in PMAs, compared with 4% from nonphysician-founded companies. Regression results show that incumbents are significantly more likely to cite physician-founded companies' patents and to incorporate them into new devices. Physicians are an important source of medical device innovation. The results suggest that restrictions on financial relationships between providers and industry, while potentially improving patients' trust, may result in reduced medical innovation if physicians found fewer startups or if incumbent firms reduce investments in physician-founded startups.

  16. PANATIKI: A Network Access Control Implementation Based on PANA for IoT Devices

    PubMed Central

    Sanchez, Pedro Moreno; Lopez, Rafa Marin; Gomez Skarmeta, Antonio F.

    2013-01-01

    Internet of Things (IoT) networks are the pillar of recent novel scenarios, such as smart cities or e-healthcare applications. Among other challenges, these networks cover the deployment and interaction of small devices with constrained capabilities and Internet protocol (IP)-based networking connectivity. These constrained devices usually require connection to the Internet to exchange information (e.g., management or sensing data) or access network services. However, only authenticated and authorized devices can, in general, establish this connection. The so-called authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA) services are in charge of performing these tasks on the Internet. Thus, it is necessary to deploy protocols that allow constrained devices to verify their credentials against AAA infrastructures. The Protocol for Carrying Authentication for Network Access (PANA) has been standardized by the Internet engineering task force (IETF) to carry the Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP), which provides flexible authentication upon the presence of AAA. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first deep study of the feasibility of EAP/PANA for network access control in constrained devices. We provide light-weight versions and implementations of these protocols to fit them into constrained devices. These versions have been designed to reduce the impact in standard specifications. The goal of this work is two-fold: (1) to demonstrate the feasibility of EAP/PANA in IoT devices; (2) to provide the scientific community with the first light-weight interoperable implementation of EAP/PANA for constrained devices in the Contiki operating system (Contiki OS), called PANATIKI. The paper also shows a testbed, simulations and experimental results obtained from real and simulated constrained devices. PMID:24189332

  17. PANATIKI: a network access control implementation based on PANA for IoT devices.

    PubMed

    Moreno Sanchez, Pedro; Marin Lopez, Rafa; Gomez Skarmeta, Antonio F

    2013-11-01

    Internet of Things (IoT) networks are the pillar of recent novel scenarios, such as smart cities or e-healthcare applications. Among other challenges, these networks cover the deployment and interaction of small devices with constrained capabilities and Internet protocol (IP)-based networking connectivity. These constrained devices usually require connection to the Internet to exchange information (e.g., management or sensing data) or access network services. However, only authenticated and authorized devices can, in general, establish this connection. The so-called authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA) services are in charge of performing these tasks on the Internet. Thus, it is necessary to deploy protocols that allow constrained devices to verify their credentials against AAA infrastructures. The Protocol for Carrying Authentication for Network Access (PANA) has been standardized by the Internet engineering task force (IETF) to carry the Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP), which provides flexible authentication upon the presence of AAA. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first deep study of the feasibility of EAP/PANA for network access control in constrained devices. We provide light-weight versions and implementations of these protocols to fit them into constrained devices. These versions have been designed to reduce the impact in standard specifications. The goal of this work is two-fold: (1) to demonstrate the feasibility of EAP/PANA in IoT devices; (2) to provide the scientific community with the first light-weight interoperable implementation of EAP/PANA for constrained devices in the Contiki operating system (Contiki OS), called PANATIKI. The paper also shows a testbed, simulations and experimental results obtained from real and simulated constrained devices.

  18. 76 FR 48169 - Advancing Regulatory Science for Highly Multiplexed Microbiology/Medical Countermeasure Devices...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-08

    ...] Advancing Regulatory Science for Highly Multiplexed Microbiology/ Medical Countermeasure Devices; Public... Regulatory Science for Highly Multiplexed Microbiology/Medical Countermeasure Devices.'' The purpose of the public meeting is to discuss performance evaluation of highly multiplexed microbiology/medical...

  19. Health technology assessment of medical devices: a survey of non-European union agencies.

    PubMed

    Ciani, Oriana; Wilcher, Britni; Blankart, Carl Rudolf; Hatz, Maximilian; Rupel, Valentina Prevolnik; Erker, Renata Slabe; Varabyova, Yauheniya; Taylor, Rod S

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study was to review and compare current health technology assessment (HTA) activities for medical devices across non-European Union HTA agencies. HTA activities for medical devices were evaluated from three perspectives: organizational structure, processes, and methods. Agencies were primarily selected upon membership of existing HTA networks. The data collection was performed in two stages: stage 1-agency Web-site assessment using a standardized questionnaire, followed by review and validation of the collected data by a representative of the agency; and stage 2-semi-structured telephone interviews with key informants of a sub-sample of agencies. In total, thirty-six HTA agencies across twenty non-EU countries assessing medical devices were included. Twenty-seven of thirty-six (75 percent) agencies were judged at stage 1 to have adopted HTA-specific approaches for medical devices (MD-specific agencies) that were largely organizational or procedural. There appeared to be few differences in the organization, process and methods between MD-specific and non-MD-specific agencies. Although the majority (69 percent) of both categories of agency had specific methods guidance or policy for evidence submission, only one MD-specific agency had developed methodological guidelines specific to medical devices. In stage 2, many MD-specific agencies cited insufficient resources (budget, skilled employees), lack of coordination (between regulator and reimbursement bodies), and the inability to generalize findings from evidence synthesis to be key challenges in the HTA of medical devices. The lack of evidence for differentiation in scientific methods for HTA of devices raises the question of whether HTA needs to develop new methods for medical devices but rather adapt existing methodological approaches. In contrast, organizational and/or procedural adaptation of existing HTA agency frameworks to accommodate medical devices appear relatively commonplace.

  20. Hemodialysis Reliable Outflow (HeRO) device in end-stage dialysis access: a decision analysis model.

    PubMed

    Dageforde, Leigh Anne; Bream, Peter R; Moore, Derek E

    2012-09-01

    The Hemodialysis Reliable Outflow (HeRO) dialysis access device is a permanent tunneled dialysis graft connected to a central venous catheter and is used in patients with end-stage dialysis access (ESDA) issues secondary to central venous stenosis. The safety and effectiveness of the HeRO device has previously been proven, but no study thus far has compared the cost of its use with tunneled dialysis catheters (TDCs) and thigh grafts in patients with ESDA. A decision analytic model was developed to simulate outcomes for patients with ESDA undergoing placement of a HeRO dialysis access device, TDC, or thigh graft. Outcomes of interest were infection, thrombosis, and ischemic events. Baseline values, ranges, and costs were determined from a systematic review of the literature. Total costs were based on 1 year of post-procedure outcomes. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to test model strength. The HeRO dialysis access device is the least costly dialysis access with an average 1-year cost of $6521. The 1-year cost for a TDC was $8477. A thigh graft accounted for $9567 in a 1-year time period. The HeRO dialysis access device is the least costly method of ESDA. The primary determinants of cost in this model are infection in TDCs and leg ischemia necessitating amputation in thigh grafts. Further study is necessary to incorporate patient preference and quality of life into the model. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Substantial harm associated with failure of chronic paediatric central venous access devices.

    PubMed

    Ullman, Amanda J; Kleidon, Tricia; Cooke, Marie; Rickard, Claire M

    2017-07-06

    Central venous access devices (CVADs) form an important component of modern paediatric healthcare, especially for children with chronic health conditions such as cancer or gastrointestinal disorders. However device failure and complications rates are high.Over 2½ years, a child requiring parenteral nutrition and associated vascular access dependency due to 'short gut syndrome' (intestinal failure secondary to gastroschisis and resultant significant bowel resection) had ten CVADs inserted, with ninesubsequently failing. This resulted in multiple anaesthetics, invasive procedures, injuries, vascular depletion, interrupted nutrition, delayed treatment and substantial healthcare costs. A conservative estimate of the institutional costs for each insertion, or rewiring, of her tunnelled CVAD was $A10 253 (2016 Australian dollars).These complications and device failures had significant negative impact on the child and her family. Considering the commonality of conditions requiring prolonged vascular access, these failures also have a significant impact on international health service costs. © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  2. Adhoc electromagnetic compatibility testing of non-implantable medical devices and radio frequency identification

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background The use of radiofrequency identification (RFID) in healthcare is increasing and concerns for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) pose one of the biggest obstacles for widespread adoption. Numerous studies have documented that RFID can interfere with medical devices. The majority of past studies have concentrated on implantable medical devices such as implantable pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). This study examined EMC between RFID systems and non-implantable medical devices. Methods Medical devices were exposed to 19 different RFID readers and one RFID active tag. The RFID systems used covered 5 different frequency bands: 125–134 kHz (low frequency (LF)); 13.56 MHz (high frequency (HF)); 433 MHz; 915 MHz (ultra high frequency (UHF])) and 2.4 GHz. We tested three syringe pumps, three infusion pumps, four automatic external defibrillators (AEDs), and one ventilator. The testing procedure is modified from American National Standards Institute (ANSI) C63.18, Recommended Practice for an On-Site, Ad Hoc Test Method for Estimating Radiated Electromagnetic Immunity of Medical Devices to Specific Radio-Frequency Transmitters. Results For syringe pumps, we observed electromagnetic interference (EMI) during 13 of 60 experiments (22%) at a maximum distance of 59 cm. For infusion pumps, we observed EMI during 10 of 60 experiments (17%) at a maximum distance of 136 cm. For AEDs, we observed EMI during 18 of 75 experiments (24%) at a maximum distance of 51 cm. The majority of the EMI observed was classified as probably clinically significant or left the device inoperable. No EMI was observed for all medical devices tested during exposure to 433 MHz (two readers, one active tag) or 2.4 GHz RFID (two readers). Conclusion Testing confirms that RFID has the ability to interfere with critical medical equipment. Hospital staff should be aware of the potential for medical device EMI caused by RFID systems and should be encouraged to

  3. Adhoc electromagnetic compatibility testing of non-implantable medical devices and radio frequency identification.

    PubMed

    Seidman, Seth J; Guag, Joshua W

    2013-07-11

    The use of radiofrequency identification (RFID) in healthcare is increasing and concerns for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) pose one of the biggest obstacles for widespread adoption. Numerous studies have documented that RFID can interfere with medical devices. The majority of past studies have concentrated on implantable medical devices such as implantable pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). This study examined EMC between RFID systems and non-implantable medical devices. Medical devices were exposed to 19 different RFID readers and one RFID active tag. The RFID systems used covered 5 different frequency bands: 125-134 kHz (low frequency (LF)); 13.56 MHz (high frequency (HF)); 433 MHz; 915 MHz (ultra high frequency (UHF])) and 2.4 GHz. We tested three syringe pumps, three infusion pumps, four automatic external defibrillators (AEDs), and one ventilator. The testing procedure is modified from American National Standards Institute (ANSI) C63.18, Recommended Practice for an On-Site, Ad Hoc Test Method for Estimating Radiated Electromagnetic Immunity of Medical Devices to Specific Radio-Frequency Transmitters. For syringe pumps, we observed electromagnetic interference (EMI) during 13 of 60 experiments (22%) at a maximum distance of 59 cm. For infusion pumps, we observed EMI during 10 of 60 experiments (17%) at a maximum distance of 136 cm. For AEDs, we observed EMI during 18 of 75 experiments (24%) at a maximum distance of 51 cm. The majority of the EMI observed was classified as probably clinically significant or left the device inoperable. No EMI was observed for all medical devices tested during exposure to 433 MHz (two readers, one active tag) or 2.4 GHz RFID (two readers). Testing confirms that RFID has the ability to interfere with critical medical equipment. Hospital staff should be aware of the potential for medical device EMI caused by RFID systems and should be encouraged to perform on-site RF immunity tests prior

  4. Guidance for the emergency use of unapproved medical devices; availability--FDA. Notice.

    PubMed

    1985-10-22

    The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing guidance, developed by FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH), with respect to those emergency situations in which the agency would not object to a physician's using a potentially life-saving medical device for a use for which the device ordinarily is required to have, but does not have, an approved application for premarket approval or an investigational device exemption. The guidance is contained in a document entitled "guidance for the Emergency Use of Unapproved Medical Devices."

  5. Lack of access to medical care during Hurricane Sandy and mental health symptoms.

    PubMed

    Ruskin, Julia; Rasul, Rehana; Schneider, Samantha; Bevilacqua, Kristin; Taioli, Emanuela; Schwartz, Rebecca M

    2018-06-01

    Destruction caused by natural disasters compromises medical providers' and hospitals' abilities to administer care. Hurricane Sandy was particularly devastating, resulting in massive disruptions of medical care in the region. This study aimed to determine whether a lack of access to medical care during Hurricane Sandy was associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and other mental health/substance abuse outcomes. A secondary aim was to examine whether having a chronic illness moderates those associations. Self-reported medical access and mental health symptomatology were obtained from New York City and Long Island residents (n = 1669) following Hurricane Sandy under the Leaders in Gathering Hope Together project (10/23/2013-2/25/2015) and Project Restoration (6/5/2014-8/9/2016). Multivariable logistic regressions were utilized to determine the relationship between lack of access to medical care and mental health outcomes. Of the 1669 participants, 994 (59.57%) were female, 866 (51.89%) were white, and the mean age was 46.22 (SD = 19.2) years old. Those without access to medical care had significantly higher odds of showing symptoms of PTSD (AOR = 2.71, CI = [1.77-4.16]), as well as depression (AOR = 1.94, CI = [1.29-2.92]) and anxiety (AOR = 1.61, CI = [1.08-2.39]) compared to those with access. Lack of access to care was associated with a 2.12 point increase in perceived stress scale score (SE = 0.63). The interaction between having a chronic illness and lack of access to medical care was not significantly associated with any outcomes. The findings emphasize the importance of making medical care more accessible to patients, both chronically and acutely ill, during natural disasters to benefit their physical as well as their mental health.

  6. Medical Devices; Hematology and Pathology Devices; Classification of the Whole Slide Imaging System. Final order.

    PubMed

    2018-01-02

    The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or we) is classifying the whole slide imaging system into class II (special controls). The special controls that apply to the device type are identified in this order and will be part of the codified language for the whole slide imaging system's classification. We are taking this action because we have determined that classifying the device into class II (special controls) will provide a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness of the device. We believe this action will also enhance patients' access to beneficial innovative devices, in part by reducing regulatory burdens.

  7. Medical devices in dermatology using DLP technology from Texas Instruments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kock, M.; Lüllau, F.

    2012-03-01

    The market of medical devices is growing continuously worldwide. With the DLP™ technology from Texas Instruments Lüllau Engineering GmbH in Germany has realized different applications in the medical discipline of dermatology. Especially a new digital phototherapy device named skintrek™ PT5 is revolutionizing the treatment of skin diseases like psoriasis , Vitiligo and other Eczema. The functions of the new phototherapy device can only be realized through DLP™ technology which is not only be used for the selective irradiation process. In combination with other optical systems DLP™ technology undertakes also other functionalities like 3D-topology calculation und patient movement compensation.

