• BioLucent (Aliso Viejo, California) will present a poster at the conference of the National Consortium of Breast Centers on its MammoPad breast cushion, combined with training in breast positioning, to increase compression and tissue acquisition and decrease discomfort. The poster describes a study that compared each patient’s current and most recent prior mammogram. The study shows a statistically significant increase in compression force and tissue acquisition for all four views. MammoPad is a radiolucent foam cushion that covers the cold, hard surfaces of mammography equipment. BioLucent is focused on the early detection and treatment of breast cancer.

• Medstrat (Downers Grove, Illinois) reports the integration of the CompuMed (Los Angeles) OsteoGram bone mineral density (BMD) measurement software for osteoporosis screening, diagnosis and monitoring with its echoeSYSTEM PACS software suite. The integration of Medstrat’s orthopedic digital imaging solutions with CompuMed’s OsteoGram software provides orthopedic surgeons with a simple, effective and affordable means of identifying at risk individuals in their community. HHS recommends bone density tests for all women over 65 and for any man or woman who suffers even a minor fracture after age 50. CompuMed provides advanced imaging and medical informatics solutions. Medstrat makes digital medical imaging software for orthopedic practices.

• Meridian Bioscience (Cincinnati) reports receiving FDA clearance to market ImmunoCard STAT! EHEC, a test to diagnose E. coli infection. The product detects all Shiga-toxin producing E. coli and is the first rapid (20 minute) E. coli diagnostic that differentiates between Toxin 1 & Toxin 2. New CDC recommendations published in September 2006 recommend that laboratories use a test that detects all Shiga-toxin producing E. coli, not just a test that detects the O157 E. coli strain. ImmunoCard STAT! EHEC provides a practical solution that will enable laboratories to adopt those new CDC recommendations. Meridian makes test kits, purified reagents and related products and offers biopharmaceutical enabling technologies.

• Roche Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) has introduced an advance in point-of-care (POC) anticoagulation monitoring, the CoaguChek XS system, for physician’s office use and self-testing by patients on warfarin therapy. The product offers benefits that for managing manage in-office prothrombin time (PT/INR) testing more effectively. Roche says CoaguCheck XS is the only anticoagulation monitoring system to perform onboard quality control in the reagent chamber and also neutralizes therapeutic levels of heparin and LMW heparin. Performing PT/INR (clotting time) testing POC rather than at an outside lab enables dosage adjustments to avoid serious complications. Roche is a healthcare group in the fields of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics.

• StatSure Diagnostic Systems (Framingham, Massachusetts) reported that it has filed a patent application for an integrated, oral-fluid collection and testing device to screen for sexually transmitted and infectious diseases. In addition to oral-fluid, the patent covers collection of other physiologic fluids, including whole blood and serum samples. The device incorporates StatSure’s “sample volume adequacy indicator” control system, which is an internal quality control mechanism incorporated into the company’s existing line of oral fluid collection devices. This product will complement StatSure’s “barrel” testing platform used for rapid, point-of-care blood-based testing, for infectious diseases. StatSure Diagnostic Systems makes rapid immunoassay tests for the detection of sexually transmitted and other infectious diseases.

• Varian (Chicago) introduced its new 900-MS series Fourier Transform mass spectrometers. (FTMS) for a variety of application areas including proteomics, metabolomics, petrochemical and environmental analyses. The available field strengths of the magnets include 7, 9.4, 12.0 and now 15.0 Tesla — the highest commercially available FTMS magnet, Varian said. Varian makes scientific instruments and vacuum technologies for life science and industrial applications.