A Medical Device Daily

Satoris (Redwood City, California), a molecular diagnostics company specializing in blood-based tests for Alzheimer's disease (AD), will begin a collaborative study with the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (Mayo Clinic; Rochester, Minnesota) to validate the use of plasma biomarkers for early detection of mild-to-moderate AD. These biomarkers may also predict the progression of patients from a state of mild cognitive impairment to AD.

Satoris researchers first reported the use of AD related biomarkers in the November, 2007 edition of the peer-reviewed scientific journal Nature Medicine. In the study, researchers analyzed 259 stored blood samples, comparing those from individuals with presymptomatic to late-stage AD with those from individuals without the disease. Using a technique known as signal profiling, they were able to simultaneously measure the relative abundance of 120 known proteins found in plasma that function as chemical messengers between blood cells, brain cells, and cells of the immune system (Medical Device Daily, Oct. 24, 2007).

"We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with Mayo Clinic researchers in confirming the performance and utility of our blood test for Alzheimer's," said Cris McReynolds, president/CEO of Satoris. "Continued validation, we believe, will lead to commercial release of this test, initially for research use in late summer 2008, and ultimately for clinical use, following the necessary regulatory approvals."

In other agreements:

• Siemens Healthcare (Chicago) has signed an agreement with the Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland, Ohio), under which Cleveland Clinic can deploy the syngo Dynamics cardiology image management and reporting solution across its various locations. It is anticipated that syngo Dynamics will enable Cleveland Clinic physicians and staff to read, archive and distribute images and information acquired from more than 90,000 echocardiography procedures, 32,000 cath lab procedures and 59,000 vascular studies each year.

The agreement will help the clinic move towards a completely paperless digital cardiology model, it said. Additionally, the enhanced reporting capabilities using Digital Structured Reporting on syngo Dynamics will help clinic cardiologists shorten their report turnaround time compared with using transcription services. The agreement also covers data migration of images and digital conversion of report data coming from echocardiography, cath lab and vascular imaging systems, which has been acquired at various Cleveland Clinic sites.

• Cardinal Health (Dublin, Ohio) reported an agreement with ClearCount Medical Solutions (Pittsburgh) to distribute the first system cleared by the FDA that integrates both counting and detection for sponge management during surgeries.

Cardinal will be the primary distributor for ClearCount's SmartSponge system to hospitals, surgery centers and other healthcare distributors in the U.S. Cardinal Health will offer the SmartSponge as part of its Presource surgical kits and as a stand alone offering.

The sponges are permanently affixed with a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag smaller than a dime. The SmartBucket display highlights any count discrepancies. If a discrepancy occurs, a SmartWand scan is used to identify any sponges remaining in the patient. A SmartMat under the patient provides the user with notification that a scan is proceeding properly.

Cardinal makes technologies, including Alaris IV pumps, Pyxis automated dispensing systems, MedMined electronic infection surveillance service, Viasys respiratory care products and the CareFusion patient identification system. ClearCount Medical Solutions specializes in patient safety solutions.

• Cardiac Science (Bothell, Washington), a specialist in cardiac diagnosis, resuscitation, rehabilitation and informatics products, has signed a letter of intent to begin establishing Heartcentrix ECG connectivity with the Misys MyWay electronic medical record (EMR) system from Misys Healthcare (London).

The HeartCentrix solution from Cardiac Science helps bring patient history, clinical charting, e-prescribing, lab orders, results, and patient follow-up information together into a single EMR application.

• Piedmont Heart Institute (PHI; Atlanta) said it has expanded its expertise with the addition of the 20-member cardiovascular physician practice, Cardiology of Georgia, P.C. (COG), through a formal agreement with Piedmont Healthcare (also Atlanta). With eight locations including Buckhead, Canton, Fayetteville and North Fulton, COG will become a new group practice under the Piedmont Heart Institute and an important addition to PHI as it continues to propel new programs in cardiovascular research, education and excellence in prevention, arrhythmias, coronary and vascular intervention, stroke and cardiac imaging.

"Cardiology of Georgia has been an integral part of the history and foundation of cardiovascular care at Piedmont for more than 30 years," said Michele Molden, president/CEO of PHI. "COG will continue to serve our communities with clinical expertise and now, with involvement in the leadership and direction of the Piedmont Heart Institute."