  8. Views of patients and professionals about electronic multicompartment medication devices: a qualitative study

    PubMed Central

    Hall, Jill; Bond, Christine; Kinnear, Moira; McKinstry, Brian

    2016-01-01

    Objectives To explore the perceived acceptability, advantages and disadvantages of electronic multicompartment medication devices. Design Qualitative study using 8 focus groups and 10 individual semistructured interviews. Recordings were transcribed and analysed thematically. Strategies were employed to ensure the findings were credible and trustworthy. Participants and setting Community pharmacists (n=11), general practitioners (n=9), community nurses (n=12) and social care managers (n=8) were recruited from the National Health Service (NHS) and local authority services. Patients (n=15) who were current conventional or electronic multicompartment medication device users or had medication adherence problems were recruited from community pharmacies. 3 informal carers participated. Results Electronic multicompartment medication devices which prompt the patient to take medication may be beneficial for selected individuals, particularly those with cognitive impairment, but who are not seriously impaired, provided they have a good level of dexterity. They may also assist individuals where it is important that medication is taken at fixed time intervals. These are likely to be people who are being supported to live alone. No single device suited everybody; smaller/lighter devices were preferred but their usefulness was limited by the small number/size of storage compartments. Removing medications was often challenging. Transportability was an important factor for patients and carers. A carer's alert if medication is not taken was problematic with multiple barriers to implementation and no consensus as to who should receive the alert. There was a lack of enthusiasm among professionals, particularly among pharmacists, due to concerns about responsibility and funding for devices as well as ensuring devices met regulatory standards for storage and labelling. Conclusions This study provides indicators of which patients might benefit from an electronic multicompartment

  9. Views of patients and professionals about electronic multicompartment medication devices: a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Hall, Jill; Bond, Christine; Kinnear, Moira; McKinstry, Brian

    2016-10-17

    To explore the perceived acceptability, advantages and disadvantages of electronic multicompartment medication devices. Qualitative study using 8 focus groups and 10 individual semistructured interviews. Recordings were transcribed and analysed thematically. Strategies were employed to ensure the findings were credible and trustworthy. Community pharmacists (n=11), general practitioners (n=9), community nurses (n=12) and social care managers (n=8) were recruited from the National Health Service (NHS) and local authority services. Patients (n=15) who were current conventional or electronic multicompartment medication device users or had medication adherence problems were recruited from community pharmacies. 3 informal carers participated. Electronic multicompartment medication devices which prompt the patient to take medication may be beneficial for selected individuals, particularly those with cognitive impairment, but who are not seriously impaired, provided they have a good level of dexterity. They may also assist individuals where it is important that medication is taken at fixed time intervals. These are likely to be people who are being supported to live alone. No single device suited everybody; smaller/lighter devices were preferred but their usefulness was limited by the small number/size of storage compartments. Removing medications was often challenging. Transportability was an important factor for patients and carers. A carer's alert if medication is not taken was problematic with multiple barriers to implementation and no consensus as to who should receive the alert. There was a lack of enthusiasm among professionals, particularly among pharmacists, due to concerns about responsibility and funding for devices as well as ensuring devices met regulatory standards for storage and labelling. This study provides indicators of which patients might benefit from an electronic multicompartment medication device as well as the kinds of features to consider when

  10. Left to their own devices: medical learners' use of mobile technologies.

    PubMed

    Ellaway, Rachel H; Fink, Patricia; Graves, Lisa; Campbell, Alanna

    2014-02-01

    Although many medical learners and teachers are using mobile technologies within medical education, there has been little evidence presented describing how they use mobile devices across a whole curriculum. The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) introduced a new mobile device program in 2010. Incoming undergraduate medical learners received a laptop and an iPad and learners entering year three of the four-year program received a laptop and an iPhone. A survey was sent to all learners to gather information on their use of and attitudes toward these devices. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods was used to analyze the data and to generate a series of themes that synthesized student behaviors, perceptions and attitudes. Context and learner autonomy were found to be important factors with learners using multiple devices for different purposes and adopting strategic approaches to learning using these devices. The expectation that school-issued devices would be regularly and enthusiastically used to replace more traditional study media was not reflected in practice. Learners' approaches to using mobile devices are heterogeneous as is the extent to which they use them. Learners adapt their use of mobile devices to the learning cultures and contexts they find themselves in.

  11. Autonomy and Housing Accessibility Among Powered Mobility Device Users

    PubMed Central

    Brandt, Åse; Lexell, Eva Månsson; Iwarsson, Susanne

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVE. To describe environmental barriers, accessibility problems, and powered mobility device (PMD) users’ autonomy indoors and outdoors; to determine the home environmental barriers that generated the most housing accessibility problems indoors, at entrances, and in the close exterior surroundings; and to examine personal factors and environmental components and their association with indoor and outdoor autonomy. METHOD. This cross-sectional study was based on data collected from a sample of 48 PMD users with a spinal cord injury (SCI) using the Impact of Participation and Autonomy and the Housing Enabler instruments. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used. RESULTS. More years living with SCI predicted less restriction in autonomy indoors, whereas more functional limitations and accessibility problems related to entrance doors predicted more restriction in autonomy outdoors. CONCLUSION. To enable optimized PMD use, practitioners must pay attention to the relationship between client autonomy and housing accessibility problems. PMID:26356666

  12. Advancing medical device innovation through collaboration and coordination of structured data capture pilots: Report from the Medical Device Epidemiology Network (MDEpiNet) Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results-Oriented, Time Bound (SMART) Think Tank.

    PubMed

    Reed, Terrie L; Drozda, Joseph P; Baskin, Kevin M; Tcheng, James; Conway, Karen; Wilson, Natalia; Marinac-Dabic, Danica; Heise, Theodore; Krucoff, Mitchell W

    2017-12-01

    The Medical Device Epidemiology Network (MDEpiNet) is a public private partnership (PPP) that provides a platform for collaboration on medical device evaluation and depth of expertise for supporting pilots to capture, exchange and use device information for improving device safety and protecting public health. The MDEpiNet SMART Think Tank, held in February, 2013, sought to engage expert stakeholders who were committed to improving the capture of device data, including Unique Device Identification (UDI), in key electronic health information. Prior to the Think Tank there was limited collaboration among stakeholders beyond a few single health care organizations engaged in electronic capture and exchange of device data. The Think Tank resulted in what has become two sustainable multi-stakeholder device data capture initiatives, BUILD and VANGUARD. These initiatives continue to mature within the MDEpiNet PPP structure and are well aligned with the goals outlined in recent FDA-initiated National Medical Device Planning Board and Medical Device Registry Task Force white papers as well as the vision for the National Evaluation System for health Technology.%. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  13. PVC and phthalates in medical devices: a never ending story.

    PubMed

    Hansen, O Grøndahl

    2006-04-01

    Phthalate-plasticised poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC) medical devices have been subject to critical attention for 15 years. This article reviews latest developments. It addresses whether hospitals have achieved their goal of phasing out PVC and phthalates and if it is a certainty that a medical device is better with regard to health and the environment just because it does not contain PVC and phthalates. European risk assessments are also reported.

  14. Reporting of Cardiovascular Medical Device Adverse Events to Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency, Japan☆

    PubMed Central

    Handa, Nobuhiro; Ishii, Kensuke; Matsui, Yutaka; Ando, Yuki

    2015-01-01

    Background Marketing authorization holders (MAHs) are obligated to report adverse events (AEs) within 15 days (some cases 30 days) to the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) of Japan. Methods To analyze the timeliness of AE reporting to the PMDA, 6610 reports for five categories of cardiovascular devices were retrieved. Two durations were calculated: (1) time from the date the AE occurred to that when the MAH captured it (DOC: days); and (2) time from the date of MAH capture to that of MAH report (DCR: days). Number of DOC > 15 days (DOC15) and delayed reports (DCR > 15 or 30 days) were also calculated. Results AEs included 9.2% deaths and 7.5% non-recoveries. DOC15 and delayed reports were 51.0% and 10.9%, respectively. By multivariate analysis, DOC15 was associated with foreign AE, device category, MAH, patient outcome, event category, and AE that had to be reported within 15 or 30 days (AE15/30). Delayed report was associated with device category, MAH, patient outcome, event category, and AE15/30. Comments Although Japanese MAHs complied with the obligation to report AEs, they often failed to share AEs with healthcare providers. Registry may be a potential solution, although the cooperation of healthcare providers to input data is essential. PMID:26501120

  15. Third-year medical students' knowledge of privacy and security issues concerning mobile devices.

    PubMed

    Whipple, Elizabeth C; Allgood, Kacy L; Larue, Elizabeth M

    2012-01-01

    The use of mobile devices are ubiquitous in medical-care professional settings, but information on privacy and security concerns of mobile devices for medical students is scarce. To gain baseline information about third-year medical students' mobile device use and knowledge of privacy and security issues concerning mobile devices. We surveyed 67 third-year medical students at a Midwestern university on their use of mobile devices and knowledge of how to protect information available through mobile devices. Students were also presented with clinical scenarios to rate their level of concern in regards to privacy and security of information. The most used features of mobile devices were: voice-to-voice (100%), text messaging (SMS) (94%), Internet (76.9%), and email (69.3%). For locking of one's personal mobile phone, 54.1% never physically lock their phone, and 58% never electronically lock their personal PDA. Scenarios considering definitely privacy concerns include emailing patient information intact (66.7%), and posting de-identified information on YouTube (45.2%) or Facebook (42.2%). As the ease of sharing data increases with the use of mobile devices, students need more education and training on possible privacy and security risks posed with mobile devices.

  16. Low power signal processing electronics for wearable medical devices.

    PubMed

    Casson, Alexander J; Rodriguez-Villegas, Esther

    2010-01-01

    Custom designed microchips, known as Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), offer the lowest possible power consumption electronics. However, this comes at the cost of a longer, more complex and more costly design process compared to one using generic, off-the-shelf components. Nevertheless, their use is essential in future truly wearable medical devices that must operate for long periods of time from physically small, energy limited batteries. This presentation will demonstrate the state-of-the-art in ASIC technology for providing online signal processing for use in these wearable medical devices.

  17. 78 FR 19717 - Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Toxicology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-02

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2013-N-0001] Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Toxicology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee: Notice of Change of Meeting Schedule AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. ACTION: Notice; correction...

  18. Ethics considerations for medical device R&D.

    PubMed

    Citron, Paul

    2012-01-01

    Medical devices have emerged as an important clinical option to treat certain serious diseases for which there are no equivalently effective surgical or pharmaceutical alternatives. Although all clinical activities impose high ethical standards of comportment to protect patients, medical device R&D and product application have a number of relatively unique aspects that distinguish them from other technologies such as pharmaceuticals. These include the following: R&D project selection; regulatory requirements, and their intended and unintended effects; when is a new product design sufficiently safe and effective for routine use in patients; and, physician-industry relationships in the innovation process in the context of real or perceived conflict of interest (COI). Each of these factors has implications for the delivery of care, health care leadership, and patient well-being. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Marketing medical devices in Japan.

    PubMed

    Ohashi, J

    1998-01-01

    The control of medical devices in Japan has recently undergone significant changes as the country brings its systems into line with those of the United States and Europe. This article discusses pre-market approval, quality system requirements and post-market surveillance. Many technical issues have been harmonized but language is likely to continue to be a barrier to trade. Details of information services that are available to foreign manufacturers and importers are supplied.

  20. Stakeholder challenges in purchasing medical devices for patient safety.

    PubMed

    Hinrichs, Saba; Dickerson, Terry; Clarkson, John

    2013-03-01

    This study identifies the stakeholders who have a role in medical device purchasing within the wider system of health-care delivery and reports on their particular challenges to promote patient safety during purchasing decisions. Data was collected through observational work, participatory workshops, and semi-structured qualitative interviews, which were analyzed and coded. The study takes a systems-based and engineering design approach to the study. Five hospitals took part in this study, and the participants included maintenance, training, clinical end-users, finance, and risk departments. The main stakeholders for purchasing were identified to be staff from clinical engineering (Maintenance), device users (Clinical), device trainers (Training), and clinical governance for analyzing incidents involving devices (Risk). These stakeholders display varied characteristics in terms of interpretation of their own roles, competencies for selecting devices, awareness and use of resources for purchasing devices, and attitudes toward the purchasing process. The role of "clinical engineering" is seen by these stakeholders to be critical in mediating between training, technical, and financial stakeholders but not always recognized in practice. The findings show that many device purchasing decisions are tackled in isolation, which is not optimal for decisions requiring knowledge that is currently distributed among different people within different departments. The challenges expressed relate to the wider system of care and equipment management, calling for a more systemic view of purchasing for medical devices.

  1. Using off-the-shelf medical devices for biomedical signal monitoring in a telemedicine system for emergency medical services.

    PubMed

    Thelen, Sebastian; Czaplik, Michael; Meisen, Philipp; Schilberg, Daniel; Jeschke, Sabina

    2015-01-01

    In order to study new methods of telemedicine usage in the context of emergency medical services, researchers need to prototype integrated telemedicine systems. To conduct a one-year trial phase-intended to study a new application of telemedicine in German emergency medical services-we used off-the-shelf medical devices and software to realize real-time patient monitoring within an integrated telemedicine system prototype. We demonstrate its feasibility by presenting the integrated real-time patient monitoring solution, by studying signal delay and transmission robustness regarding changing communication channel characteristics, and by evaluating issues reported by the physicians during the trial phase. Where standards like HL7 and the IEEE 11073 family are intended to enable interoperability of product grade medical devices, we show that research prototypes benefit from the use of web technologies and simple device interfaces, as they simplify product development for a manufacturer and ease integration efforts for research teams. Embracing this approach for the development of new medical devices eases the constraint to use off-the-shelf products for research trials investigating innovative use of telemedicine.

  2. 76 FR 14028 - Center for Devices and Radiological Health 510(k) Implementation: Online Repository of Medical...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-15

    ...] Center for Devices and Radiological Health 510(k) Implementation: Online Repository of Medical Device... public meeting entitled ``510(k) Implementation: Discussion of an Online Repository of Medical Device... establish an online public repository of medical device labeling and strategies for displaying device...

  3. System and Method for Detecting Unauthorized Device Access by Comparing Multiple Independent Spatial-Time Data Sets from Other Devices

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Westmeyer, Paul A. (Inventor); Wertenberg, Russell F. (Inventor); Krage, Frederick J. (Inventor); Riegel, Jack F. (Inventor)

    2017-01-01

    An authentication procedure utilizes multiple independent sources of data to determine whether usage of a device, such as a desktop computer, is authorized. When a comparison indicates an anomaly from the base-line usage data, the system, provides a notice that access of the first device is not authorized.

  4. Improving medical device regulation: the United States and Europe in perspective.

    PubMed

    Sorenson, Corinna; Drummond, Michael

    2014-03-01

    Recent debates and events have brought into question the effectiveness of existing regulatory frameworks for medical devices in the United States and Europe to ensure their performance, safety, and quality. This article provides a comparative analysis of medical device regulation in the two jurisdictions, explores current reforms to improve the existing systems, and discusses additional actions that should be considered to fully meet this aim. Medical device regulation must be improved to safeguard public health and ensure that high-quality and effective technologies reach patients. We explored and analyzed medical device regulatory systems in the United States and Europe in accordance with the available gray and peer-reviewed literature and legislative documents. The two regulatory systems differ in their mandate and orientation, organization, pre- and postmarket evidence requirements, and transparency of process. Despite these differences, both jurisdictions face similar challenges for ensuring that only safe and effective devices reach the market, monitoring real-world use, and exchanging pertinent information on devices with key users such as clinicians and patients. To address these issues, reforms have recently been introduced or debated in the United States and Europe that are principally focused on strengthening regulatory processes, enhancing postmarket regulation through more robust surveillance systems, and improving the traceability and monitoring of devices. Some changes in premarket requirements for devices are being considered. Although the current reforms address some of the outstanding challenges in device regulation, additional steps are needed to improve existing policy. We examine a number of actions to be considered, such as requiring high-quality evidence of benefit for medium- and high-risk devices; moving toward greater centralization and coordination of regulatory approval in Europe; creating links between device identifier systems and

  5. Improving Medical Device Regulation: The United States and Europe in Perspective

    PubMed Central

    SORENSON, CORINNA; DRUMMOND, MICHAEL

    2014-01-01

    Context: Recent debates and events have brought into question the effectiveness of existing regulatory frameworks for medical devices in the United States and Europe to ensure their performance, safety, and quality. This article provides a comparative analysis of medical device regulation in the two jurisdictions, explores current reforms to improve the existing systems, and discusses additional actions that should be considered to fully meet this aim. Medical device regulation must be improved to safeguard public health and ensure that high-quality and effective technologies reach patients. Methods: We explored and analyzed medical device regulatory systems in the United States and Europe in accordance with the available gray and peer-reviewed literature and legislative documents. Findings: The two regulatory systems differ in their mandate and orientation, organization, pre-and postmarket evidence requirements, and transparency of process. Despite these differences, both jurisdictions face similar challenges for ensuring that only safe and effective devices reach the market, monitoring real-world use, and exchanging pertinent information on devices with key users such as clinicians and patients. To address these issues, reforms have recently been introduced or debated in the United States and Europe that are principally focused on strengthening regulatory processes, enhancing postmarket regulation through more robust surveillance systems, and improving the traceability and monitoring of devices. Some changes in premarket requirements for devices are being considered. Conclusions: Although the current reforms address some of the outstanding challenges in device regulation, additional steps are needed to improve existing policy. We examine a number of actions to be considered, such as requiring high-quality evidence of benefit for medium-and high-risk devices; moving toward greater centralization and coordination of regulatory approval in Europe; creating

  6. 76 FR 50230 - Center for Devices and Radiological Health 510(k) Clearance Process; Recommendations Proposed in...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-12

    .... For those without Internet access, please call the contact person to register. Early registration is... access of medical devices to the market. On July 29, 2011, IOM released the report ``Medical Devices and..., and other relevant information will be posted, as it becomes available, on the Internet at http://www...

  7. [Software as medical devices/medical apps : Tasks, requirements, and experiences from the point of view of a competent authority].

    PubMed

    Terhechte, Arno

    2018-03-01

    Software can be classified as a medical device according to the Medical Device Directive 93/42/EEC. The number of software products and medical apps is continuously increasing and so too is the use in health institutions (e. g., in hospitals and doctors' surgeries) for diagnosis and therapy.Different aspects of standalone software and medical apps from the perspective of the authority responsible are presented. The quality system implemented to establish a risk-based systematic inspection and supervision of manufacturers is discussed. The legal framework, as well as additional standards that are the basis for inspection, are outlined. The article highlights special aspects that occur during inspection like verification of software and interfaces, and the clinical evaluation of software. The Bezirksregierung, as the local government authority responsible in North Rhine-Westphalia, is also in charge of inspection of health institutions. Therefore this article is not limited to the manufacturers placing the software on the market, but in addition it describes the management and use of software as a medical device in hospitals.The future legal framework, the Medical Device Regulation, will strengthen the requirements and engage notified bodies more than today in the conformity assessment of software as a medical device.Manufacturers, health institutions, notified bodies and the authorities responsible are in charge of intensifying their efforts towards software as a medical device. Mutual information, improvement of skills, and inspections will lead to compliance with regulatory requirements.

