• GE Healthcare (Waukesha, Wisconsin) reported at the Arab Health Exhibition and Congress in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, that the company's 0.2T Signa Profile system, an open scanner, now is available with its Excite platform of advanced MRI technology. The company said the Excite platform for the 0.2T Profile System will allow physicians to see more of the human anatomy and function better and faster than ever before, allowing them greater clinical confidence.

• Medical Services International (Edmonton, Al-berta) reported that it has developed a new diagnostic test kit for diagnosing prostate cancer. The one-step prostate specific antigen test provides easy-to-read results within 20 minutes, requires no additional instrumentation or re-agents and has a greater than 99% accuracy. The test can be administered in a physician's office and the results are obtained prior to leaving the doctors office. The company said it has begun testing of the kit to obtain regulatory ap-proval.

• Molecular Devices (Sunnyvale, California) reported the introduction of IonWorks Quattro, a second-generation, ion channel-screening instrument with four times the throughput capability over its predecessor, the IonWorks HT. The IonWorks Quattro system was developed using Molecular Devices' Population Patch Clamp (PPC) technology, a new approach in the planar patch clamp technique. The system is debuting at the Biophysical Society annual meeting in Long Beach, California. The IonWorks Quattro system uses a new PPC substrate, a 384-well planar array designed to allow ion channel recordings to be simultaneously collected from multiple cells within each well. The IonWorks Quattro system has shown success rates of 95% or more, which are so high that it is not necessary to apply test compounds redundantly to four wells, thus enabling an immediate four-fold throughput improvement and up to 50% reduction in cost per data point over the IonWorks HT system.

• Vital Needs International (San Antonio) reported that Joey Diagnostic, an advanced model of the Joey Umbilical Safety System, is ready for commercialization and transfer to a corporate partner. Joey Diagnostic is a single-handed device that cuts and clamps a newborn's umbilical cord and allows for quick identification of blood borne diseases such as HIV. It is designed for analyzing the cord blood within minutes after delivery bedside, at an on-site laboratory or off-site facility. The company called this “especially important“ in light of studies cited in The New England Journal of Medicine on Feb. 10. The reports recommend that routine HIV screening should be established for all Americans, not unlike preventative cancer programs. And one study assessed that the earlier the detection of the disease the more cost-effective, appropriate care could be given to patients with HIV and therefore a higher quality of life obtained.

• Welch Allyn (Skaneateles Falls, New York) reported the availability of the Braun ThermoScan PRO 4000, which it said is the only electronic ear thermometer with a preheated probe and sensor for reliable temperature readings on patients of all ages. Its ExacTemp technology provides an active user feedback system to ensure proper positioning and improved accuracy in calculating temperatures. The company said the Braun ThermoScan PRO 4000, one of the fastest thermometers for infant to adult patients, is an affordable electronic vital signs device that can withstand constant use in a medical practice or hospital setting. The lightweight unit features a prominent memory button to recall the last temperature reading from a patient. There is a storage space for 20 probe covers, with an optional base station that holds an additional sleeve of 200 probe covers. It also features electronic security enhancements that discourage theft in hospital environments.