• AGA Medical (Minneapolis), the University of Minnesota Medical School and the Minnesota Medical Foundation reported establishment of the Amplatz Chair in Radiology, a permanently endowed chair at the University of Minnesota Medical School, with AGA Medical donating $2 million in initial funding of the chair. The chair in radiology honors Kurt Amplatz, MD, professor of radiology at the university, co-founder of AGA and a contributor to the field of interventional radiology and pediatric cardiology. Its purpose is to attract and retain outstanding faculty in the field. Deborah Powell, MD, dean of the medical school, said, “The faculty who hold endowed chairs attract other passionate scholars. They ignite their students’ curiosity. Their groundbreaking discoveries turn the world’s attention to Minnesota, bring in major research grants and create jobs in the university and in the private sector.” With Amplatz’s leadership, AGA has developed devices that treat the most common congenital holes in the heart, including the Amplatzer septal occluder commercialized by AGA. Amplatz retired in 1999 from the University of Minnesota after a distinguished career as the Malcolm B. Hanson Research Professor of Diagnostic Radiology. Amplatz was awarded the Society of Interventional Radiology’s Gold Medal in 1996 in recognition of his many contributions to the field.

• GE Healthcare (Waukesha, Wisconsin) reported that it will offer wCareAssist, a wireless application developed by Care Fusion (McLean, Virginia), on the Dinamap ProCare and Pro Series monitors to commercial hospitals nationwide. Dinamap monitors are designed for a patient population that includes neonatal, pediatric and adults. By combining the Dinamap monitor with Care Fusion’s wCareAssist, GE expects to better provide workflow benefits by helping to eliminate transcription errors and reduce chart time. wCareAssist, which runs on a hand-held PDA device, enables clinicians to interface patient vital signs from Dinamap ProCare and Pro Series monitors into an electronic medical record (EMR) without manual transcription and without moving an entire workstation to a patient’s bedside. The software uses barcode technology to verify patient identification information and can be programmed to perform continuous patient monitoring automatically, recording the history of the patient’s vital signs and then sending that information wirelessly to an EMR.

• Positron (Houston) reported forming an agreement with the University of Texas at Houston and the Weatherhead PET Center (Houston), headed by Dr. K. Lance Gould, granting Positron a license to develop a software system developed for the diagnostic and management needs in coronary artery disease. The software system will include the quantification of coronary blood flow images by PET Longitudinal Gradient Analysis and Homogeneity Algorithm (LGA/HA) to determine severity of coronary disease as the objective noninvasive basis for or against coronary bypass surgery or stent procedures and the automated objective analysis of CT or invasive coronary angiograms and a comprehensive database management system. The addition of the LGA/HA enables the Positron device to identify early coronary artery disease before clinically significant blockages develop. Positron said that the quantitative accuracy provides noninvasive follow-up of treatment effectiveness in long-term studies documenting the prevention, stabilization or reversal of coronary artery disease in most patients. It said: “The Coronary Arteriographic Tree analysis program integrates fluid dynamic research into automated quantification of the entire coronary artery tree for diffuse atherosclerosis as well as multiple blockages in all coronary arteries and branches on a CT or invasive coronary arteriogram. It therefore avoids the common visual overestimation of severity that leads to unnecessary bypass surgery or angiogram catheter procedures.“ Positron said this clinical software bundle further differentiates it in the growing cardiac PET market. In conjunction with Positron’s software R&D, the company also reported the release of Positron version A3.7 software, incorporating the LGA/HA algorithms, a cardiac normal database and enhancements for quantification, usability and predictability unique to Positron PET software.

• SurModics (Eden Prairie, Minnesota), a provider of surface modification and drug delivery technologies to the healthcare industry, reported that its Hydrophilic technology has been licensed to Devax (Irvine, California) to provide the lubricious coating on its Axxess Biolimus A-9-eluting bifurcation stent delivery system. The Axxess stent is a conical shaped, self-expanding nickel titanium alloy stent that conforms to the bifurcation anatomy and provides full access to both branches for additional interventional procedures. Devax is engaged in the development of a bifurcated stent system that provides a clinical solution to treat atherosclerotic disease in coronary bifurcations and left main coronary arteries.

• Zonare Medical Systems (Mountain View, California), a developer of ultrasound technology, reported a two-year contract with Kaiser Permanente, for Zonare’s z.one ultrasound system. The contract value was not disclosed. Zonare, based on Zone Sonography technology, enables clinicians to instantly convert the z.one system from a full-featured, cart-based unit into a compact, portable ultrasound system with the performance of larger, more expensive units, the company said. “Kaiser Permanente thoroughly evaluated Zone Sonography technology throughout its development cycle,” said John Rego, MD, chief of radiology, San Francisco, and chair of Northern California chiefs for Kaiser Permanente.