  8. FDA adverse Event Problem Codes: standardizing the classification of device and patient problems associated with medical device use.

    PubMed

    Reed, Terrie L; Kaufman-Rivi, Diana

    2010-01-01

    The broad array of medical devices and the potential for device failures, malfunctions, and other adverse events associated with each device creates a challenge for public health device surveillance programs. Coding reported events by type of device problem provides one method for identifying a potential signal of a larger device issue. The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) Event Problem Codes that are used to report adverse events previously lacked a structured set of controls for code development and maintenance. Over time this led to inconsistent, ambiguous, and duplicative concepts being added to the code set on an ad-hoc basis. Recognizing the limitation of its coding system the FDA set out to update the system to improve its usefulness within FDA and as a basis of a global standard to identify important patient and device outcomes throughout the medical community. In 2004, FDA and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) whereby NCI agreed to provide terminology development and maintenance services to all FDA Centers. Under this MOU, CDRH's Office of Surveillance and Biometrics (OSB) convened a cross-Center workgroup and collaborated with staff at NCI Enterprise Vocabulary Service (EVS) to streamline the Patient and Device Problem Codes and integrate them into the NCI Thesaurus and Meta-Thesaurus. This initiative included many enhancements to the Event Problem Codes aimed at improving code selection as well as improving adverse event report analysis. LIMITATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff resources, database concerns, and limited collaboration with external groups in the initial phases of the project are discussed. Adverse events associated with medical device use can be better understood when they are reported using a consistent and well-defined code set. This FDA initiative was an attempt to improve the structure and add control mechanisms to an existing code set

  9. [Data transparency regarding medical devices - the position of the medical device industry].

    PubMed

    Soskuty, Gabriela

    2011-01-01

    The medical device industry, strongly dominated by medium-sized firms, has significant growth potential and a high number of job opportunities with 170,000 employees in more than 11,000 companies. Approximately one third of the business volume is achieved with innovative products that are less than three years old. The safety, quality and efficiency of the products is tested and approved by CE certification. Due to the heterogeneous field of devices, however, evidence requirements must be differentiated according to the type of device in question. Transparency is as important as the type of evidence, and industry is well aware of the significance of transparency for credibility in the market. Industry believes that all the stakeholders affected must collaborate to define the evidence requirements and decide which data are necessary to assess the benefits of a technology. Before a consistent level of transparency can be achieved, however, it is crucial to jointly develop a framework of requirements including invasiveness, risk potential, patient-relevant endpoints and intended use of the technology, as well as the data source. Transparency is a process that can only be achieved if all stakeholders cooperate successfully. Also, it is important to keep in mind that the development of study designs and reliable evidence needs time. In the interest of all patients it is essential to maintain an innovation-friendly climate in Germany. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

  10. 21 CFR 801.16 - Medical devices; Spanish-language version of certain required statements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Medical devices; Spanish-language version of....16 Medical devices; Spanish-language version of certain required statements. If devices restricted to... Spanish is the predominant language, such labeling is authorized under § 801.15(c). ...

  11. 76 FR 14414 - Microbiology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-16

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES [Docket No. FDA-2011-N-0002] Microbiology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS... and Drug Administration (FDA). The meeting will be open to the public. Name of Committee: Microbiology...

  12. An investigation into the feasibility of locating portable medical devices using radio frequency identification devices and technology.

    PubMed

    Britton, J

    2007-01-01

    Portable medical devices represent an important resource for assisting healthcare delivery. The movement of portable devices often results in them being unavailable when needed. Tracking equipment using radiofrequency identification technology/devices (RFID) may provide a promising solution to the problems encountered in locating portable equipment. An RFID technology trial was undertaken at Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley. This involved the temporary installation of three active readers and attaching actively transmitting radio frequency tags to different portable medical devices. The active readers and computer system were linked using a bespoke data network. Tags and readers from two separate manufacturers were tested. Reliability difficulties were encountered when testing the technology from the first manufacturer, probably due to the casing of the medical device interfering with the signal from the tag. Improved results were obtained when using equipment from the second manufacturer with an overall error rate of 12.3%. Tags from this manufacturer were specifically designed to overcome problems observed with the first system tested. Findings from this proof of concept trial suggest that RFID technology could be used to track the location of equipment in a hospital.

  13. Scientific evaluation and pricing of medical devices and associated procedures in France.

    PubMed

    Gilard, Martine; Debroucker, Frederique; Dubray, Claude; Allioux, Yves; Aper, Eliane; Barat-Leonhardt, Valérie; Brami, Michèle; Carbonneil, Cédric; Chartier-Kastler, Emmanuel; Coqueblin, Claire; Fare, Sandrine; Giri, Isabelle; Goehrs, Jean-Marie; Levesque, Karine; Maugendre, Philippe; Parquin, François; Sales, Jean-Patrick; Szwarcensztein, Karine

    2013-01-01

    Medical devices are many and various, ranging from tongue spatulas to implantable or invasive devices and imaging machines; their lifetimes are short, between 18 months and 5 years, due to incessant incremental innovation; and they are operator-dependent: in general, the clinical user performs a fitting procedure (hip implant or pacemaker), a therapeutic procedure using a non-implantable invasive device (arrhythmic site ablation probe, angioplasty balloon, extension spondyloplasty system, etc.) or follow-up of an active implanted device (long-term follow-up of an implanted cardiac defibrillator or of a deep brain stimulator in Parkinson's patients). A round-table held during the XXVIII(th) Giens Workshops meeting focused on the methodology of scientific evaluation of medical devices and the associated procedures with a view to their pricing and financing by the French National Health Insurance system. The working hypothesis was that the available data-set was sufficient for and compatible with scientific evaluation with clinical benefit. Post-registration studies, although contributing to the continuity of assessment, were not dealt with. Moreover, the focus was restricted to devices used in health establishments, where the association between devices and technical medical procedures is optimally representative. An update of the multiple regulatory protocols governing medical devices and procedures is provided. Issues more specifically related to procedures as such, to non-implantable devices and to innovative devices are then dealt with, and the proposals and discussion points raised at the round-table for each of these three areas are presented. © 2013 Société Française de Pharmacologie et de Thérapeutique.

  14. 21 CFR 801.16 - Medical devices; Spanish-language version of certain required statements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Medical devices; Spanish-language version of....16 Medical devices; Spanish-language version of certain required statements. If devices restricted to prescription use only are labeled solely in Spanish for distribution in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico where...

  15. 76 FR 17657 - Medical Device Epidemiology Network 2011: Second Annual Public Workshop

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-30

    ...] Medical Device Epidemiology Network 2011: Second Annual Public Workshop AGENCY: Food and Drug... public workshop entitled ``Medical Device Epidemiology Network (MDEpiNet) 2011: Second Annual Public... and solicit feedback on the establishment of a network that works with FDA experts to determine the...

  16. Relationships between Access to Mobile Devices, Student Self-Directed Learning, and Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bartholomew, Scott R.; Reeve, Ed; Veon, Raymond; Goodridge, Wade; Lee, Victor; Nadelson, Louis

    2017-01-01

    Today's students are growing up in a world of constant connectivity, instant information, and ever-changing technological advancements. The increasingly ubiquitous nature of mobile devices among K-12 students has led many to argue for and against the inclusion of these devices in K-12 classrooms. Arguments in favor cite instant access to…

  17. Vascular closure devices in stroke patients receiving tissue plasminogen activator: A retrospective analysis from an academic tertiary medical center and a teaching community hospital stroke database.

    PubMed

    Patil, Mangaladevi S; Jayaraman, Mahesh V; Ahn, Sun H

    2017-06-01

    To determine the safety and effectiveness of vascular closure devices in prevention of access site complications in acute stroke patient receiving intravenous (IV) and/or intra-arterial (IA) IV tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). All patients with acute stroke onset treated with IV and/or IA tPA closed with vascular closure device and adult age (>18 years) were identified from an academic tertiary medical center and a teaching community hospital stroke database for 9 years (from March 2005 to June 2014). A total of 69 patients were included in the study. The mean age was 68.86±16.70 years and 49.2% female. All accesses were under fluoroscopic guidance into the right common femoral artery. We observed a 5.8% complication rate in patients receiving IV and/or IA tPA closed with vascular closure device. Access site complications included 3 cases of hematoma and 1 case of residual oozing. One patient required transfusion due to access site hematoma. Three patients were on aspirin and heparin and 1 was on no prior anticoagulation. Vascular closure device access site hemorrhagic complication rate in those receiving IV and/or IA tPA is low and similar to reported rates in those not receiving thrombolytic therapy. Vascular closure device use in patients receiving thrombolytic therapy is safe and effectively achieves hemostasis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Drugs and Medical Devices: Adverse Events and the Impact on Women’s Health

    PubMed Central

    Carey, Jennifer L.; Nader, Nathalie; Chai, Peter R.; Carreiro, Stephanie; Griswold, Matthew K.; Boyle, Katherine L.

    2018-01-01

    A large number of medications and medical devices removed from the market by the US Food and Drug Administration over the past 4 decades specifically posed greater health risks to women. This article reviews the historical background of sex and gender in clinical research policy and describes several approved drugs and devices targeted for use in women that have caused major morbidity and mortality. The intended population for the medications and devices, population affected, approval process, and the basic and legal actions taken against the medication/drug company are also discussed. It is recognized that women are still at risk for harm from unsafe medications and devices, and continued improvements in legislation that promotes inclusion of sex and gender into the design and analysis of research will improve safety for both men and women. PMID:28069260

  19. 77 FR 26769 - Educational Forum on Medical Device Reporting, Complaint Files, and Recalls, Corrections, and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-05-07

    ...] Educational Forum on Medical Device Reporting, Complaint Files, and Recalls, Corrections, and Removals; Public...), in collaboration with the FDA Medical Device Industry Coalition (FMDIC), is announcing a public workshop entitled ``Educational Forum on Medical Device Reporting, Complaint Files, and Recalls...

  20. 75 FR 29560 - Identifying Unmet Public Health Needs and Facilitating Innovation in Medical Device Development...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-05-26

    ...] Identifying Unmet Public Health Needs and Facilitating Innovation in Medical Device Development; Notice of... entitled ``Identifying Unmet Public Health Needs and Facilitating Innovation in Medical Device Development... an initiative to proactively facilitate medical device innovation to address unmet public health...

  1. EZ-IO(®) intraosseous device implementation in German Helicopter Emergency Medical Service.

    PubMed

    Helm, Matthias; Haunstein, Benedikt; Schlechtriemen, Thomas; Ruppert, Matthias; Lampl, Lorenz; Gäßler, Michael

    2015-03-01

    Intraosseous access (IO) is a rapid and safe alternative when peripheral venous access is difficult. Our aim was to summarize the first three years experience with the use of a semi-automatic IO device (EZ-IO(®)) in German Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS). Included were all patients during study period (January 2009-December 2011) requiring an IO access performed by HEMS team. Outcome variables were IO rate, IO insertion success rates, site of IO access, type of EZ-IO(®) needle set used, strategy of vascular access, procedure related problems and operator's satisfaction. IO rate was 0.3% (348/120.923). Overall success rate was 99.6% with a first attempt success rate of 85.9%; there was only one failure (0.4%). There were three insertion sites: proximal tibia (87.2%), distal tibia (7.5%) and proximal humerus (5.3%). Within total study group IO was predominantly the second-line strategy (39% vs. 61%, p<0.001), but in children<7 years, in trauma cases and in cardiac arrest IO was more often first-line strategy (64% vs. 28%, p<0.001; 48% vs. 34%, p<0.032; 50% vs. 29%, p<0.002 respectively). Patients with IO access were significantly younger (41.7±28.7 vs. 56.5±24.4 years; p<0.001), more often male (63.2% vs. 57.7%; p=0.037), included more trauma cases (37.3% vs. 30.0%; p=0.003) and more often patients with a NACA-Score≥5 rating (77.0% vs. 18.6%; p<0.001). Patients who required IO access generally presented with more severely compromised vital signs associated with the need for more invasive resuscitation actions such as intubation, chest drains, CPR and defibrillation. In 93% EZ-IO(®) needle set handling was rated "good". Problems were reported in 1.6% (needle dislocation 0.8%, needle bending 0.4% and parafusion 0.4%). The IO route was generally used in the most critically ill of patients. Our relatively low rate of usage would indicate that this would be compatible with the recommendations of established guidelines. The EZ-IO(®) intraosseous device

  2. Emergency department visits for medical device-associated adverse events among children.

    PubMed

    Wang, Cunlin; Hefflin, Brock; Cope, Judith U; Gross, Thomas P; Ritchie, Mary Beth; Qi, Youlin; Chu, Jianxiong

    2010-08-01

    The purposes of this study were to provide national estimates of emergency department (ED) visits for medical device-associated adverse events (MDAEs) in the pediatric population and to characterize these events further. ED medical record reports from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System All Injury Program database from January 1, 2004, through December 21, 2005, were reviewed. MDAEs among pediatric patients were identified, and data were abstracted. National estimates for pediatric MDAEs were determined according to medical specialty, device category and class, injury diagnosis, and patient characteristics and outcome. The total estimated number of pediatric MDAEs during the 24-month period was 144,799 (95% confidence interval: 113,051-183,903), involving devices from 13 medical specialties. Contact lenses accounted for most MDAEs (23%), followed by hypodermic needles (8%). The distribution of MDAEs according to medical specialty varied according to age subgroup. The most-prevalent types of injuries included contusions/abrasions, foreign-body intrusions, punctures, lacerations, and infections. The most-frequently affected body parts were the eyeball, pubic region, finger, face, and ear. The majority of pediatric MDAEs involved class II (moderate-risk) devices. The incidence of pediatric MDAEs decreased with increasing age from early to late childhood and then spiked after 10 years of age. More girls than boys were affected at older ages (16-21 years) and more boys than girls at younger ages (< or =10 years). Hospitalizations were more likely to involve invasive or implanted devices. This study provides national estimates of pediatric MDAEs resulting in ED visits and highlights the need to develop interventions to prevent pediatric device-related injuries.

  3. Regulatory Science in Practice (Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency).

    PubMed

    Hojo, Taisuke

    2017-01-01

    Review, safety, and relief services of the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency are primarily focused on scientifically evaluating pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and cellular and tissue-based products referring to their quality, efficacy, and safety, which requires a variety of scientific knowledge and methods. Pharmaceutical regulation should be established based on the most advanced scientific expertise at all times. In order to evaluate products that use cutting-edge technology such as induced pluripotent stem cells and information and communication technology adequately, since fiscal year 2012 the Science Committee has been established as a platform to exchange opinions among members from top-ranking domestic and international academia and to enhance personnel exchanges through the Initiative to Facilitate Development of Innovative Drugs. In addition, the Regulatory Science Center will be established in 2018 to increase the integrity of our services for product reviews and safety measures. In particular, requiring electronic data submissions for clinical trial applications followed by an advanced approach to analysis should not only enhance the quality of reviews of individual products but should also support the development of pharmaceuticals and medical devices by providing pharmaceutical affairs consultations on research and development strategies with various guidelines based on new insights resulting from product-bridging data analysis. Moreover, a database including electronic health records with comprehensive medical information collected mainly from 10 cooperating medical institutions will be developed with the aim of developing safety measures in a more timely manner using methods of pharmacoepidemiological analysis.

  4. 31 CFR 595.513 - In-kind donations of medicine, medical devices, and medical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false In-kind donations of medicine...-kind donations of medicine, medical devices, and medical services. (a) Effective July 6, 2006, nongovernmental organizations that are U.S. persons are authorized to provide in-kind donations of medicine...

  5. Pricing and reimbursement of drugs and medical devices in Hungary.

    PubMed

    Gulácsi, L; Dávid, T; Dózsa, Cs

    2002-01-01

    Similarly to other countries of Central and Eastern Europe, Hungary has witnessed massive diffusion of healthcare technology such as drugs and medical devices since 1990. While substantial new pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and procedures have been liberalized, there has been no proper evaluation or training in their use. Healthcare providers have come to find themselves as entrepreneurs in private practice, while patients are acquiring an increasing awareness as customers of healthcare,demanding services in return for their taxes and contributions. This has led to extremely irrational patterns of investment in technology, with most an obvious waste of resources, while leaving basic needs unmet. Both the National Health Insurance Fund and the Ministry of Finance believe that the current pharmaceutical and medical device bill is too high. However, introducing a more transparent and flexible pricing and reimbursement framework may enable a more efficient allocation of the limited resources to be achieved.

  6. 78 FR 53002 - Notice of Proposed Buy America Waiver for a Video Ready Access Device Cabinet

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-27

    ... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Transit Administration [Docket No. FTA-2013-0035] Notice of Proposed Buy America Waiver for a Video Ready Access Device Cabinet AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration... rules for a Video Ready Access Device (VRAD) cabinet. The VRAD cabinet is needed for an AT&T utility...

