A Medical Device Daily

Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the technology transfer arm of the university, reported that Professor L.D. Shvartsman and Professor Laikhtman, from the Racah Institute of Physics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, have invented a novel design of TeraHertz-ray, or T-ray, lasers.

Using nanostructures which are based on semiconductors with special properties, the novel device will have 400 times higher gain than THz quantum cascade lasers, the only coherent T-ray sources existing today. This invention will make T-ray based cameras and spectrometers practical, ushering a new era in security and medical imaging, according to the university.

T-rays are electromagnetic waves with a wavelength shorter than microwave but longer than infrared. They are extremely attractive for various imaging applications due to three main reasons: they can penetrate through various substances, including clothing and even walls, they are harmless, and therefore allow a safe use for healthcare and homeland security applications and they can detect various chemicals, in particular explosives. Thus, T-ray-based devices can detect hidden weapons and explosives, as well as improve patient care and safety in healthcare facilities by allowing an unlimited number of exposures for medical examinations. However, despite all the advantages of T-rays, they are barely used due to lack of T-ray emitters that will generate powerful, coherent and adjustable terahertz waves. The invention of Professor Laikhtman and Professor Shvartsman overcomes these current limitations and suggests the design of effective THz lasers.

"TeraHertz rays are the imaging method of the future. They are comparable to X-rays in terms of their ability to penetrate opaque substances, but more importantly, they are harmless," said Yaacov Michlin, CEO of Yissum. "The novel method to produce efficient T-ray emitters will enable the use of this important imaging source for various applications, including security and medical applications."

Hologic opens new Asia Pacific office

Hologic (Bedford, Massachusetts), a maker of diagnostics, medical imaging systems and surgical products dedicated to serving the healthcare needs of women, reported the opening of its new Asia Pacific regional offices and the Hologic Asia Pacific Center for Health Sciences Education in Hong Kong.

Sales, product support, training, R&D, logistics, health sciences education, and service for Hologic's breast health, diagnostics, GYN surgical, and skeletal health businesses for the Asia Pacific market will be coordinated from the new facility.

Commenting on the new facility, Jack Cumming, Hologic chairman/CEO said, "This new regional headquarters is another step in our drive to leverage complementary, best-in-class products and technologies to better meet local market needs while driving enhanced growth and value creation for Hologic, our dealers and their customers. With this new facility, we can now offer, in one location, training and educational programs for doctors, radiologists, cytologists, technologists, and application and service support personnel for all our product lines. The investment in Asia is another positive step in Hologic's strategic initiative to expand its international footprint with future plans for regional centers in India and South America."

China Medical wins SFDA approval

China Medical Technologies (Beijing), a device company that makes in vitro diagnostic products, said it has received approval for its SPR-based analysis system from the State Food and Drug Administration of China.

The SPR system utilizes surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technology, a leading biosensor technology in molecular biology. SPR technology has been successfully used for the analysis of proteins, nucleic acids and viruses for the past 20 years and has become a powerful platform for life sciences, drug discovery, medicine and food safety. Human papillomavirus (HPV), a common virus that infects the skin and mucous membranes of humans and causes various kinds of warts as well as cervical cancer, can be detected by adding pathological samples on the HPV-DNA biosensor chip and analyzing the HPV-DNA chip with the SPR system. The SPR system is label-free with high throughput, high speed and a high degree of automation. The detection results can be displayed on a real-time and online basis. The system can be used in various potential clinical diagnostic applications, such as the detection of biomarkers related to infectious diseases, cancers, cardiovascular disorders and immune system disorders.

"We have commenced the delivery of our SPR systems to our large hospital customers and believe that more and more women will benefit from the use of our SPR system and HPV-DNA chips together with our cervical cancer FISH probes, both of which can guide physicians to determine and apply effective treatment in the early stages of cervical diseases to reduce the risk of cervical cancer as well as early detection of cervical cancer," said Xiaodong Wu, chairman/CEO of the company.