This week, Urodynamix Technologies Ltd. reported exciting news: Financial results for its fiscal first quarter (ended March 31) showed a 1,269%increase from revenues in Q1 2008. The spike resulted from the first commercial sales of the company's URO NIRS 2000 in the quarter--and as of March 31, the company had an order backlog of $92,576.
This week, Urodynamix Technologies Ltd. reported exciting news: Financial results for its fiscal first quarter (ended March 31) showed a 1,269% increase from revenues in Q1 2008. The spike resulted from the first commercial sales of the company's URO NIRS 2000 in the quarter--and as of March 31, the company had an order backlog of $92,576.
Urodynamix has been busy working partnerships to get its near infrared spectroscopy products out into the world. For instance a new agreement with pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer has the partners collaborating on promotional programs to increase awareness of UroNIRS Bladder Monitor technology among urologists and medical professionals. And a product development and distribution agreement with Timm Medical Technologies aims to apply NIRS to erectile dysfunction.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Photonics' impact on ophthalmology
Optics and photonics technologies have advanced ophthalmology at least as much as any other medical specialty. Both the excimer laser and optical coherence tomography (OCT) figured prominently at the recent American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting. Since then, a research report urged greater access to laser and photodynamic treatments, saying such availability would reduce the incidence of future blindness.
Optics and photonics technologies have advanced ophthalmology at least as much as any other medical specialty. Both the excimer laser and optical coherence tomography (OCT) figured prominently at the recent American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting. Since then, a research report, urged greater access to laser and photodynamic treatments saying such availability would reduce the incidence of future blindness.
Last week's announcement of the 2009 PhAST/Laser Focus World Innovation Award winner, BioPhotonic Solutions' femtoFIT, has implications for corrective eye surgery, according to the award judges. And a new low-cost camera promises to expand the technologies' impact to eye care for millions of underserved people around the world.
In another inspiring look toward the future, the open publication of a massive data base of hi-res OCT images hopes to facilitate development of macular degeneration-diagnosis software.
Optics and photonics technologies have advanced ophthalmology at least as much as any other medical specialty. Both the excimer laser and optical coherence tomography (OCT) figured prominently at the recent American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting. Since then, a research report, urged greater access to laser and photodynamic treatments saying such availability would reduce the incidence of future blindness.
Last week's announcement of the 2009 PhAST/Laser Focus World Innovation Award winner, BioPhotonic Solutions' femtoFIT, has implications for corrective eye surgery, according to the award judges. And a new low-cost camera promises to expand the technologies' impact to eye care for millions of underserved people around the world.
In another inspiring look toward the future, the open publication of a massive data base of hi-res OCT images hopes to facilitate development of macular degeneration-diagnosis software.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Cardiac imaging and OCT's legal mess
"Word is getting out” about imaging tools that enable more precise guidance during heart surgery, said Volcano Corp. VP Joe Burnett, referring to the increased number of imaging-related presentations at the recent American College of Cardiology (ACC) Annual Meeting 2009.) Speaking at the conference, former ACC President Pamela Douglas, M.D. said that imaging is growing faster than all other procedures, services and diagnostic tests.
Many of the talks focused on intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT), either pitting the approaches against each other or demonstrating their complementary use. Volcano has a foot in each camp, bolstered during the past year by acquisitions of IVUS developer Novelis and OCT developer Axsun. The latter launched a legal battle because last summer, Axsun entered into a multi-year exclusive agreement with another supplier of cardiac OCT systems, LightLab Imaging (Westford, MA). Under the agreement, Axsun would supply advanced tunable lasers for LightLab’s swept-source OCT systems.
We’re still waiting for the final answer to the question, “What happens when the company you acquire has supply agreements with your competitors?” but for now, a Superior Court injunction, in response to a complaint by LightLab, is prohibiting Volcano from using Axsun tunable lasers in its OCT products.
Many of the talks focused on intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT), either pitting the approaches against each other or demonstrating their complementary use. Volcano has a foot in each camp, bolstered during the past year by acquisitions of IVUS developer Novelis and OCT developer Axsun. The latter launched a legal battle because last summer, Axsun entered into a multi-year exclusive agreement with another supplier of cardiac OCT systems, LightLab Imaging (Westford, MA). Under the agreement, Axsun would supply advanced tunable lasers for LightLab’s swept-source OCT systems.