  7. Access control based on attribute certificates for medical intranet applications.

    PubMed

    Mavridis, I; Georgiadis, C; Pangalos, G; Khair, M

    2001-01-01

    Clinical information systems frequently use intranet and Internet technologies. However these technologies have emphasized sharing and not security, despite the sensitive and private nature of much health information. Digital certificates (electronic documents which recognize an entity or its attributes) can be used to control access in clinical intranet applications. To outline the need for access control in distributed clinical database systems, to describe the use of digital certificates and security policies, and to propose the architecture for a system using digital certificates, cryptography and security policy to control access to clinical intranet applications. We have previously developed a security policy, DIMEDAC (Distributed Medical Database Access Control), which is compatible with emerging public key and privilege management infrastructure. In our implementation approach we propose the use of digital certificates, to be used in conjunction with DIMEDAC. Our proposed access control system consists of two phases: the ways users gain their security credentials; and how these credentials are used to access medical data. Three types of digital certificates are used: identity certificates for authentication; attribute certificates for authorization; and access-rule certificates for propagation of access control policy. Once a user is identified and authenticated, subsequent access decisions are based on a combination of identity and attribute certificates, with access-rule certificates providing the policy framework. Access control in clinical intranet applications can be successfully and securely managed through the use of digital certificates and the DIMEDAC security policy.

  8. Access Control based on Attribute Certificates for Medical Intranet Applications

    PubMed Central

    Georgiadis, Christos; Pangalos, George; Khair, Marie

    2001-01-01

    Background Clinical information systems frequently use intranet and Internet technologies. However these technologies have emphasized sharing and not security, despite the sensitive and private nature of much health information. Digital certificates (electronic documents which recognize an entity or its attributes) can be used to control access in clinical intranet applications. Objectives To outline the need for access control in distributed clinical database systems, to describe the use of digital certificates and security policies, and to propose the architecture for a system using digital certificates, cryptography and security policy to control access to clinical intranet applications. Methods We have previously developed a security policy, DIMEDAC (Distributed Medical Database Access Control), which is compatible with emerging public key and privilege management infrastructure. In our implementation approach we propose the use of digital certificates, to be used in conjunction with DIMEDAC. Results Our proposed access control system consists of two phases: the ways users gain their security credentials; and how these credentials are used to access medical data. Three types of digital certificates are used: identity certificates for authentication; attribute certificates for authorization; and access-rule certificates for propagation of access control policy. Once a user is identified and authenticated, subsequent access decisions are based on a combination of identity and attribute certificates, with access-rule certificates providing the policy framework. Conclusions Access control in clinical intranet applications can be successfully and securely managed through the use of digital certificates and the DIMEDAC security policy. PMID:11720951

  9. Increasing information accessibility for patients in obstetrics-gynecology domain.

    PubMed

    Crişan-Vida, Mihaela; Stoicu-Tivadar, Lăcrămioara

    2014-01-01

    It is important for the patient to have access to personal medical information in order to manage information for increased quality of medical care and life. The paper presents a module added to an Obstetrics-Gynaecology Department information system (OGD IS) supporting patient empowerment. The patient is accessing the system easily using laptops or mobile devices. The application accessed by the patient is web-based, implemented in Visual Studio. NET, using ASP.NET pages and C# language, and the application is published in the Windows Azure cloud. The solution is user friendly using familiar devices and is ubiquitous using the cloud solution. A module for translating medical terms in colloquial ones is integrated in the system. For certain situations the patient will get information related to life style influencing health status as how and what to eat or what type of exercise it is recommended.

  10. 75 FR 1395 - General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Amendment of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-11

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2009-N-0606] General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Amendment of Notice...) is announcing an amendment to the notice of a meeting of the General and Plastic Surgery Devices...

  11. 78 FR 13350 - Ophthalmic Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-02-27

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2013-N-0001] Ophthalmic Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Food and Drug... of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The meeting will be open to the public. Name of Committee...

  12. Towards automated assistance for operating home medical devices.

    PubMed

    Gao, Zan; Detyniecki, Marcin; Chen, Ming-Yu; Wu, Wen; Hauptmann, Alexander G; Wactlar, Howard D

    2010-01-01

    To detect errors when subjects operate a home medical device, we observe them with multiple cameras. We then perform action recognition with a robust approach to recognize action information based on explicitly encoding motion information. This algorithm detects interest points and encodes not only their local appearance but also explicitly models local motion. Our goal is to recognize individual human actions in the operations of a home medical device to see if the patient has correctly performed the required actions in the prescribed sequence. Using a specific infusion pump as a test case, requiring 22 operation steps from 6 action classes, our best classifier selects high likelihood action estimates from 4 available cameras, to obtain an average class recognition rate of 69%.

  13. Recent advances in medical device triage technologies for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear events.

    PubMed

    Lansdowne, Krystal; Scully, Christopher G; Galeotti, Loriano; Schwartz, Suzanne; Marcozzi, David; Strauss, David G

    2015-06-01

    In 2010, the US Food and Drug Administration (Silver Spring, Maryland USA) created the Medical Countermeasures Initiative with the mission of development and promoting medical countermeasures that would be needed to protect the nation from identified, high-priority chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) threats and emerging infectious diseases. The aim of this review was to promote regulatory science research of medical devices and to analyze how the devices can be employed in different CBRN scenarios. Triage in CBRN scenarios presents unique challenges for first responders because the effects of CBRN agents and the clinical presentations of casualties at each triage stage can vary. The uniqueness of a CBRN event can render standard patient monitoring medical device and conventional triage algorithms ineffective. Despite the challenges, there have been recent advances in CBRN triage technology that include: novel technologies; mobile medical applications ("medical apps") for CBRN disasters; electronic triage tags, such as eTriage; diagnostic field devices, such as the Joint Biological Agent Identification System; and decision support systems, such as the Chemical Hazards Emergency Medical Management Intelligent Syndromes Tool (CHEMM-IST). Further research and medical device validation can help to advance prehospital triage technology for CBRN events.

  14. Mobile devices and weak ties: a study of vision impairments and workplace access in Bangalore.

    PubMed

    Pal, Joyojeet; Lakshmanan, Meera

    2015-07-01

    To explore ways in which social and economic interactions are changed by access to mobile telephony. This is a mixed-methods study of mobile phone use among 52 urban professionals with vision impairments in Bangalore, India. Interviews and survey results indicated that mobile devices, specifically those with adaptive technology software, play a vital role as multi-purpose devices that enable people with disabilities to navigate economically and socially in an environment where accessibility remains a significant challenge. We found that mobile devices play a central role in enabling and sustaining weak ties, but also that these weak ties have important gender-specific implications. We found that women have less access to weak ties than men, which impacts women's access to assistive technology (AT). This has potential implications for women's sense of safety and independence, both of which are strongly related to AT access. Implications for Rehabilitation Adaptive technologies increase individuals' ability to keep in contact with casual connections or weak ties through phone calls or social media. Men tend to have stronger access to weak ties than women in India due to cultural impediments to independent access to public spaces. Weak ties are an important source of assistive technology (AT) due to the high rate of resale of used AT, typically through informal networks.

  15. Prevalence of Sharing Access Credentials in Electronic Medical Records

    PubMed Central

    Korach, Tzfania; Shreberk-Hassidim, Rony; Thomaidou, Elena; Uzefovsky, Florina; Ayal, Shahar; Ariely, Dan

    2017-01-01

    Objectives Confidentiality of health information is an important aspect of the physician patient relationship. The use of digital medical records has made data much more accessible. To prevent data leakage, many countries have created regulations regarding medical data accessibility. These regulations require a unique user ID for each medical staff member, and this must be protected by a password, which should be kept undisclosed by all means. Methods We performed a four-question Google Forms-based survey of medical staff. In the survey, each participant was asked if he/she ever obtained the password of another medical staff member. Then, we asked how many times such an episode occurred and the reason for it. Results A total of 299 surveys were gathered. The responses showed that 220 (73.6%) participants reported that they had obtained the password of another medical staff member. Only 171 (57.2%) estimated how many time it happened, with an average estimation of 4.75 episodes. All the residents that took part in the study (45, 15%) had obtained the password of another medical staff member, while only 57.5% (38/66) of the nurses reported this. Conclusions The use of unique user IDs and passwords to defend the privacy of medical data is a common requirement in medical organizations. Unfortunately, the use of passwords is doomed because medical staff members share their passwords with one another. Strict regulations requiring each staff member to have it's a unique user ID might lead to password sharing and to a decrease in data safety. PMID:28875052

  16. Medical Devices; General Hospital and Personal Use Devices; Classification of the Image Processing Device for Estimation of External Blood Loss. Final order.

    PubMed

    2017-12-20

    The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or we) is classifying the image processing device for estimation of external blood loss into class II (special controls). The special controls that apply to the device type are identified in this order and will be part of the codified language for the image processing device for estimation of external blood loss' classification. We are taking this action because we have determined that classifying the device into class II (special controls) will provide a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness of the device. We believe this action will also enhance patients' access to beneficial innovative devices, in part by reducing regulatory burdens.

  17. 31 CFR 594.515 - In-kind donations of medicine, medical devices, and medical services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false In-kind donations of medicine....515 In-kind donations of medicine, medical devices, and medical services. (a) Effective July 6, 2006, nongovernmental organizations that are U.S. persons are authorized to provide in-kind donations of medicine...

  18. COMPARISON OF LAPAROSCOPIC SKILLS PERFORMANCE USING SINGLE-SITE ACCESS (SSA) DEVICES VS. AN INDEPENDENT-PORT SSA APPROACH

    PubMed Central

    Schill, Matthew R.; Varela, J. Esteban; Frisella, Margaret M.; Brunt, L. Michael

    2015-01-01

    Background We compared performance of validated laparoscopic tasks on four commercially available single site access (SSA) access devices (AD) versus an independent port (IP) SSA set-up. Methods A prospective, randomized comparison of laparoscopic skills performance on four AD (GelPOINT™, SILS™ Port, SSL Access System™, TriPort™) and one IP SSA set-up was conducted. Eighteen medical students (2nd–4th year), four surgical residents, and five attending surgeons were trained to proficiency in multi-port laparoscopy using four laparoscopic drills (peg transfer, bean drop, pattern cutting, extracorporeal suturing) in a laparoscopic trainer box. Drills were then performed in random order on each IP-SSA and AD-SSA set-up using straight laparoscopic instruments. Repetitions were timed and errors recorded. Data are mean ± SD, and statistical analysis was by two-way ANOVA with Tukey HSD post-hoc tests. Results Attending surgeons had significantly faster total task times than residents or students (p< 0.001), but the difference between residents and students was NS. Pair-wise comparisons revealed significantly faster total task times for the IP-SSA set-up compared to all four AD-SSA’s within the student group only (p<0.05). Total task times for residents and attending surgeons showed a similar profile, but the differences were NS. When data for the three groups was combined, the total task time was less for the IP-SSA set-up than for each of the four AD-SSA set-ups (p < 0.001). Similarly,, the IP-SSA set-up was significantly faster than 3 of 4 AD-SSA set-ups for peg transfer, 3 of 4 for pattern cutting, and 2 of 4 for suturing. No significant differences in error rates between IP-SSA and AD-SSA set-ups were detected. Conclusions When compared to an IP-SSA laparoscopic set-up, single site access devices are associated with longer task performance times in a trainer box model, independent of level of training. Task performance was similar across different SSA

  19. Sterilization and reprocessing of materials and medical devices--reusability.

    PubMed

    Jayabalan, M

    1995-07-01

    Problems associated with reprocessing of disposable medical devices such as hemodialysers with resterilization for reuse and changes in material properties with resterilization of polymeric (PVC, polypropylene, polyester, polycarbonate) materials intended for development of disposable devices are reviewed. Reprocessing of hospital supplies, polystyrene microtiter plate and angiographic catheter for reuse is also discussed.

  20. Medical Devices; Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Toxicology Devices; Classification of the Organophosphate Test System. Final order.

    PubMed

    2017-10-18

    The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or we) is classifying the organophosphate test system into class II (special controls). The special controls that apply to the device type are identified in this order and will be part of the codified language for the organophosphate test system's classification. We are taking this action because we have determined that classifying the device into class II (special controls) will provide a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness of the device. We believe this action will also enhance patients' access to beneficial innovative devices, in part by reducing regulatory burdens.

  1. Medical Devices; Hematology and Pathology Devices; Classification of a Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia Test System. Final order.

    PubMed

    2018-01-03

    The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or we) is classifying the cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) test system into class II (special controls). The special controls that apply to the device type are identified in this order and will be part of the codified language for the CIN test system's classification. We are taking this action because we have determined that classifying the device into class II (special controls) will provide a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness of the device. We believe this action will also enhance patients' access to beneficial innovative devices, in part by reducing regulatory burdens.

  2. Medical-device risk management and public safety: using cost-benefit as a measurement of effectiveness

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hughes, Allen A.

    1994-12-01

    Public safety can be enhanced through the development of a comprehensive medical device risk management. This can be accomplished through case studies using a framework that incorporates cost-benefit analysis in the evaluation of risk management attributes. This paper presents a framework for evaluating the risk management system for regulatory Class III medical devices. The framework consists of the following sixteen attributes of a comprehensive medical device risk management system: fault/failure analysis, premarket testing/clinical trials, post-approval studies, manufacturer sponsored hospital studies, product labeling, establishment inspections, problem reporting program, mandatory hospital reporting, medical literature surveillance, device/patient registries, device performance monitoring, returned product analysis, autopsy program, emergency treatment funds/interim compensation, product liability, and alternative compensation mechanisms. Review of performance histories for several medical devices can reveal the value of information for many attributes, and also the inter-dependencies of the attributes in generating risk information flow. Such an information flow network is presented as a starting point for enhancing medical device risk management by focusing on attributes with high net benefit values and potential to spur information dissemination.

  3. 75 FR 51829 - Public Workshop on Medical Devices and Nanotechnology: Manufacturing, Characterization, and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-23

    ...] Public Workshop on Medical Devices and Nanotechnology: Manufacturing, Characterization, and... entitled ``Medical Devices & Nanotechnology: Manufacturing, Characterization, and Biocompatibility... experience or expertise with nanotechnology. There will be a limited number of round-table participants. FDA...

  4. 77 FR 20743 - Protective Force Personnel Medical, Physical Readiness, Training, and Access Authorization Standards

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-04-06

    ...-HQ-2012-0002] RIN 1992-AA40 Protective Force Personnel Medical, Physical Readiness, Training, and... the proposed rule to amend the standards for medical, physical performance, training, and access... proposed rule to revise the standards for medical, physical performance, training, and access...

  5. Current state of medical device nomenclature and taxonomy systems in the UK: spotlight on GMDN and SNOMED CT

    PubMed Central

    White, Judith; Carolan-Rees, Grace

    2013-01-01

    A standardised terminology for describing medical devices can enable safe and unambiguous exchange of information. Proposed changes to EU-wide medical devices regulations mandate the use of such a system. This article reviews two important classification systems for medical devices in the UK. The Global Medical Device Nomenclature (GMDN) provides a classification system specifically for medical devices and diagnostics, and facilitates data exchange between manufacturers and regulators. SNOMED CT is the terminology of choice in the NHS for communicating, sharing and storing information about patients’ healthcare episodes. Harmonisation of GMDN and SNOMED CT will encourage use of single terminology throughout the lifetime of a device; from regulatory approval through clinical use and post-marketing surveillance. Manufacturers will be required to register medical devices with a European device database (Eudamed) and to fit certain devices with a Unique Device Identifier; both are efforts to improve transparency and traceability of medical devices. Successful implementation of these elements depends on having a consistent nomenclature for medical devices. PMID:23885299

  6. 76 FR 42713 - General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Amendment of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-19

    ...] General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Amendment of Notice... announcing an amendment to the notice of meeting of the General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the... INFORMATION: In the Federal Register of July 7, 2011, FDA announced that a meeting of the General and Plastic...

  7. OR.NET: a service-oriented architecture for safe and dynamic medical device interoperability.

    PubMed

    Kasparick, Martin; Schmitz, Malte; Andersen, Björn; Rockstroh, Max; Franke, Stefan; Schlichting, Stefan; Golatowski, Frank; Timmermann, Dirk

    2018-02-23

    Modern surgical departments are characterized by a high degree of automation supporting complex procedures. It recently became apparent that integrated operating rooms can improve the quality of care, simplify clinical workflows, and mitigate equipment-related incidents and human errors. Particularly using computer assistance based on data from integrated surgical devices is a promising opportunity. However, the lack of manufacturer-independent interoperability often prevents the deployment of collaborative assistive systems. The German flagship project OR.NET has therefore developed, implemented, validated, and standardized concepts for open medical device interoperability. This paper describes the universal OR.NET interoperability concept enabling a safe and dynamic manufacturer-independent interconnection of point-of-care (PoC) medical devices in the operating room and the whole clinic. It is based on a protocol specifically addressing the requirements of device-to-device communication, yet also provides solutions for connecting the clinical information technology (IT) infrastructure. We present the concept of a service-oriented medical device architecture (SOMDA) as well as an introduction to the technical specification implementing the SOMDA paradigm, currently being standardized within the IEEE 11073 service-oriented device connectivity (SDC) series. In addition, the Session concept is introduced as a key enabler for safe device interconnection in highly dynamic ensembles of networked medical devices; and finally, some security aspects of a SOMDA are discussed.

