GE Medical Systems launches fastest functional imaging workstation

GE Medical Systems South Asia has introduced Xeleris, one of the industry’s fastest functional imaging workstation available in the world. Xeleris is designed to become the productivity hub of nuclear medicine and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging departments. It has increased workflow through lightning-fast processing and an intuitive user interface.

One Xeleris workstation manages the data and processing applications of many other workstations by connecting to most nuclear medicine imaging devices in the department.

The workstation’s user-friendly features and single-touch operations make Xeleris easy to learn.

Paired with Infinia Hawkeye, the revolutionary GE nuclear medicine/computed topography (CT) system, Xelris comes equipped with ignite, which fully automates most clinical procedures, from patient selection through image processing on select GE Systems

[Ref: Chronicle Pharmabiz, Sept. 25, 2003]

India to lead in bypass surgery numbers by 2011

Come 2011, and India would outnumber other countries in the number of bypass surgeries being performed. Presently, as per the WHO figures there is an estimated figure of around 40 lakh deaths annually due to heart problems. This figure will rise to one crore by 2015. This was revealed by Shrikant Mundra, founder director of Hriday Mitra Pratishthan.

Hriday Mitra Pratishthan is an 8-year old Pune based heart help-line that extends financial help to the needy patients undergoing angioplasty or bypass surgeries. Hriday Mitra Pratishthan is one of those few organisations that not only spread social awareness but also provides financial help to the needy heart patients. Presently, the organisation has patients coming from all over Maharashtra. “We aim to raise our funds for heart surgeries to one crore so that we can cover large number of patients and give them more sufficient financial help. And this is possible only if people come forward and donate generously in the fund.

Mitra Industries gets DCGI approval for indigenous CAPD kits

New Delhi based Mitra Industries Ltd is all set to introduce indigenously manufactured Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) kits for the first time in India. The company has received the manufacturing license from the drug control authorities and is expected to come out with the CAPD kits in three months time. The approval has been given for PD Solutions of nine strengths.

According to company sources, the product would be competitively priced and would pose a challenge to the highly priced imported CAPD systems currently available in the country. The multinational companies who are into the import and marketing of CAPD in India are Baxter, Fregeniers and Claris. 

CAPD is continuous, machine-free and done while one goes about with his/her normal activities. The treatment is done by placing about two quarts of cleansing fluid into the belly and later draining it. Some doctors feel that CAPD has several benefits when compared to hemodialysis, the conventional method of dialysis. "With continuous dialysis, you can control extra fluid more easily, and this may reduce stress on the heart and blood vessels. You are able to eat more and use fewer medications. You can do more of your daily activities and it is easier to work or travel," they opine.

[Ref: Chronicle Pharmabiz, Sept. 25, 2003]