We’re still waiting for the final answer to the question, “What happens when the company you acquire has supply agreements with your competitors?” but for now, a Superior Court injunction, in response to a complaint by LightLab, is prohibiting Volcano from using Axsun tunable lasers in its OCT products.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Good morning, OFDI
Did you see Dr. Tim Johnson on Good Morning America a couple of months ago explaining optical frequency-domain imaging (OFDI) technology, which is giving researchers their first-ever detailed look at the interior of human coronary arteries?
Did you see Dr. Tim Johnson on Good Morning America a couple of months ago explaining optical frequency-domain imaging (OFDI) technology, which is giving researchers their first-ever detailed look at the interior of human coronary arteries?
Used during heart surgery, the technique enables 3D, microscopic views of significant segments of patients' arteries, letting surgeons see lipid and calcium deposits, and immune cells that could indicate inflammation, in addition to stents. In an illustration of the technique’s practicality, a discussion during BiOS/Photonics West a couple of weeks ago centered on the technique’s usefulness for helping heart surgeons decide where to place stents so as to avoid complications. A video clip of Johnson’s presentation is available on ABC’s site.
Did you see Dr. Tim Johnson on Good Morning America a couple of months ago explaining optical frequency-domain imaging (OFDI) technology, which is giving researchers their first-ever detailed look at the interior of human coronary arteries?
Used during heart surgery, the technique enables 3D, microscopic views of significant segments of patients' arteries, letting surgeons see lipid and calcium deposits, and immune cells that could indicate inflammation, in addition to stents. In an illustration of the technique’s practicality, a discussion during BiOS/Photonics West a couple of weeks ago centered on the technique’s usefulness for helping heart surgeons decide where to place stents so as to avoid complications. A video clip of Johnson’s presentation is available on ABC’s site.
Monday, February 16, 2009
The multiple benefits of multifunctional aesthetics
An increasing trend in aesthetic laser systems--for skin rejuvenation, hair removal, skin tightening, tattoo removal, and so on--is multifunctionality. A related trend is promotion of the devices in terms of cost savings and increase of revenue streams for practitioners. Two examples of this are announcements made this month by Candela and Sciton.
An increasing trend in aesthetic laser systems--for skin rejuvenation, hair removal, skin tightening, tattoo removal, and so on--is multifunctionality. A related trend is promotion of the devices in terms of cost savings and increase of revenue streams for practitioners. Two examples of this are announcements made this month by Candela and Sciton.
I suppose this trend is simply evolutionary, but in light of current economic conditions, especially in the aesthetics realm, it seems especially fitting.
Sciton noted that its new Joule product would enable "revenue stimulus for the current economic environment that will easily translate to solid, long-term practice-building and growth." Perhaps the translation will be easy, but I doubt it will be quick. I hope I’m wrong, though.
An increasing trend in aesthetic laser systems--for skin rejuvenation, hair removal, skin tightening, tattoo removal, and so on--is multifunctionality. A related trend is promotion of the devices in terms of cost savings and increase of revenue streams for practitioners. Two examples of this are announcements made this month by Candela and Sciton.
I suppose this trend is simply evolutionary, but in light of current economic conditions, especially in the aesthetics realm, it seems especially fitting.
Sciton noted that its new Joule product would enable "revenue stimulus for the current economic environment that will easily translate to solid, long-term practice-building and growth." Perhaps the translation will be easy, but I doubt it will be quick. I hope I’m wrong, though.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Biosensors advancing
“Optical biosensors have begun to move from the laboratory to the point of use,” wrote Frances S. Ligler of the Naval Research Laboratory’s Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, in a paper titled “Perspective on optical biosensors and integreated sensor systems” (published in December 2008 by the American Chemical Society).
“Optical biosensors have begun to move from the laboratory to the point of use,” wrote Frances S. Ligler of the Naval Research Laboratory’s Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, in a paper titled “Perspective on optical biosensors and integreated sensor systems” (published in December 2008 by the American Chemical Society). Ligler adds that movement from lab to application will be hastened by “new concepts for molecular recognition, integration of microfluidics and optics, simplified fabrication technologies, improved approaches to biosensor system integration, and dramatically increased awareness of the applicability of sensor technology to improve public health and environmental monitoring.”