  8. Operating manual-based usability evaluation of medical devices: an effective patient safety screening method.

    PubMed

    Turley, James P; Johnson, Todd R; Smith, Danielle Paige; Zhang, Jaijie; Brixey, Juliana J

    2006-04-01

    Use of medical devices often directly contributes to medical errors. Because it is difficult or impossible to change the design of existing devices, the best opportunity for improving medical device safety is during the purchasing process. However, most hospital personnel are not familiar with the usability evaluation methods designed to identify aspects of a user interface that do not support intuitive and safe use. A review of medical device operating manuals is proposed as a more practical method of usability evaluation. Operating manuals for five volumetric infusion pumps from three manufacturers were selected for this study (January-April 2003). Each manual's safety message content was evaluated to determine whether the message indicated a device design characteristic that violated known usability principles (heuristics) or indicated a violation of an affordance of the device. "Minimize memory load," with 65 violations, was the heuristic violated most frequently across pumps. Variations between pumps, including the frequency and severity of violations for each, were noted. Results suggest that manual review can provide a proxy for heuristic evaluation of the actual medical device. This method, intended to be a component of prepurchasing evaluation, can complement more formal usability evaluation methods and be used to select a subset of devices for more extensive and formal testing.

  9. Association Between Portable Screen-Based Media Device Access or Use and Sleep Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Carter, Ben; Rees, Philippa; Hale, Lauren; Bhattacharjee, Darsharna; Paradkar, Mandar S

    2016-12-01

    Sleep is vital to children's biopsychosocial development. Inadequate sleep quantity and quality is a public health concern with an array of detrimental health outcomes. Portable mobile and media devices have become a ubiquitous part of children's lives and may affect their sleep duration and quality. To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine whether there is an association between portable screen-based media device (eg, cell phones and tablet devices) access or use in the sleep environment and sleep outcomes. A search strategy consisting of gray literature and 24 Medical Subject Headings was developed in Ovid MEDLINE and adapted for other databases between January 1, 2011, and June 15, 2015. Searches of the published literature were conducted across 12 databases. No language restriction was applied. The analysis included randomized clinical trials, cohort studies, and cross-sectional study designs. Inclusion criteria were studies of school-age children between 6 and 19 years. Exclusion criteria were studies of stationary exposures, such as televisions or desktop or personal computers, or studies investigating electromagnetic radiation. Of 467 studies identified, 20 cross-sectional studies were assessed for methodological quality. Two reviewers independently extracted data. The primary outcomes were inadequate sleep quantity, poor sleep quality, and excessive daytime sleepiness, studied according to an a priori protocol. Twenty studies were included, and their quality was assessed. The studies involved 125 198 children (mean [SD] age, 14.5 [2.2] years; 50.1% male). There was a strong and consistent association between bedtime media device use and inadequate sleep quantity (odds ratio [OR], 2.17; 95% CI, 1.42-3.32) (P < .001, I2 = 90%), poor sleep quality (OR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.14-1.88) (P = .003, I2 = 76%), and excessive daytime sleepiness (OR, 2.72; 95% CI, 1.32-5.61) (P = .007, I2 = 50%). In addition, children who had

  10. Accessing Your Health Information: How can I access my health information and medical records?

    MedlinePlus

    ... Privacy & Security How can I access my health information/medical record? Know your rights. It is your ... to see and get copies of your health information, or share it with a third party, such ...

  11. Progress on Broadband Access to the Internet and Use of Mobile Devices in the United States.

    PubMed

    Serrano, Katrina J; Thai, Chan L; Greenberg, Alexandra J; Blake, Kelly D; Moser, Richard P; Hesse, Bradford W

    Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) aims to improve population health outcomes through several objectives, including health communication and health information technology. We used 7 administrations of the Health Information National Trends Survey to examine HP2020 goals toward access to the Internet through broadband and mobile devices (N = 34 080). We conducted descriptive analyses and obtained predicted marginals, also known as model-adjusted risks, to estimate the association between demographic characteristics and use of mobile devices. The HP2020 target (7.7% of the US population) for accessing the Internet through a cellular network was surpassed in 2014 (59.7%), but the HP2020 target (83.2%) for broadband access fell short (63.8%). Sex and age were associated with accessing the Internet through a cellular network throughout the years (Wald F test, P <.05). The increase in the percentage of people accessing the Internet through mobile devices presents an opportunity for technology-based health interventions that should be explored.

  12. Progress on Broadband Access to the Internet and Use of Mobile Devices in the United States

    PubMed Central

    Thai, Chan L.; Greenberg, Alexandra J.; Blake, Kelly D.; Moser, Richard P.; Hesse, Bradford W.

    2016-01-01

    Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) aims to improve population health outcomes through several objectives, including health communication and health information technology. We used 7 administrations of the Health Information National Trends Survey to examine HP2020 goals toward access to the Internet through broadband and mobile devices (N = 34 080). We conducted descriptive analyses and obtained predicted marginals, also known as model-adjusted risks, to estimate the association between demographic characteristics and use of mobile devices. The HP2020 target (7.7% of the US population) for accessing the Internet through a cellular network was surpassed in 2014 (59.7%), but the HP2020 target (83.2%) for broadband access fell short (63.8%). Sex and age were associated with accessing the Internet through a cellular network throughout the years (Wald F test, P <.05). The increase in the percentage of people accessing the Internet through mobile devices presents an opportunity for technology-based health interventions that should be explored. PMID:28005473

  13. Post market surveillance in the german medical device sector - current state and future perspectives.

    PubMed

    Zippel, Claus; Bohnet-Joschko, Sabine

    2017-08-01

    Medical devices play a central role in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases but also bring the potential for adverse events, hazards or malfunction with serious consequences for patients and users. Medical device manufacturers are therefore required by law to monitor the performance of medical devices that have been approved by the competent authorities (post market surveillance). Conducting a nationwide online-survey in the German medical device sector in Q2/2014 in order to explore the current status of the use of post market instruments we obtained a total of 118 complete data sets, for a return rate of 36%. The survey included manufacturers of different sizes, producing medical devices of all risk classes. The post market instruments most frequently reported covered the fields of production monitoring and quality management as well as literature observation, regulatory vigilance systems, customer knowledge management and market observation while Post Market Clinical Follow-up and health services research were being used less for product monitoring. We found significant differences between the different risk classes of medical devices produced and the intensity of use of post market instruments. Differences between company size and the intensity of instruments used were hardly detected. Results may well contribute to the development of device monitoring which is a crucial element of the policy and regulatory system to identify device-related safety issues. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Preservice Teachers' Experiences on Accessing Course Materials Using Mobile Devices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Unal, Zafer; Unal, Aslihan

    2014-01-01

    This study investigates and reports the first time experiences of mobile device users accessing the course materials on both the web and mobile version of course management system (Web Moodle & Mobile Moodle) during an online course offered at the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg College of Education.

  15. Image Quality Characteristics of Handheld Display Devices for Medical Imaging

    PubMed Central

    Yamazaki, Asumi; Liu, Peter; Cheng, Wei-Chung; Badano, Aldo

    2013-01-01

    Handheld devices such as mobile phones and tablet computers have become widespread with thousands of available software applications. Recently, handhelds are being proposed as part of medical imaging solutions, especially in emergency medicine, where immediate consultation is required. However, handheld devices differ significantly from medical workstation displays in terms of display characteristics. Moreover, the characteristics vary significantly among device types. We investigate the image quality characteristics of various handheld devices with respect to luminance response, spatial resolution, spatial noise, and reflectance. We show that the luminance characteristics of the handheld displays are different from those of workstation displays complying with grayscale standard target response suggesting that luminance calibration might be needed. Our results also demonstrate that the spatial characteristics of handhelds can surpass those of medical workstation displays particularly for recent generation devices. While a 5 mega-pixel monochrome workstation display has horizontal and vertical modulation transfer factors of 0.52 and 0.47 at the Nyquist frequency, the handheld displays released after 2011 can have values higher than 0.63 at the respective Nyquist frequencies. The noise power spectra for workstation displays are higher than 1.2×10−5 mm2 at 1 mm−1, while handheld displays have values lower than 3.7×10−6 mm2. Reflectance measurements on some of the handheld displays are consistent with measurements for workstation displays with, in some cases, low specular and diffuse reflectance coefficients. The variability of the characterization results among devices due to the different technological features indicates that image quality varies greatly among handheld display devices. PMID:24236113

  16. Access Scheme for Controlling Mobile Agents and its Application to Share Medical Information.

    PubMed

    Liao, Yu-Ting; Chen, Tzer-Shyong; Chen, Tzer-Long; Chung, Yu-Fang; Chen, Yu- Xin; Hwang, Jen-Hung; Wang, Huihui; Wei, Wei

    2016-05-01

    This study is showing the advantage of mobile agents to conquer heterogeneous system environments and contribute to a virtual integrated sharing system. Mobile agents will collect medical information from each medical institution as a method to achieve the medical purpose of data sharing. Besides, this research also provides an access control and key management mechanism by adopting Public key cryptography and Lagrange interpolation. The safety analysis of the system is based on a network attacker's perspective. The achievement of this study tries to improve the medical quality, prevent wasting medical resources and make medical resources access to appropriate configuration.

  17. 76 FR 34845 - Medical Devices; Ear, Nose, and Throat Devices; Classification of the Wireless Air-Conduction...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-15

    ... control by other users with a similar medical device. Exposure to non-ionizing radiation Wireless... Administration (FDA) is classifying the wireless air-conduction hearing aid into class II (special controls). The Agency is classifying the device into class II (special controls) in order to provide a reasonable...

  18. 76 FR 71982 - Advancing Regulatory Science for Highly Multiplexed Microbiology/Medical Countermeasure Devices...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-11-21

    ...] Advancing Regulatory Science for Highly Multiplexed Microbiology/ Medical Countermeasure Devices; Public... Multiplexed Microbiology/ Medical Countermeasure Devices'' that published in the Federal Register of August 8... the October 13, 2011, meeting, including the performance evaluation of highly multiplexed microbiology...

  19. Value driven innovation in medical device design: a process for balancing stakeholder voices.

    PubMed

    de Ana, F J; Umstead, K A; Phillips, G J; Conner, C P

    2013-09-01

    The innovation process has often been represented as a linear process which funnels customer needs through various business and process filters. This method may be appropriate for some consumer products, but in the medical device industry there are some inherent limitations to the traditional innovation funnel approach. In the medical device industry, there are a number of stakeholders who need to have their voices heard throughout the innovation process. Each stakeholder has diverse and unique needs relating to the medical device, the needs of one may highly affect the needs of another, and the relationships between stakeholders may be tenuous. This paper describes the application of a spiral innovation process to the development of a medical device which considers three distinct stakeholder voices: the Voice of the Customer, the Voice of the Business and the Voice of the Technology. The process is presented as a case study focusing on the front-end redesign of a class III medical device for an orthopedics company. Starting from project initiation and scope alignment, the process describes four phases, Discover, Envision, Create, and Refine, and concludes with value assessment of the final design features.

  20. 78 FR 46970 - Medical Device User Fee Rates for Fiscal Year 2014

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-02

    ...] Medical Device User Fee Rates for Fiscal Year 2014 AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. ACTION... procedures for medical device user fees for fiscal year (FY) 2014. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.... The FY 2014 fee rates are provided in this document. These fees apply from October 1, 2013, through...

  1. Economic Implications of Potential Changes to Regulatory and Reimbursement Policies for Medical Devices

    PubMed Central

    Reed, Shelby D.; Shea, Alisa M.

    2007-01-01

    Objective To evaluate the impact of regulatory scenarios on the financial viability of medical device companies. Design We developed a model to calculate the expected net present value of a hypothetical product throughout preclinical development, clinical testing, regulatory approval, and postmarketing. We tested 3 scenarios: (1) the current regulatory environment; (2) a scenario in which medical devices are subject to the same evidence standards required for pharmaceuticals; and (3) a scenario consistent with the Coverage with Evidence Development: Coverage with Study Participation (CSP) policy proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, whereby Medicare will pay for beneficiaries to receive new devices that are not currently determined to be “reasonable and necessary” if the patients participate in clinical studies or registries. Measurements and Main results When applying assumptions consistent with the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator market, the net present value at the start of development was an estimated $553 million in the current regulatory environment, $322 million in the pharmaceutical scenario, and $403 million in the CSP scenario. Sensitivity analyses showed that the device industry would likely be profitable in all 3 scenarios over a range of assumptions. Conclusions The environment in which the medical device industry operates is financially attractive. Furthermore, when compared with the alternative of applying the same evidence standards for pharmaceuticals to medical devices, the CSP policy offers improved financial incentives for medical device companies. PMID:18095045

  2. Response to "Expanding Access to Learning with Mobile Digital Devices"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vanek, Jen

    2017-01-01

    In his article "Expanding Access to Learning with Mobile Digital Devices" (EJ1150752), Jeff Carter recommended a balanced perspective when measuring the potential of mobile learning to redefine teaching and learning for adults with basic skills needs. In response to Carter's article, the author makes some recommendations that she thinks…

  3. 78 FR 41065 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Medical Devices...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-09

    ...] Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Medical Devices; Third... notice solicits comments on the information collection associated with medical devices third-party review... that members of the public submit reports, keep records, or provide information to a third party...

  4. A model of user engagement in medical device development.

    PubMed

    Grocott, Patricia; Weir, Heather; Ram, Mala Bridgelal

    2007-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to address three topical themes: user involvement in health services research; determining the value of new medical technologies in patient care pathways, furthering knowledge related to quality in health and social care; and knowledge exchange between manufacturers, health service supply chain networks and device users. The model is being validated in a case study in progress. The latter is a "proving ground" study for a translational research company. Medical devices play a pivotal role in the management of chronic diseases, across all care settings. Failure to engage users in device development inevitably affects the quality of clinical outcomes. A model of user engagement is presented, turning unmet needs for medical devices into viable commercial propositions. A case study investigating the perceptions of individuals with Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), their lay and professional carers into unmet needs. EB is an inherited condition affecting the skin and mucosal linings that leads to blistering and wounds. Qualitative data are being collected to generate understanding of unmet needs and wound care products. These needs are being translated into new design concepts and prototypes. Prototypes will be evaluated in an n = 1 experimental design, generating quantitative outcomes data. There are generalisations from the case study, and the model outlined. New products for managing EB wounds can logically benefit other groups. The model is transferable to other clinical problems, which can benefit from research and technological advances that are integral to clinical needs and care.

  5. 77 FR 32642 - Medical Devices; Exemption From Premarket Notification: Powered Patient Transport

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-06-01

    ...] Medical Devices; Exemption From Premarket Notification: Powered Patient Transport AGENCY: Food and Drug... transport devices commonly known as stairlifts. These devices are used to assist transfers of a mobility... behalf of Bruno Independent Living Aids, Inc., for powered patient transport devices (commonly known as...

  6. How can cardiothoracic and vascular medical devices stay in the market?

    PubMed

    Wong, Kathie A; Hodgson, Luke; Garas, George; Malietzis, George; Markar, Sheraz; Rao, Christopher; von Segesser, Ludwig K; Athanasiou, Thanos

    2016-12-01

    Surgeons, as the consumers, must engage in commercial activity regarding medical devices since it directly has impacts on surgical practice and patient outcomes. Unique features defy traditional economic convention in this specific market partly because consumers do not usually pay directly. Greater involvement with commercial activity means better post-market surveillance of medical devices which leads to improved patient safety. The medical device industry has exhibited astonishing levels of growth and profitability reaching $398 billion on a global scale with new product development focusing on unmet clinical need. The industry has rapidly emerged within the context of an ageing population and a global surge in healthcare spending. But the market remains fragmented. The split of consumer, purchaser and payer leads to clinical need driving demand for new product development. This demand contributes to potentially large profit margins mainly contained by regulatory burden and liability issues. Demographic trends, prevalence of diseases and a huge capacity to absorb technology have sustained near unparalleled growth. To stay in the market, incremental development over the short term is essentially aided by responsiveness to demand. Disruptive product development is now more likely to come from multinational companies, in an increasingly expensive, regulated industry. Understanding healthcare organization can help explain the highly complex process of diffusion of innovations in healthcare that include medical devices. The time has come for surgeons to become actively involved with all aspects of the medical device life cycle including commercial activity and post-market surveillance. This is vital for improving patient care and ensuring patient safety. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

  7. Dynamic Resource Allocation and Access Class Barring Scheme for Delay-Sensitive Devices in Machine to Machine (M2M) Communications.

