Innovation detects cancer in real-time

Neither the electroscalpel nor mass spectrometry, a technique to identify a molecule's elemental composition by measuring the ratio between its mass and charge, is new. But using the two together may enable surgeons to detect cancerous cells during, instead of before and after, surgery, reports CNET News.

"When a surgeon is performing cancer surgery, he doesn't have any direct information on where the tumour is," says Zolt'an Tak'ats, professor at Justus-Liebig University in Giessen, Germany.

Being able to detect, analyse, and remove cells during surgery might result in fewer surgeries down the road, not to mention a better diagnosis of the type and aggressiveness of a patient's cancer.

The MedTech Manufacturing Consortium, spearheaded by the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech), a research institute of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, has been established, reports The Gov Monitor.

The consortium will develop capabilities and technologies to address the needs and challenges faced by local companies to diversify into the medical technology industry, which is knowledge-intensive, requires strict manufacturing discipline, and demands miniaturisation, ultra-precision capabilities and high-quality components.

The consortium establishes medical technology R&D platforms for technology transfer and knowledge-sharing amongst stakeholders in the medical technology industry.

Cisco specialist VAR Block Solutions intends to export its 'single-minded' approach to the healthcare sector into the commercial market, says Computing.co.uk.

Block's most recent annual results showed a 105% rise in revenues to £4.3 million (R50 million), while its Cisco sales virtually doubled in the vendor's fiscal year. Managing director Jon Pickering revealed he hoped to attain Cisco Silver partner status in December and Gold within six months of that.

He added the VAR was “pushing hard” into the commercial sector after growing its healthcare business four years running. “Our single-minded approach to the healthcare market has paid dividends and it is one we are taking into any new vertical,” he said.