Here are a couple of interesting stories we’ve reported recently on biosensors. Stay tuned for more:
Spanish researchers propose low-cost method of developing label-free optical biosensor chip
Euro researchers' wearable fiber-optic biosensors monitor patients during MRI scans
“Optical biosensors have begun to move from the laboratory to the point of use,” wrote Frances S. Ligler of the Naval Research Laboratory’s Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, in a paper titled “Perspective on optical biosensors and integreated sensor systems” (published in December 2008 by the American Chemical Society). Ligler adds that movement from lab to application will be hastened by “new concepts for molecular recognition, integration of microfluidics and optics, simplified fabrication technologies, improved approaches to biosensor system integration, and dramatically increased awareness of the applicability of sensor technology to improve public health and environmental monitoring.”
Here are a couple of interesting stories we’ve reported recently on biosensors. Stay tuned for more:
Spanish researchers propose low-cost method of developing label-free optical biosensor chip
Euro researchers' wearable fiber-optic biosensors monitor patients during MRI scans
Monday, January 26, 2009
Second dispatch from BiOS/PW ’09
This is a long week for those of us “all in” at BiOS and Photonics West, but though it’s not even halfway over, I can already tell it won’t be long enough for me to see all that I want to.
This is a long week for those of us “all in” at BiOS and Photonics West, but though it’s not even halfway over, I can already tell it won’t be long enough for me to see all that I want to.
I spent much of today in the Lasers and Photonics Marketplace seminar, wherein leaders of the greater optics and photonics industry reported and forecasted market outcomes, and discussed important developments. Laser Focus World chief editor Steve Anderson predicted that when all the 2008 numbers are in, the biomedical therapy market will reveal a decline of ~5% from 2007 levels, and 2009 figures will decline a bit further to $477 million in sales.
I also got to talk a bit with Claude Boccara of LLTech (Paris, France) following his presentation on an imaging approach his company calls “full field OCT.” It is unusual in that instead of imaging vertical “slices” of tissue (perpendicular to the probe) as do other optical coherence tomography scanners, LLTech’s “en face” approach images horizontally (parallel to the probe). While this inherently involves a limited depth of field, the approach is able to image a larger area and promises better penetration. The system combines the layers to produce the same kind of image cube that traditional OCT systems do—and lets you step through the cube by peeling away vertical slices. LLTech plans to launch its system commercially in 2010.
Oh, and I reported only one of the presentations at Saturday night’s Hot Topics session—so let me fill you in on another: Kishan Dholakia of the University of St. Andrews (U.K.) discussed photoporation (also called optical injection or transfection) of exogenous DNA into a cell, saying it is “set to become a mainstay in microscopy,” thanks especially to “novel light beams and optical technology and control.” Thanks, that is, to beam shaping.
This is a long week for those of us “all in” at BiOS and Photonics West, but though it’s not even halfway over, I can already tell it won’t be long enough for me to see all that I want to.
I spent much of today in the Lasers and Photonics Marketplace seminar, wherein leaders of the greater optics and photonics industry reported and forecasted market outcomes, and discussed important developments. Laser Focus World chief editor Steve Anderson predicted that when all the 2008 numbers are in, the biomedical therapy market will reveal a decline of ~5% from 2007 levels, and 2009 figures will decline a bit further to $477 million in sales.
I also got to talk a bit with Claude Boccara of LLTech (Paris, France) following his presentation on an imaging approach his company calls “full field OCT.” It is unusual in that instead of imaging vertical “slices” of tissue (perpendicular to the probe) as do other optical coherence tomography scanners, LLTech’s “en face” approach images horizontally (parallel to the probe). While this inherently involves a limited depth of field, the approach is able to image a larger area and promises better penetration. The system combines the layers to produce the same kind of image cube that traditional OCT systems do—and lets you step through the cube by peeling away vertical slices. LLTech plans to launch its system commercially in 2010.
Oh, and I reported only one of the presentations at Saturday night’s Hot Topics session—so let me fill you in on another: Kishan Dholakia of the University of St. Andrews (U.K.) discussed photoporation (also called optical injection or transfection) of exogenous DNA into a cell, saying it is “set to become a mainstay in microscopy,” thanks especially to “novel light beams and optical technology and control.” Thanks, that is, to beam shaping.
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