    PubMed

    Li, Ning; Cao, Chao; Wang, Cong

    2017-06-15

    Supporting simultaneous access of machine-type devices is a critical challenge in machine-to-machine (M2M) communications. In this paper, we propose an optimal scheme to dynamically adjust the Access Class Barring (ACB) factor and the number of random access channel (RACH) resources for clustered machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, in which Delay-Sensitive (DS) devices coexist with Delay-Tolerant (DT) ones. In M2M communications, since delay-sensitive devices share random access resources with delay-tolerant devices, reducing the resources consumed by delay-sensitive devices means that there will be more resources available to delay-tolerant ones. Our goal is to optimize the random access scheme, which can not only satisfy the requirements of delay-sensitive devices, but also take the communication quality of delay-tolerant ones into consideration. We discuss this problem from the perspective of delay-sensitive services by adjusting the resource allocation and ACB scheme for these devices dynamically. Simulation results show that our proposed scheme realizes good performance in satisfying the delay-sensitive services as well as increasing the utilization rate of the random access resources allocated to them.

  8. Accession medical waivers and deployment duration in the U.S. Army.

    PubMed

    Gubata, Marlene E; Oetting, Alexis A; Niebuhr, David W; Cowan, David N

    2013-06-01

    To examine the performance of active duty U.S. Army personnel with accession medical waivers during combat deployments, the deployment duration and likelihood of early return from theater for medically waived (n = 18,093) and medically qualified (n = 250,209) personnel deploying between September 2001 and March 2011 were determined. The mean and median deployment duration for waived men (309.4 ± 107.5 and 346) and for waived women (291.8 ± 115.3 and 341) was not shorter than for medically qualified men (304.6 ± 112.1 and 346) and women (289.5 ± 116.3 and 337). When adjusted for other accession factors in a multivariate linear regression model, neither waived men (p = 1.00) nor women (p = 0.7713) had significantly shorter deployments. In a case-control analysis, 24,369 men and 3,094 women were defined as having a short deployment. Multivariate logistic regression found that medically waived men (odds ratio [OR] = 0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.82-0.92) and women (OR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.87-1.19) were not more likely to have shorter deployments compared to medically qualified individuals. These findings show that those with an accession medical waiver were not more likely to have shorter deployments or more likely to return early from deployment than those without waivers. Reprint & Copyright © 2013 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

  9. Tablet technology in medical education in South Africa: a mixed methods study

    PubMed Central

    Lazarus, L; Sookrajh, R; Satyapal, K S

    2017-01-01

    Objective The purpose of this study was to establish the use of mobile devices by learners at a selected medical school. Distribution of mobile devices was an inaugural initiative implemented by our college. Design A mixed methodology design using a questionnaire comprising both open-ended and close-ended questions was analysed from 179 (60 male; 119 female) second year medical students registered for the Anatomy course. Open-ended questions were analysed using a thematic approach by identifying emergent ideas and concepts. Close-ended questions were analysed using SPSS V.21.0. Setting and participants Second year medical students at a medical school in South Africa. Results Three main themes emerged, namely, (a) mobile device engagement, (b) advantages and (c) challenges affecting use of mobile devices. A majority of learners accessed their tablets for lecture notes; more females were inclined to access these devices than males. Challenges experienced included poor wifi connectivity on and off the university campus; some students were not keen on the idea of mobile devices and preferred traditional methods of teaching. Conclusions Mobile devices have been adopted by learners at our university. Uses of technology outlined are related to Eraut's intentions of informal learning. Integrating tablets into classes had a positive effect on student access to course material. PMID:28760784

  10. 4D Printing of Shape Memory-Based Personalized Endoluminal Medical Devices.

    PubMed

    Zarek, Matt; Mansour, Nicola; Shapira, Shir; Cohn, Daniel

    2017-01-01

    The convergence of additive manufacturing and shape-morphing materials is promising for the advancement of personalized medical devices. The capability to transform 3D objects from one shape to another, right off the print bed, is known as 4D printing. Shape memory thermosets can be tailored to have a range of thermomechanical properties favorable to medical devices, but processing them is a challenge because they are insoluble and do not flow at any temperature. This study presents here a strategy to capitalize on a series of medical imaging modalities to construct a printable shape memory endoluminal device, exemplified by a tracheal stent. A methacrylated polycaprolactone precursor with a molecular weight of 10 000 g mol -1 is printed with a UV-LED stereolithography printer based on anatomical data. This approach converges with the zeitgeist of personalized medicine and it is anticipated that it will broadly expand the application of shape memory-exhibiting biomedical devices to myriad clinical indications. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. 76 FR 80964 - Certain Dynamic Random Access Memory Devices, and Products Containing Same; Institution of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-12-27

    ... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation No. 337-TA-821] Certain Dynamic Random Access Memory... importation, and the sale within the United States after importation of certain dynamic random access memory... certain dynamic random access memory devices, and products containing same that infringe one or more of...

  12. 75 FR 57801 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Medical Devices...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-22

    ...] Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Medical Devices Third... ``Medical Devices Third- Party Review under the Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act of 1997... that members of the public submit reports, keep records, or provide information to a third party...

  13. 76 FR 71041 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Medical Device...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-11-16

    ... techniques, when appropriate, and other forms of information technology. Medical Device Recall Authority--21...] Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Medical Device Recall... information by the Agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (the PRA), Federal Agencies are required...

  14. 3D medical thermography device

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moghadam, Peyman

    2015-05-01

    In this paper, a novel handheld 3D medical thermography system is introduced. The proposed system consists of a thermal-infrared camera, a color camera and a depth camera rigidly attached in close proximity and mounted on an ergonomic handle. As a practitioner holding the device smoothly moves it around the human body parts, the proposed system generates and builds up a precise 3D thermogram model by incorporating information from each new measurement in real-time. The data is acquired in motion, thus it provides multiple points of view. When processed, these multiple points of view are adaptively combined by taking into account the reliability of each individual measurement which can vary due to a variety of factors such as angle of incidence, distance between the device and the subject and environmental sensor data or other factors influencing a confidence of the thermal-infrared data when captured. Finally, several case studies are presented to support the usability and performance of the proposed system.

  15. 75 FR 16351 - Medical Devices; Technical Amendment

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-01

    ... IONIZING RADIATION EMITTING PRODUCTS 0 11. The authority citation for 21 CFR part 1020 is revised to read... of the Radiation Control for Health and Safety Act of 1968 (Radiation Control Act) (Public Law 90-602... Medical Devices Act of 1990 (SMDA) (Public Law 101- 629), transferred the Radiation Control Act to the...

  16. [Development and application of a medical device maintenance information platform based on BS architecture].

    PubMed

    Liu, Shenglin; Zhang, Xutian; Wang, Guohong; Zhang, Qiang

    2012-03-01

    Based on specified demands on medical devices maintenance for clinical engineers and Browser/Server architecture technology, a medical device maintenance information platform was developed, which implemented the following modules such as repair, preventive maintenance, accessories management, training, document, system management and regional cooperation. The characteristics of this system were summarized and application in increase of repair efficiency, improvement of preventive maintenance and cost control was introduced. The application of this platform increases medical device maintenance service level.

  17. Payments by US pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers to US medical journal editors: retrospective observational study

    PubMed Central

    Bell, Chaim M; Matelski, John J; Detsky, Allan S; Cram, Peter

    2017-01-01

    Objective To estimate financial payments from industry to US journal editors. Design Retrospective observational study. Setting 52 influential (high impact factor for their specialty) US medical journals from 26 specialties and US Open Payments database, 2014. Participants 713 editors at the associate level and above identified from each journal’s online masthead. Main outcome measures All general payments (eg, personal income) and research related payments from pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers to eligible physicians in 2014. Percentages of editors receiving payments and the magnitude of such payments were compared across journals and by specialty. Journal websites were also reviewed to determine if conflict of interest policies for editors were readily accessible. Results Of 713 eligible editors, 361 (50.6%) received some (>$0) general payments in 2014, and 139 (19.5%) received research payments. The median general payment was $11 (£8; €9) (interquartile range $0-2923) and the median research payment was $0 ($0-0). The mean general payment was $28 136 (SD $415 045), and the mean research payment was $37 963 (SD $175 239). The highest median general payments were received by journal editors from endocrinology ($7207, $0-85 816), cardiology ($2664, $0-12 912), gastroenterology ($696, $0-20 002), rheumatology ($515, $0-14 280), and urology ($480, $90-669). For high impact general medicine journals, median payments were $0 ($0-14). A review of the 52 journal websites revealed that editor conflict of interest policies were readily accessible (ie, within five minutes) for 17/52 (32.7%) of journals. Conclusions Industry payments to journal editors are common and often large, particularly for certain subspecialties. Journals should consider the potential impact of such payments on public trust in published research. PMID:29074628

  18. [Experiences and recommendations of the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) concerning clinical investigation of medical devices and the evaluation of serious adverse events (SAE)].

    PubMed

    Renisch, B; Lauer, W

    2014-12-01

    An integral part of the conformity assessment process for medical devices is a clinical evaluation based on clinical data. Particularly in the case of implantable devices and products of risk class III clinical trials must be performed. Since March 2010 applications for the authorization of clinical trials as well as for the waiver of the authorization requirement must be submitted centrally in Germany to the appropriate federal authority, the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) or the Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI). In addition to authorization, approval by the responsible ethics committee is also required under law in order to begin clinical testing of medical devices in Germany. In this paper, the legal framework for the clinical testing of medical devices as well as those involved and possible procedures including evaluation criteria for the initial application of a trial and subsequent amendments are presented in detail. In addition, the reporting requirements for serious adverse events (SAEs) are explained and possible consequences of the evaluation are presented. Finally, a summary of application and registration numbers for all areas of extensive experience of the BfArM as well as requests and guidance for applicants are presented.

  19. Material-mediated pyrogens in medical devices: Applicability of the in vitro Monocyte Activation Test.

    PubMed

    Borton, Lindsey K; Coleman, Kelly P

    2018-06-14

    Pyrogenicity presents a challenge to clinicians, medical device manufactures, and regulators. A febrile response may be caused by endotoxin contamination, microbial components other than endotoxin, or chemical agents that generate a material-mediated pyrogenic response. While test methods for the assessment of endotoxin contamination and some microbial components other than endotoxin are well-established, material-mediated pyrogens remain elusively undefined. This review presents the findings of literature searches conducted to identify material-mediated pyrogens associated with medical devices. The in vivo rabbit pyrogen test (RPT) is considered to be the "gold standard" for medical device pyrogenicity testing, despite the fact that few medical device-derived material-mediated pyrogens are known. In line with global efforts to reduce the use of research animals, an in vitro monocyte activation test (MAT) has the potential to replace the RPT. The MAT is used to detect substances that activate human monocytes to release cytokines. This review will also describe the potential opportunities and challenges associated with MAT adoption for the detection of material-mediated pyrogens in medical device testing.

  20. Inductively heated shape memory polymer for the magnetic actuation of medical devices.

    PubMed

    Buckley, Patrick R; McKinley, Gareth H; Wilson, Thomas S; Small, Ward; Benett, William J; Bearinger, Jane P; McElfresh, Michael W; Maitland, Duncan J

    2006-10-01

    Presently, there is interest in making medical devices such as expandable stents and intravascular microactuators from shape memory polymer (SMP). One of the key challenges in realizing SMP medical devices is the implementation of a safe and effective method of thermally actuating various device geometries in vivo. A novel scheme of actuation by Curie-thermoregulated inductive heating is presented. Prototype medical devices made from SMP loaded with nickel zinc ferrite ferromagnetic particles were actuated in air by applying an alternating magnetic field to induce heating. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis was performed on both the particle-loaded and neat SMP materials to assess the impact of the ferrite particles on the mechanical properties of the samples. Calorimetry was used to quantify the rate of heat generation as a function of particle size and volumetric loading of ferrite particles in the SMP. These tests demonstrated the feasibility of SMP actuation by inductive heating. Rapid and uniform heating was achieved in complex device geometries and particle loading up to 10% volume content did not interfere with the shape recovery of the SMP.

  1. Scouting For Approval: Lessons on Medical Device Regulation in an Era of Crowdfunding from Scanadu's "Scout".

    PubMed

    Smith, Colleen

    2015-01-01

    Internet crowdfunding, a new and increasingly popular method of raising capital to develop products and businesses, has recently come into conflict with the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) regulation of medical devices. This Article examines the issues that arise when companies pre-sell medical devices via crowdfunding campaigns before gaining FDA approval of the devices. Because Internet crowdfunding has only been in use for a few years, little has been written about it academically, particularly about its interaction with FDA regulations. The rising interest in crowdfunding, coupled with the downturn in investment in the American medical device industry, make this a salient issue that is ripe for FDA review. This Article uses the crowdfunding campaign Scanadu, a medical device company, conducted in 2013 to raise money to develop its in-home diagnostic device, the "Scout," as a starting point for this analysis. Because it is extremely costly to develop a device and obtain FDA approval, medical device companies should be able to utilize crowdfunding to raise the necessary capital. However, because of the possible dangers medical devices pose, FDA needs to review the risks created by allowing companies to crowdfund medical devices and should issue guidance to help companies comply with FDA regulations while still allowing them to take advantage of the benefits of crowdfunding. This guidance should ensure the continued commitment to consumer safety that is at the core of FDA regulation.

  2. An overview of the regulatory aspects of medical devices from the viewpoint of research and device manufacturing.

    PubMed

    Patrick, J

    1993-01-01

    To review the Food and Drug Administration's regulatory requirements for bringing a new or substantially changed medical device to market in the United States, noting the history and current requirements for the continuous spinal catheter. The relevant laws and guidelines for classifying, testing, and submitting a device to Food and Drug Administration approval are reviewed. The Food and Drug Administration categorizes medical devices into three classes, based on potential risk for illness or injury presented by a malfunction or failure. Class III devices are the most critical ones, and require a Premarket Approval that includes clinical trials before market introduction. Classes I and II usually require a 510(k), or premarket notification, which usually does not need any clinical data. Testing requirements include biocompatibility testing; physical, functional, and packaging testing; and sterility testing. The continuous spinal catheter (25-32 gauge) was marketed under a 510(k) claiming substantial equivalence to the Bizzarri-Giuffrida 24-gauge catheter, which was a pre-Amendment device. After incidences of cauda equina syndrome were reported with use of the continuous spinal technique, the Food and Drug Administration reclassified the small-gauge catheters as Class III devices, which require a Premarket Approval before being marketed.

  3. 78 FR 69694 - Changing Regulatory and Reimbursement Paradigms for Medical Devices in the Treatment of Obesity...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-20

    ...] Changing Regulatory and Reimbursement Paradigms for Medical Devices in the Treatment of Obesity and... for Medical Devices in the Treatment of Obesity and Metabolic Diseases: How to Estimate and Reward... other interested parties of the development of medical devices for the treatment of morbid obesity and...

  4. ATTITUDES OF ORTHOPEDIC SPECIALISTS TOWARD EFFECTS OF MEDICAL DEVICE PURCHASING.

    PubMed

    Lingg, Myriam; Merida-Herrera, Everth; Wyss, Kaspar; Durán-Arenas, Luis

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study was to assess viewpoints of end-users concerning the purchasing process of high-risk medical devices and to discuss the relevance of health technology assessments (HTAs) at the hospital level and other potential areas for improvement of purchasing processes. We used a cross-sectional study and assessed the attitudes and thoughts of orthopedic specialists. The study took place between June and October 2015 in Mexico. We collected data from 187 orthopedic surgeons. Involvement of orthopedic specialists in purchasing was reported by 86 percent. However, clinical practice was perceived as negatively influenced by purchasing outcomes by 92 percent. The problems were described as: material failure; effectiveness of medical devices; obsolete medical device technology; incomplete provision of implant / instrument sets; delayed provision of implants and instruments. To prevent sub-standard outcomes of purchasing decisions, this study and the current literature suggest that technologies should be assessed during the purchasing process, end-users should be adequately involved, and decisions should be based on multiple criteria including clinical impact in the short-term (e.g., primary stability of implant) and long-term (e.g., survival of implant). The focus on Mexico is particularly novel and provides insights into a health system where HTA is mainly present at the macro level and can be used for the listing of medical device technologies in the standard list. This study concludes that Mexican stakeholders of the purchasing process underestimate the contribution of HTAs at the level of purchasing decisions. HTA in Mexico has improved over the past years but still requires more advancement.

  5. Medical device procurement in low- and middle-income settings: protocol for a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Diaconu, Karin; Chen, Yen-Fu; Manaseki-Holland, Semira; Cummins, Carole; Lilford, Richard

    2014-10-21

    Medical device procurement processes for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are a poorly understood and researched topic. To support LMIC policy formulation in this area, international public health organizations and research institutions issue a large body of predominantly grey literature including guidelines, manuals and recommendations. We propose to undertake a systematic review to identify and explore the medical device procurement methodologies suggested within this and further literature. Procurement facilitators and barriers will be identified, and methodologies for medical device prioritization under resource constraints will be discussed. Searches of both bibliographic and grey literature will be conducted to identify documents relating to the procurement of medical devices in LMICs. Data will be extracted according to protocol on a number of pre-specified issues and variables. First, data relating to the specific settings described within the literature will be noted. Second, information relating to medical device procurement methodologies will be extracted, including prioritization of procurement under resource constraints, the use of evidence (e.g. cost-effectiveness evaluations, burden of disease data) as well as stakeholders participating in procurement processes. Information relating to prioritization methodologies will be extracted in the form of quotes or keywords, and analysis will include qualitative meta-summary. Narrative synthesis will be employed to analyse data otherwise extracted. The PRISMA guidelines for reporting will be followed. The current review will identify recommended medical device procurement methodologies for LMICs. Prioritization methods for medical device acquisition will be explored. Relevant stakeholders, facilitators and barriers will be discussed. The review is aimed at both LMIC decision makers and the international research community and hopes to offer a first holistic conceptualization of this topic.

