• Aethlon Medical (San Diego) said that it is nearing completion of the "first-in-man" study of a medical device to treat HIV, the disease that causes AIDS. In the study, an HIV-infected individual recently initiated treatment with the Aethlon Hemopurifier as part of a 30-day case study. The Hemopurifier is a therapeutic filtration device that serves as an artificial adjunct to the immune system. The device has been designed to improve infectious disease treatment outcomes through real-time clearance of infectious viruses and immunosuppressive particles. In HIV care the Hemopurifier targets all circulating strains of infectious HIV, including those varieties that cause patients to fail antiviral drug regimens. Additionally, the device preserves the immune response through the removal of gp120 and other toxic proteins shed by HIV to kill-off immune cells, the hallmark of AIDS.

• ConvaTec (Skillman, New Jersey) said the company has received expanded indications from the FDA for its Aquacel and Aquacel Ag Dressings with Hydrofiber Technology for the management of surgical wounds that heal by primary intent, building upon the products' indications for chronic and acute wounds. ConvaTec says the Aquacel and Aquacel Ag Dressings are soft, absorbent barrier wound dressings which feature the gelling benefits of ConvaTec Hydrofiber Technology. Aquacel Ag Dressing also provides the broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties of ionic silver, which kills a broad range of pathogens in the dressing, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). These dressings gel on contact with wound fluid, which is locked inside the dressing to protect the periwound skin, while maintaining a moist environment to support healing and protect newly formed tissue from damage on removal.

• IntelliDOT (San Diego) said its Bedside Medication Administration (IntelliDOT BMA) now enables hospitals to comply with the CMS requirement to report National Drug Code (NDC) numbers for drugs administered in outpatient settings. The IntelliDOT system is a best-of-breed wireless, workflow manager that connects caregivers with the information systems they need at the point-of-care. Designed by nurses for nurses, the IntelliDOT system enables clinicians to perform safety checks and safely administer and document medications at the bedside using a lightweight, handheld device. The IntelliDOT system satisfies Joint Commission standards for patient identification and assures accuracy by verifying the five rights of medication administration: right medication, right dose, right route, right patient, right time; as well as ensuring required follow-up documentation, such as pain scale, is performed in a timely manner and accurately recorded. IntelliDOT makes wireless, handheld, barcode point-of-care solutions that connect to any healthcare information system to improve patient safety and nurse workflow.

• Johnson Medtech (Shelton, Connecticut) reported its participation in creating the world's first MRI-compatible image-guided tumor treatment device with Profound Medical (PMI; Toronto). This tissue coagulation device is expected to treat prostate cancer in a fraction of the time and cost of existing methods, based on extensive modeling, simulation and pre-clinical trials. Johnson Medtech's non-magnetic Nanomotion actuators enable the precision of motion and accuracy of treatment necessary for safely conducting the image-guided prostate cancer therapy within the strong magnetic field of the MRI. PMI's device uses an MRI for imaging and a proprietary planar ultrasound applicator for treatment. The MRI precisely guides the probe that heats the cancerous tissue to effectively destroy the diseased area.