A Medical Device Daily
Biomoda (Albuquerque, New Mexico), a maker of cancer diagnostics, reported an agreement with Medical Acoustics (Buffalo, New York) to collect lung sputum samples in an upcoming clinical study that will use Biomoda’s technology for detection of early lung cancer.
Biomoda says that its non-invasive screening technology identifies cancerous or aberrant cells extracted from samples of lung sputum. Cancerous cells glow red under fluorescent light and can be detected under a microscope. Current diagnostic methods for lung cancer often detect the disease only at more advanced stages.
Medical Acoustics makes the Lung Flute, a minimally invasive, flute-shaped device that uses low frequency sound waves to help patients with the natural mucus clearing system.
The Lung Flute will be used during a clinical program administered by New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in partnership with the New Mexico Department of Veterans Services (DVS). Biomoda will conduct the first year of the $350,000 clinical program, while New Mexico Tech and DVS will oversee the program and provide treatment to veterans testing positive for lung cancer.
When a patient exhales through the mouthpiece of the Lung Flute, the exhalation generates sound waves that vibrate cilia and the airways, causing deep lung secretions to thin and be expelled by coughing. FDA-cleared, the technology produces sputum samples without the need for saline induction.
In other agreements:
• SourceMedical (Birmingham, Alabama), a provider of outpatient information solutions serving 6,000 ambulatory surgery centers, surgical hospitals, and rehabilitation clinics nationwide, said it is partnering with Medical Web Technologies (Birmingham, Alabama) to offer One Medical Passport to its Vision, AdvantX and SurgiSource customers.
The SourcePlus Medical Passport will allow facilities using SourceMedical applications the ability to have their patients complete their own registration and preoperative medical history securely via the Internet from the privacy of their own homes. The information is then immediately available to the ASC’s nurses, anesthesiologists and registration staff, as well as the patient’s surgeon.
• Broadlane (Dallas) reported that Olympia Medical Center (Los Angeles) has selected Broadlane to provide various supply chain services under an exclusive agreement, effective March 1. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Olympia will have access to Broadlane’s national GPO portfolio of consumable supplies, equipment, pharmaceuticals and purchased services to help manage their annual spend of about $17 million.
Broadlane’s technology, including OnRamp (Broadlane’s client portal) and BroadLink (Broadlane’s e-commerce exchange), will be used to streamline purchasing.
• Healthcare Management Systems (Nashville) reported it was selected by Homer Memorial Hospital (Homer, Louisiana) to supply a full system of clinical and financial software. The system will be part of a regional information-sharing network that coordinates patient records and helps treat patients throughout the state if other disasters like hurricanes Rita and Katrina occur.
Once the system is in place, Homer will work with local and regional physicians to assure they have immediate access to their patient records from both inside and outside the facility.
In addition to the EHR product, the HMS system will also allow Homer to transition from a paper intensive structure to nearly paperless processes in both the administrative and clinical setting.