  6. Medical device procurement in low- and middle-income settings: protocol for a systematic review

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Medical device procurement processes for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are a poorly understood and researched topic. To support LMIC policy formulation in this area, international public health organizations and research institutions issue a large body of predominantly grey literature including guidelines, manuals and recommendations. We propose to undertake a systematic review to identify and explore the medical device procurement methodologies suggested within this and further literature. Procurement facilitators and barriers will be identified, and methodologies for medical device prioritization under resource constraints will be discussed. Methods/design Searches of both bibliographic and grey literature will be conducted to identify documents relating to the procurement of medical devices in LMICs. Data will be extracted according to protocol on a number of pre-specified issues and variables. First, data relating to the specific settings described within the literature will be noted. Second, information relating to medical device procurement methodologies will be extracted, including prioritization of procurement under resource constraints, the use of evidence (e.g. cost-effectiveness evaluations, burden of disease data) as well as stakeholders participating in procurement processes. Information relating to prioritization methodologies will be extracted in the form of quotes or keywords, and analysis will include qualitative meta-summary. Narrative synthesis will be employed to analyse data otherwise extracted. The PRISMA guidelines for reporting will be followed. Discussion The current review will identify recommended medical device procurement methodologies for LMICs. Prioritization methods for medical device acquisition will be explored. Relevant stakeholders, facilitators and barriers will be discussed. The review is aimed at both LMIC decision makers and the international research community and hopes to offer a first holistic

  7. Medical Devices; Immunology and Microbiology Devices; Classification of the Device To Detect and Identify Microbial Pathogen Nucleic Acids in Cerebrospinal Fluid. Final order.

    PubMed

    2017-10-20

    The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or we) is classifying the device to detect and identify microbial pathogen nucleic acids in cerebrospinal fluid into class II (special controls). The special controls that will apply to the device type are identified in this order and will be part of the codified language for the device to detect and identify microbial pathogen nucleic acids in cerebrospinal fluid’s classification. We are taking this action because we have determined that classifying the device into class II (special controls) will provide a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness of the device. We believe this action will also enhance patients' access to beneficial innovative devices, in part by reducing regulatory burdens.

  8. Integrated Microbatteries for Implantable Medical Devices

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Whitacre, Jay; West, William

    2008-01-01

    Integrated microbatteries have been proposed to satisfy an anticipated need for long-life, low-rate primary batteries, having volumes less than 1 mm3, to power electronic circuitry in implantable medical devices. In one contemplated application, such a battery would be incorporated into a tubular hearing-aid device to be installed against an eardrum. This device is based on existing tube structures that have already been approved by the FDA for use in human ears. As shown in the figure, the battery would comprise a single cell at one end of the implantable tube. A small volume of Li-based primary battery cathode material would be compacted and inserted in the tube near one end, followed by a thin porous separator, followed by a pressed powder of a Li-containing alloy. Current-collecting wires would be inserted, with suitably positioned insulators to prevent a short circuit. The battery would contain a liquid electrolyte consisting of a Li-based salt in an appropriate solvent. Hermetic seals would be created by plugging both ends with a waterproof polymer followed by deposition of parylene.

  9. Enabling Medical Device Interoperability for the Integrated Clinical Environment

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-08-01

    include the unique device identifier (UDI) as specified by the FDA , a logical timestamp as described above, and the data. 17 Existing adverse event...failure or malfunction that led to an adverse effect during a medical procedure. User: clinical and legal experts, IT-experts, biomed experts...diagnosis, treatment, research, safety and quality improvements, equipment management, and adverse event detection and reporting . The Medical

  10. Conductive bridging random access memory—materials, devices and applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kozicki, Michael N.; Barnaby, Hugh J.

    2016-11-01

    We present a review and primer on the subject of conductive bridging random access memory (CBRAM), a metal ion-based resistive switching technology, in the context of current research and the near-term requirements of the electronics industry in ultra-low energy devices and new computing paradigms. We include extensive discussions of the materials involved, the underlying physics and electrochemistry, the critical roles of ion transport and electrode reactions in conducting filament formation and device switching, and the electrical characteristics of the devices. Two general cation material systems are given—a fast ion chacogenide electrolyte and a lower ion mobility oxide ion conductor, and numerical examples are offered to enhance understanding of the operation of devices based on these. The effect of device conditioning on the activation energy for ion transport and consequent switching speed is discussed, as well as the mechanisms involved in the removal of the conducting bridge. The morphology of the filament and how this could be influenced by the solid electrolyte structure is described, and the electrical characteristics of filaments with atomic-scale constrictions are discussed. Consideration is also given to the thermal and mechanical environments within the devices. Finite element and compact modelling illustrations are given and aspects of CBRAM storage elements in memory circuits and arrays are included. Considerable emphasis is placed on the effects of ionizing radiation on CBRAM since this is important in various high reliability applications, and the potential uses of the devices in reconfigurable logic and neuromorphic systems is also discussed.

  11. A Selective Group Authentication Scheme for IoT-Based Medical Information System.

    PubMed

    Park, YoHan; Park, YoungHo

    2017-04-01

    The technology of IoT combined with medical systems is expected to support advanced medical services. However, unsolved security problems, such as misuse of medical devices, illegal access to the medical server and so on, make IoT-based medical systems not be applied widely. In addition, users have a high burden of computation to access Things for the explosive growth of IoT devices. Because medical information is critical and important, but users have a restricted computing power, IoT-based medical systems are required to provide secure and efficient authentication for users. In this paper, we propose a selective group authentication scheme using Shamir's threshold technique. The property of selectivity gives the right of choice to users to form a group which consists of things users select and access. And users can get an access authority for those Things at a time. Thus, our scheme provides an efficient user authentication for multiple Things and conditional access authority for safe IoT-based medical information system. To the best of our knowledge, our proposed scheme is the first in which selectivity is combined with group authentication in IoT environments.

  12. Integrating medical devices in the operating room using service-oriented architectures.

    PubMed

    Ibach, Bastian; Benzko, Julia; Schlichting, Stefan; Zimolong, Andreas; Radermacher, Klaus

    2012-08-01

    Abstract With the increasing documentation requirements and communication capabilities of medical devices in the operating room, the integration and modular networking of these devices have become more and more important. Commercial integrated operating room systems are mainly proprietary developments using usually proprietary communication standards and interfaces, which reduce the possibility of integrating devices from different vendors. To overcome these limitations, there is a need for an open standardized architecture that is based on standard protocols and interfaces enabling the integration of devices from different vendors based on heterogeneous software and hardware components. Starting with an analysis of the requirements for device integration in the operating room and the techniques used for integrating devices in other industrial domains, a new concept for an integration architecture for the operating room based on the paradigm of a service-oriented architecture is developed. Standardized communication protocols and interface descriptions are used. As risk management is an important factor in the field of medical engineering, a risk analysis of the developed concept has been carried out and the first prototypes have been implemented.

  13. Access to medication in the Public Health System and equity: populational health surveys in São Paulo, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Monteiro, Camila Nascimento; Gianini, Reinaldo José; Barros, Marilisa Berti de Azevedo; Cesar, Chester Luiz Galvão; Goldbaum, Moisés

    2016-03-01

    Since 2003, the access to medication has been increasing in Brazil and particularly in São Paulo. The present study aimed to analyze the access to medication obtained in the public sector and the socioeconomic differences in this access in 2003 and 2008. Also, we explored the difference in access to medication from 2003 to 2008. Data were obtained from two cross-sectional population-based household surveys from São Paulo, Brazil (ISA-Capital 2003 and ISA-Capital 2008). Concentration curve and concentration index were calculated to analyze the associations between socioeconomic factors and access to medication in the public sector. Additionally, the differences between 2003 and 2008 regarding socioeconomic characteristics and access to medication were studied. Access to medication was 89.55% in 2003 and 92.99% in 2008, and the proportion of access to medication did not change in the period. Access in the public sector increased from 26.40% in 2003 to 48.55% in 2008 and there was a decrease in the concentration index between 2003 and 2008 in access to medication in the public sector. The findings indicate an expansion of Brazilian Unified Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde ) users, with the inclusion of people of higher socioeconomic position in the public sector. As the SUS gives more support to people of lower socioeconomic position in terms of medication provision, the SUS tends to equity. Nevertheless, universal coverage for medication and equity in access to medication in the public sector are still challenges for the Brazilian public health system.

  14. Monitoring of Vital Signs with Flexible and Wearable Medical Devices.

    PubMed

    Khan, Yasser; Ostfeld, Aminy E; Lochner, Claire M; Pierre, Adrien; Arias, Ana C

    2016-06-01

    Advances in wireless technologies, low-power electronics, the internet of things, and in the domain of connected health are driving innovations in wearable medical devices at a tremendous pace. Wearable sensor systems composed of flexible and stretchable materials have the potential to better interface to the human skin, whereas silicon-based electronics are extremely efficient in sensor data processing and transmission. Therefore, flexible and stretchable sensors combined with low-power silicon-based electronics are a viable and efficient approach for medical monitoring. Flexible medical devices designed for monitoring human vital signs, such as body temperature, heart rate, respiration rate, blood pressure, pulse oxygenation, and blood glucose have applications in both fitness monitoring and medical diagnostics. As a review of the latest development in flexible and wearable human vitals sensors, the essential components required for vitals sensors are outlined and discussed here, including the reported sensor systems, sensing mechanisms, sensor fabrication, power, and data processing requirements. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. 5 CFR 297.205 - Access to medical records.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Access to medical records. 297.205 Section 297.205 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS PRIVACY... identity, the records will be made available to the physician, who will have full authority to disclose...

  16. Red selenium nanoparticles and gray selenium nanorods as antibacterial coatings for PEEK medical devices.

    PubMed

    Wang, Qi; Mejía Jaramillo, Alejandra; Pavon, Juan J; Webster, Thomas J

    2016-10-01

    Bacterial infections are commonly found on various poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) medical devices (such as orthopedic instruments, spinal fusion devices, and segments in dialysis equipment), and thus, there is a significant need for introducing antibacterial properties to such materials. The objective of this in vitro study was to introduce antibacterial properties to PEEK medical devices by coating them with nanosized selenium. In this study, red selenium (an elemental form of selenium) nanoparticles were coated on PEEK medical devices through a quick precipitation method. Furthermore, with heat treatment at 100°C for 6 days, red selenium nanoparticles were transferred into gray selenium nanorods on the PEEK surfaces. Bacteria test results showed that both red and gray selenium-coated PEEK medical devices significantly inhibited the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa compared with uncoated PEEK after either 1, 2, or 3 days. Red selenium nanoparticle-coated PEEK showed less bacteria growth on its surface than gray selenium nanorod-coated PEEK after 3 days. This study demonstrated that red, and to a lesser extent gray, nanosized selenium could be used as potential antibacterial coatings to prevent bacteria function on PEEK medical devices. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 104B: 1352-1358, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  17. Linking the Regulatory and Reimbursement Processes for Medical Devices: The Need for Integrated Assessments.

    PubMed

    Ciani, Oriana; Wilcher, Britni; van Giessen, Anoukh; Taylor, Rod S

    2017-02-01

    Much criticism has been directed at the licencing requirements for medical devices (MDs) as they often result in a lack of robust evidence to inform health technology assessment (HTA) decisions. To better understand the current international decisional framework on MD technologies, we undertook three linked research studies: a review of the device regulatory procedures, a survey of current HTA practices and an empirical comparison of HTA reports of drugs versus MDs. Our review confirms that current device regulatory processes across the globe are substantially less stringent than drugs. As a result, international HTA agencies report that they face a number of challenges when assessing MDs, including reliance on suboptimal data to make clinical and cost-effectiveness decisions. Whilst many HTA agencies have adapted their processes and procedures to handle MD technology submissions, in our comparison of HTA reports we found little evidence of the application of methodologies that take account of device-specific issues, such as incremental development. Overall, our research reinforces the need for better linkage between licencing and HTA and the development and application of innovative HTA methodologies with the objective of securing faster patient access for those technologies that can be shown to represent good value for money. © 2017 The Authors. Health Economics Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. © 2017 The Authors. Health Economics Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  18. Performance analysis of a proposed tightly-coupled medical instrument network based on CAN protocol.

    PubMed

    Mujumdar, Shantanu; Thongpithoonrat, Pongnarin; Gurkan, D; McKneely, Paul K; Chapman, Frank M; Merchant, Fatima

    2010-01-01

    Advances in medical devices and health care has been phenomenal during the recent years. Although medical device manufacturers have been improving their instruments, network connection of these instruments still rely on proprietary technologies. Even if the interface has been provided by the manufacturer (e.g., RS-232, USB, or Ethernet coupled with a proprietary API), there is no widely-accepted uniform data model to access data of various bedside instruments. There is a need for a common standard which allows for internetworking with the medical devices from different manufacturers. ISO/IEEE 11073 (X73) is a standard attempting to unify the interfaces of all medical devices. X73 defines a client access mechanism that would be implemented into the communication controllers (residing between an instrument and the network) in order to access/network patient data. On the other hand, MediCAN™ technology suite has been demonstrated with various medical instruments to achieve interfacing and networking with a similar goal in its open standardization approach. However, it provides a more generic definition for medical data to achieve flexibility for networking and client access mechanisms. The instruments are in turn becoming more sophisticated; however, the operation of an instrument is still expected to be locally done by authorized medical personnel. Unfortunately, each medical instrument has its unique proprietary API (application programming interface - if any) to provide automated and electronic access to monitoring data. Integration of these APIs requires an agreement with the manufacturers towards realization of interoperable health care networking. As long as the interoperability of instruments with a network is not possible, ubiquitous access to patient status is limited only to manual entry based systems. This paper demonstrates an attempt to realize an interoperable medical instrument interface for networking using MediCAN technology suite as an open

  19. The Use of Enhanced Appointment Access Strategies by Medical Practices.

    PubMed

    Rodriguez, Hector P; Knox, Margae; Hurley, Vanessa; Rittenhouse, Diane R; Shortell, Stephen M

    2016-06-01

    Strategies to enhance appointment access are being adopted by medical practices as part of patient-centered medical home (PCMH) implementation, but little is known about the use of these strategies nationally. We examine practice use of open access scheduling and after-hours care. Data were analyzed from the Third National Study of Physician Organizations (NSPO3) to examine which enhanced appointment access strategies are more likely to be used by practices with more robust PCMH capabilities and with greater external incentives. Logistic regression estimated the effect of PCMH capabilities and external incentives on practice use of open access scheduling and after-hours care. Physician organizations with >20% primary care physicians (n=1106). PCMH capabilities included team-based care, health information technology capabilities, quality improvement orientation, and patient experience orientation. External incentives included public reporting, pay-for-performance (P4P), and accountable care organization participation. A low percentage of practices (19.8%) used same-day open access scheduling, while after-hours care (56.1%) was more common. In adjusted analyses, system-owned practices and practices with greater use of team-based care, health information technology capabilities, and public reporting were more likely to use open access scheduling. Accountable care organization-affiliated practices and practices with greater use of public reporting and P4P were more likely to provide after-hours care. Open access scheduling may be most effectively implemented by practices with robust PCMH capabilities. External incentives appear to influence practice adoption of after-hours care. Expanding open access scheduling and after-hours care will require distinct policies and supports.

  20. Telemedicine Enables Broader Access to Movement Disorders Curricula for Medical Students.

    PubMed

    Cubo, Esther; Doumbe, Jacques; López, Emiliano; Lopez, Guadalupe A; Gatto, Emilia; Persi, Gabriel; Guttman, Mark

    2017-01-01

    The impact of tele-education for movement disorders on medical students is unknown. The present study had three objectives. First, to create a tele-education program for medical students in regions with limited access to movement disorders curricula. Second, to analyze the feasibility, satisfaction, and improvement of medical knowledge. Third, to assess the main reasons of medical students for attending this course. In 2016, a program was piloted in a low-middle income (Cameroon) and a middle-high income (Argentina) country. Medical students were offered a free movement disorder tele-education program (four medical schools in Argentina, and 1 medical school in Cameroon). Six real-time videoconferences covering hyperkinetic and hypokinetic movement disorders were included. Evaluations included attendance, pre- and post-medical knowledge, and satisfaction questionnaires. The study included 151 undergraduate medical students (79.4% from Argentina, 20.6% from Cameroon). Feasibility was acceptable with 100% and 85.7% of the videoconferences completed in Argentina and Cameroon, respectively. Attendance was higher in Argentina compared to Cameroon (75% vs. 33.1%). According to student reports, the topics and innovative educational environment were the main reasons for attendance. Both groups ranked satisfaction as moderate to high, and medical knowledge improved similarly in both countries. Tele-education can improve movement disorders knowledge in medical schools in high-middle and low-middle income countries lacking access to other educational opportunities.

