The presence of increasingly important new technologies in medicine can make impressive progress. Norway headed Trondheim, technological capital of the country, is positioned in what may well be a new Eldorado.
Trondheim has three preferred partners: SINTEF, the leading research organization in Scandinavia, St. Olav Hospital and NTNU, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Trondheim has hosted the 22nd International Conference of the Society for Medical Innovation and Technology (SMIT: Society for Medical Innovation and Technology), from 2 to 4 September 2010. The conference, outlining the latest medical technology, brought together nearly 300 surgeons, engineers and researchers in the fields of:
- Medical Imaging
- nanotechnology and nanomedicine
- robotics
- communication and telemedicine
- minimally invasive therapies
-
Simulation and Training - assistance followed by imaging and therapeutic
- Logistics and Workflow "Workflow"
- the news of the ultrasound imaging
In the latter area, Norway is at the forefront of technology at international level. The close cooperation between the three main partners involved in research on Trondheim has developed an internationally recognized center in the areas of assistance and guidance by imaging and ultrasound imaging. Norway also has a significant advantage in this area: a large transdisciplinarity which allows him to collaborate clinician and technician.
Among the latest must cite one of the main innovations of the year 2009: Vscan. Marketed since early 2010, it is a portable ultrasound scanner, weighing less than 400g, giving a picture quality even unprecedented for this type of product. Ranked 14th most important invention of 2009 by Time Magazine, Vscan was developed by researchers at NTNU, SINTEF and St. Olav's Hospital in cooperation with GE Vingmed Ultrasound, Norwegian subsidiary of GE Healthcare. Officially presented by the CEO of General Electric in person Vscan was awarded this year's Norwegian newspaper technology: Teknisk Ukeblad. These applications are very numerous, the detection of thrombosis venous cardiac dysfunction, and its size allows it to be used almost everywhere (ambulance, doctor visits, hospital ...).
Among other newly developed products can retain the innovation of a spin-off from SINTEF: SONOWAND. Produced 25 copies for the moment, including one available in the operating room of St. Olav Hospital, Sonowand is a system of image guidance allows the neurosurgeon to locate precisely and as real in the brain of his patient. Ultrasound images obtained during the operation can complete the preoperative images from MRI or scanner. The surgeon gains in spontaneity with ultrasound imaging what it loses in contrast MRI. This system is also associated with a tracking system to monitor changes in tissue, continuously show the position of surgical tools and to assist the surgeon's progress within the brain to the lesions. With an accuracy of one millimeter, this technology limits the size of surgical opening and reduce recovery time.
The Norwegian company Laerdal, the worldwide leader in the field of simulation models, is also interested in imaging ultrasound and is currently testing the models simulating ultrasound examinations. Laerdal in collaboration with SINTEF, NTNU and St. Olav's Hospital, and with support from the Norwegian Research Council, attempts to integrate simulations ultrasound in these models. These simulators could be used for training of emergency or even others in health: ambulance, medical personnel of the army ... As shown Reidar Brekken, a researcher at SINTEF, "it is good to see pictures and be able to identify quickly what is important." To develop these models, researchers gather images from scanner real patients. These images are then processed by computer to resemble as closely as possible with ultrasound images and these images are incorporated into the model and using a positioning system can be obtained these images during the passage of the ultrasound probe. With the technology developed since 2006, Laerdal hopes to produce its models in 2 years:
order to continue and develop their research, SINTEF, St Olav Hospital and NTNU, seeking status of "Nasjonal Infrastruktur for forskning" (national research infrastructure). Already together with the University Hospital and the University of Oslo in the Standard: Norwegian Centre for minimally invasive therapies assisted imaging and medical technologies (Norwegian Center for Minimally invasive image guided therapy and medical technology), this new status would facilitate the financing of long-term research very expensive and the marketing takes time.
Source:
- Date Teknisk Ukeblad (Norwegian): Olsen, SJ 2010. I Tetens på Ultralyd. Teknisk Ukeblad No. 2910, 23/09/2010, p. 30-35.
- Website of the SMIT (English): http://www.smit.de/
- Website of the 22nd conference of the SMIT (English): http://www.trondheim.cc/smit2010/
- Website SONOWAND society (English): http://www.sonowand. com /
- Website Company Laerdal (French): http://www.laerdal.fr/
- Website of GE Healthcare's page on Vscan (French): http://redirectix.bulletins- electroniques.com / sDrLk
Editor: Geoffrey
Thill, Embassy of France in Norway, science@france.no
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