  1. Framework conditions and requirements to ensure the technical functional safety of reprocessed medical devices.

    PubMed

    Kraft, Marc

    2008-09-03

    Testing and restoring technical-functional safety is an essential part of medical device reprocessing. Technical functional tests have to be carried out on the medical device in the course of the validation of reprocessing procedures. These ensure (in addition to the hygiene tests) that the reprocessing procedure is suitable for the medical device. Functional tests are, however, also a part of reprocessing procedures. As a stage in the reprocessing, they ensure for the individual medical device that no damage or other changes limit the performance. When determining which technical-functional tests are to be carried out, the current technological standard has to be taken into account in the form of product-specific and process-oriented norms. Product-specific norms primarily define safety-relevant requirements. The risk management method described in DIN EN ISO 14971 is the basis for recognising hazards; the likelihood of such hazards arising can be minimised through additional technical-functional tests, which may not yet have been standardised. Risk management is part of a quality management system, which must be bindingly certified for manufacturers and processors of critical medical devices with particularly high processing demands by a body accredited by the competent authority.

  2. Framework conditions and requirements to ensure the technical functional safety of reprocessed medical devices

    PubMed Central

    Kraft, Marc

    2008-01-01

    Testing and restoring technical-functional safety is an essential part of medical device reprocessing. Technical functional tests have to be carried out on the medical device in the course of the validation of reprocessing procedures. These ensure (in addition to the hygiene tests) that the reprocessing procedure is suitable for the medical device. Functional tests are, however, also a part of reprocessing procedures. As a stage in the reprocessing, they ensure for the individual medical device that no damage or other changes limit the performance. When determining which technical-functional tests are to be carried out, the current technological standard has to be taken into account in the form of product-specific and process-oriented norms. Product-specific norms primarily define safety-relevant requirements. The risk management method described in DIN EN ISO 14971 is the basis for recognising hazards; the likelihood of such hazards arising can be minimised through additional technical-functional tests, which may not yet have been standardised. Risk management is part of a quality management system, which must be bindingly certified for manufacturers and processors of critical medical devices with particularly high processing demands by a body accredited by the competent authority. PMID:20204095

  3. Clinical studies of innovative medical devices: what level of evidence for hospital-based health technology assessment?

    PubMed

    Boudard, Aurélie; Martelli, Nicolas; Prognon, Patrice; Pineau, Judith

    2013-08-01

    Like health technology assessment (HTA) agencies, hospitals are faced with requests for innovative and costly medical devices. However, local decision makers are frequently confronted with a lack of high-quality clinical data when assessing the effectiveness of innovative medical devices. The aim of this study was to quantify the level of evidence available for innovative medical devices in the context of hospital-based HTA. We searched the Medline, Embase and Cochrane Library databases for articles, letters and reports relating to 32 innovative medical devices requested at our hospital between January 2008 and March 2012. All clinical studies retrieved were screened and classified according to the Sackett 5-point level-of-evidence scale. We screened and classified 217 studies: 215 clinical trials and 2 cost-effectiveness studies. Only 47 of the 215 clinical studies (22%) provided high-level clinical evidence (levels 1-2); 33 (15%) were randomized controlled trials (RCTs). More than half of the 215 studies (52.1%) included fewer than 30 patients. Only 14 of the 47 high-quality studies reported the amount of missing data. For implantable medical devices, 84 (71.8%) studies specified the follow-up period and the mean follow-up period was 18.9 months. Finally, methodological quality did not increase with the risk level of the medical device. Our findings confirm that only a few studies of innovative medical devices provide high-level clinical evidence. Nevertheless, RCT may be the 'gold standard' for drugs, but it is not always appropriate for medical devices. Changes to the European regulation of medical devices, with the requirement for a demonstration of clinical efficacy and safety before release onto the European market, have raised expectations. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. 78 FR 27971 - Dental Products Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-13

    ...] Dental Products Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Food and Drug...: Dental Products Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee. General Function of the Committee: To... regulatory classification for dental devices known as Endosseous Dental Implants (Blade-form), one of the...

  5. Printable thermoelectric devices and conductive patterns for medical applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Jungmin; Kim, Hyunjung; Chen, Linfeng; Choi, Sang H.; Varadan, Vijay K.

    2012-10-01

    Remote point-of-care is expected to revolutionize the modern medical practice, and many efforts have been made for the development of wireless health monitoring systems for continuously detecting the physiological signals of patients. To make the remote point-of-care generally accepted and widely used, it is necessary to develop cost-effective and durable wireless health monitoring systems. Printing technique will be helpful for the fabrication of high-quality and low-cost medical devices and systems because it allows high-resolution and high-speed fabrication, low material consumption and nano-sized patterning on both flexible and rigid substrates. Furthermore, application of thermoelectric generators can replace conventional batteries as the power sources for wireless health monitoring systems because thermoelectric generators can convert the wasted heat or the heat from nature into electricity which is required for the operation of the wireless health monitoring systems. In this research, we propose the concept of printable thermoelectric devices and conductive patterns for the realization of more portable and cost-effective medical devices. To print thermoelectric generators and conductive patterns on substrates, printing inks with special characteristics should be developed. For the development of thermoelectric inks, nano-structured thermoelectric materials are synthesized and characterized; and for the development of conductive inks, two kinds of surface treated carbon nanotubes are used as active materials.

  6. An Authentication and Key Management Mechanism for Resource Constrained Devices in IEEE 802.11-based IoT Access Networks.

    PubMed

    Kim, Ki-Wook; Han, Youn-Hee; Min, Sung-Gi

    2017-09-21

    Many Internet of Things (IoT) services utilize an IoT access network to connect small devices with remote servers. They can share an access network with standard communication technology, such as IEEE 802.11ah. However, an authentication and key management (AKM) mechanism for resource constrained IoT devices using IEEE 802.11ah has not been proposed as yet. We therefore propose a new AKM mechanism for an IoT access network, which is based on IEEE 802.11 key management with the IEEE 802.1X authentication mechanism. The proposed AKM mechanism does not require any pre-configured security information between the access network domain and the IoT service domain. It considers the resource constraints of IoT devices, allowing IoT devices to delegate the burden of AKM processes to a powerful agent. The agent has sufficient power to support various authentication methods for the access point, and it performs cryptographic functions for the IoT devices. Performance analysis shows that the proposed mechanism greatly reduces computation costs, network costs, and memory usage of the resource-constrained IoT device as compared to the existing IEEE 802.11 Key Management with the IEEE 802.1X authentication mechanism.

  7. An Authentication and Key Management Mechanism for Resource Constrained Devices in IEEE 802.11-based IoT Access Networks

    PubMed Central

    Han, Youn-Hee; Min, Sung-Gi

    2017-01-01

    Many Internet of Things (IoT) services utilize an IoT access network to connect small devices with remote servers. They can share an access network with standard communication technology, such as IEEE 802.11ah. However, an authentication and key management (AKM) mechanism for resource constrained IoT devices using IEEE 802.11ah has not been proposed as yet. We therefore propose a new AKM mechanism for an IoT access network, which is based on IEEE 802.11 key management with the IEEE 802.1X authentication mechanism. The proposed AKM mechanism does not require any pre-configured security information between the access network domain and the IoT service domain. It considers the resource constraints of IoT devices, allowing IoT devices to delegate the burden of AKM processes to a powerful agent. The agent has sufficient power to support various authentication methods for the access point, and it performs cryptographic functions for the IoT devices. Performance analysis shows that the proposed mechanism greatly reduces computation costs, network costs, and memory usage of the resource-constrained IoT device as compared to the existing IEEE 802.11 Key Management with the IEEE 802.1X authentication mechanism. PMID:28934152

  8. Preservative-free 0.9% sodium chloride for flushing and locking peripheral intravenous access device: a prospective controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Wang, Rui; Luo, Ou; He, Liu; Li, Jia-Xin; Zhang, Ming-Guang

    2012-11-01

    In Mainland China, heparin saline solution is commonly used for flushing and locking peripheral intravenous access devices in clinical practice for a long time. We conducted a prospective controlled trial to compare the effectiveness and safety of preservative-free 0.9% sodium chloride solution versus heparin saline solution as flushing and locking solution for peripheral intravenous access devices. Patients with gastroenterological or hepatic diseases were enrolled for this study from August 2011 to October 2011. After non-randomized allocation, preservative-free 0.9% sodium chloride was used as flushing and locking solution in the sodium chloride solution group, while hepatic solution (10 U/mL) was given in the heparin saline solution group. The device related complications and its maintenance duration were compared between two groups. One-way ANOVA, Chi(2), or Mantel-Haenszel test were performed using SPSS 13.0 and RevMan 5.0. Totally, 181 and 178 peripheral intravenous access devices in the sodium chloride solution and heparin saline solution groups were included and analyzed. Results indicated than sodium chloride solution did not increase the risks of occlusion (7.7% vs. 7.9%) and other adverse events of peripheral intravenous access devices (P = 0.163). Sodium chloride solution neither shortened the duration of peripheral intravenous access devices maintenance (3.6 ± 1.1 days vs. 3.7 ± 1.2 days, P = 0.651), nor increased the proportion of abnormal withdrawal (29.3% vs. 31.5%, P = 0.654). Sodium chloride solution is as effective and safe as conventional heparin saline solution for flushing and locking peripheral intravenous access devices, which results from our evidence-based study and should be transferred to other nurses in China. © 2012 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd and Chinese Cochrane Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University.

  9. 78 FR 33849 - Battery-Powered Medical Devices Workshop: Challenges and Opportunities; Public Workshop; Request...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-06-05

    ...] Battery-Powered Medical Devices Workshop: Challenges and Opportunities; Public Workshop; Request for.... The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the following public workshop entitled ``Battery... create awareness of the challenges related to battery-powered medical devices and collaboratively develop...

  10. [Harm related to medical device use - legal and organisational risks].

    PubMed

    Hölscher, U M

    2014-12-01

    The effectiveness of the risk management systems established by medical device manufacturers and health-care facilities is clearly mitigated by European and national legal provisions. Laws, regulations and authorities prevent the systematic exchange of much safety-relevant information. The obligation to report adverse events is suspended for many relevant risks associated with medical device use. Reporting into the vigilance system is of little avail for users. Reporting even may endanger the information provider. The federal fragmentation of the German vigilance system poses a risk for patients. Risk management in health-care facilities without risk policy is dangerously incomplete. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  11. Disparities in access to medical care for individuals with vision impairment.

    PubMed

    Spencer, Christine; Frick, Kevin; Gower, Emily W; Kempen, John H; Wolff, Jennifer L

    2009-01-01

    We investigated the relationship between blindness and vision impairment and access to medical care. Pooled data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) years 2002-2004 were used to identify non-institutionalized individuals over the age of 40 with either self-reported blindness, vision impairment, or no vision impairment (n = 40,643). Differences in access to care measures by vision status were assessed, after adjusting for the complex sampling design of the MEPS, using either two-sided z-tests or two-sided t-tests. Individuals with blindness and vision impairment report having more access problems related to cost of care, availability of insurance coverage, transportation issues, and refusal of services by providers, although they do not report lower rates of having a usual source of care compared to those without vision impairment. The results suggest that access to care for individuals with blindness and vision impairment is problematic, for reasons that are amenable to policy interventions.

  12. Adoption of medical devices: perspectives of professionals in Swedish neonatal intensive care.

    PubMed

    Roback, Kerstin; Gäddlin, Per-Olof; Nelson, Nina; Persson, Jan

    2007-01-01

    Advances in biomedical engineering enable us to treat increasingly severe conditions. This implies an increased need for regulation and priority setting in healthcare, to ensure appropriate safety cautions and to avoid accelerating expenditures. This interview study investigates the mechanisms behind the adoption and use of medical devices through the subjective experiences of hospital staff working with devices for neonatal intensive care. The adoption was found to be primarily initiated by vendor activities, but professionals preferably sought information about functionality from close colleagues. Full integration of devices was sometimes not achieved, and even though the adopting units had good introduction routines, there was no systematic follow-up of how adopted devices had been integrated in the work practices. Diffusion variations were, however, mainly found for temporarily tested devices and not for permanently available technologies. Three factors were found to be the major explanatory variables of the adoption of medical devices: (1) the subjective expected value of the device, (2) information and learning, and (3) the innovativeness of the adopting unit.

  13. An information model to support user-centered design of medical devices.

    PubMed

    Hagedorn, Thomas J; Krishnamurty, Sundar; Grosse, Ian R

    2016-08-01

    The process of engineering design requires the product development team to balance the needs and limitations of many stakeholders, including those of the user, regulatory organizations, and the designing institution. This is particularly true in medical device design, where additional consideration must be given for a much more complex user-base that can only be accessed on a limited basis. Given this inherent challenge, few projects exist that consider design domain concepts, such as aspects of a detailed design, a detailed view of various stakeholders and their capabilities, along with the user-needs simultaneously. In this paper, we present a novel information model approach that combines a detailed model of design elements with a model of the design itself, customer requirements, and of the capabilities of the customer themselves. The information model is used to facilitate knowledge capture and automated reasoning across domains with a minimal set of rules by adopting a terminology that treats customer and design specific factors identically, thus enabling straightforward assessments. A uniqueness of this approach is that it systematically provides an integrated perspective on the key usability information that drive design decisions towards more universal or effective outcomes with the very design information impacted by the usability information. This can lead to cost-efficient optimal designs based on a direct inclusion of the needs of customers alongside those of business, marketing, and engineering requirements. Two case studies are presented to show the method's potential as a more effective knowledge management tool with built-in automated inferences that provide design insight, as well as its overall effectiveness as a platform to develop and execute medical device design from a holistic perspective. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. FDA working to ensure the safety of medical devices used in the pediatric population.

    PubMed

    Flack, Marilyn Neder; Gross, Thomas P; Reid, Joy Samuels; Mills, Thalia T; Francis, Jacqueline

    2012-12-01

    Special initiatives exist in FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH), the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, and the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research to ensure the safety and effectiveness of medical products used in the vulnerable pediatric population. This article focuses on the special programs, projects, and special studies implemented by CDRH to ensure this safety and effectiveness in devices used in pediatric patients throughout the devices' total product life-cycles. Pediatricians play a major role in keeping medical devices safe for use in children by reporting device problems to FDA. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  15. The role of the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency and healthcare professionals in post-marketing safety.

    PubMed

    Mori, Kazuhiko; Watanabe, Meguru; Horiuchi, Naoya; Tamura, Atsushi; Kutsumi, Hiromu

    2014-04-01

    The development of drugs and medical devices is necessary for medical progress; however, safety measures need to be put in place to protect the health of the population. In order to ensure the safety of drugs and medical devices, it is important to determine measures for appropriate management of risks at any time during the development phase, the regulatory review and the post-marketing phase. Adverse events detected in clinical trials are limited due to the restricted numbers of patients enrolled in the trials. Therefore, it is almost impossible to predict rare serious adverse events during the post-marketing phase. The revised Pharmaceutical Affairs Act was established in Japan in November 20, 2013. The new act focuses on increased safety of drugs and medical devices. The Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) is the regulatory authority in Japan that promotes safety measures from the development phase through to the post-marketing phase. In the post-marketing phase, the PMDA collects information from the medical product companies and healthcare professionals, as well as instructing and advising them with regard to post-marketing safety measures for each drug and medical device. Since Japan has a national health insurance system, a new drug or a medical device is available throughout the country when the drug price or medical fee is listed in the National Health Insurance price list. Healthcare professionals in medical institutions must learn about the drugs and medical devices they handle, and should make an effort to maintain patient safety. The PMDA medi-navi is a very useful electronic mail delivery service that provides critical information for protecting patients from health hazards caused by adverse events. The 'risk management plan' is also important as it contains important information about safety profile and post-marketing measures of a new drug.

  16. The 1995 Medical Device Technology raw materials survey.

    PubMed

    Pearson, L S

    1995-09-01

    Using information supplied by manufacturers, this article reports on the use of raw materials and compounding and conversion practices in the European medical device manufacturing industry. The findings of the survey provide an indication of which materials are being used and how frequently, and the process of selecting suppliers.

  17. 21 CFR 892.2040 - Medical image hardcopy device.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Medical image hardcopy device. 892.2040 Section 892.2040 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... Communications in Medicine (DICOM) Std., Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) Std., Society of Motion Picture...

  18. 31 CFR 538.526 - Brokering commercial sales of agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Brokering commercial sales of agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices. 538.526 Section 538.526 Money and Finance: Treasury....526 Brokering commercial sales of agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices. (a) General...

  19. 31 CFR 538.526 - Brokering commercial sales of agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Brokering commercial sales of agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices. 538.526 Section 538.526 Money and Finance: Treasury....526 Brokering commercial sales of agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices. (a) General...

  20. 31 CFR 560.533 - Brokering commercial sales of agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Brokering commercial sales of agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices. 560.533 Section 560.533 Money and Finance: Treasury....533 Brokering commercial sales of agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices. (a) General...