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https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/post/schatz-criticizes-federal-response-coronavirus-seeks-test-kits-japan#stream/0
Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz says the federal response to the coronavirus outbreak has fallen far short and he is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Japan embassy to see if that country can provide coronavirus test kits to Hawaii.
https://www.genomeweb.com/pcr/seegene-gets-emergency-use-approval-korea-novel-coronavirus-test
https://www.genomeweb.com/pcr/kogene-biotech-novel-coronavirus-test-gets-regulatory-approvals-korea
The University of Macau (China?) has stepped up the development of a a rapid test kit developed with patented technology. They say the whole virus detection process can now be completed within 30 minutes.
https://www.euronews.com/2020/02/02/italian-scientists-isolate-dna-sequence-of-coronavirus
Good posts ddubya & BlahBlahDoh, I don't mind positivity in a post if balanced with the risk. I esp like 'gamble what you can afford to lose'. Wish someone had posted that earlier in life.
Samsung and Nanoco have had since April 19' or before to argue so I guess both maybe believe they have a case?
https://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?II=7&ND=4&adjacent=true&locale=en_EP&FT=D&date=20190703&CC=KR&NR=20190077629A&KC=A
Not sure if Nanoco have their 'Cadmium-free Quantum Dot Nanoparticles' patent granted in Korea - happy to stand corrected. Not that it matters for other markets. Click the global dossier link. Not sure arguments why. Poorly translated?
Don't forget peeps this is still potentially very high risk.
£9.5 million Placing or £19 million rights issue approved at last AGM (resolution 13).
Also their is a short on the stock - 1.24% GMT Capital Corp 27 Jan 2020. Maybe short will be closed today? or increased? Who knows.
£92million market cap now (800k per month cash burn not inc lawyers or Evercore fees (sale process) and no new orders for this year yet. A lot riding on this court case.
DYOR
GL
https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/coronavirus/coronavirus-update-thursday-afternoon-1200-patients-now-fully-recovered
'Dr. Malik Peiris, chief of virology at the University of Hong Kong, has developed a diagnostic test for the new coronavirus.'
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/b4h-3rd/hh-ultrasound-to-zap-kidney-stones
Using Ultrasound to Zap Kidney Stones and Other Health Problems in Space
Kidney stones, often painful and debilitating, have long been a serious concern for astronauts. Dehydration, stasis, and bone demineralization are strong contributors to kidney stones and commonly occur in microgravity. Astronauts have reported kidney stones, postflight, more than 30 times.
Technology currently under investigation could solve this and other health problems related to spaceflight. The Flexible Ultrasound System demonstrates use of a ground-tested, software-based ultrasound technology in a device for deep-space missions. FUS aims to provide state-of-the-art clinical internal imaging and additional capabilities, such as using ultrasound for therapy as well as diagnosis, and facilitating development of algorithms for advanced image interpretation.
FUS is based on the commercial GE Vivid-E95 clinical ultrasound device. Modifications by ZIN Technologies incorporate advanced capabilities that allow researchers not only to detect and manipulate renal stones, but also assess bone health, enhance healing of musculoskeletal injuries, monitor intracranial pressure via eye scans, and provide training tools so astronauts can produce diagnostic-quality ultrasound scans autonomously.
In addition to developing an integrated ultrasound imaging and therapy device, goals of this ongoing work include providing a higher degree of control over scanning parameters and greater access to raw ultrasound data to facilitate algorithm development, and developing medical ultrasound systems that function more readily with radiation-tolerant processes for deep-space missions.
One of the completed FUS investigations, Prevention of Renal Stone Complications in Space Exploration, refined capabilities previously demonstrated on human subjects on the ground to screen for, diagnose, and treat renal stones using FUS onboard the space station.
More than 40 papers have been published on this ground-based work, more than 40 patent applications submitted, and the technology licensed to a spin-off company, SonoMotion Inc.
“We have shown we can produce a working prototype, develop sufficiently high-quality imaging to guide treatment, train new users, and conduct a successful clinical trial,” says Principal Investigator Michael Bailey of the University of Washington. “We have implemented our technologies with different probes, and our imaging software can be added to an FUS or commercial imager. The system, once validated in flight, largely closes the gap for diagnosing and treating kidney stones on exploration missions.”
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Interesting article. This is the same company (Sonomotion) working on handheld device.
https://health.ucsd.edu/news/releases/Pages/2019-10-14-new-study-evaluates-hand-held-device-for-nonsurgical-kidney-stone-therapy.aspx
https://www.theengineer.co.uk/raindrops-supersonic-kidney-stones/
Physics behind circular cracking caused by high-velocity water droplet impacts leads Duke University team to more efficient potential method for breaking up mineral deposits in the body
Powerful soundwaves have been used for some years to break up kidney stones, one of the most painful conditions known to medicine. But the method is not perfect: if the stone is not reduced to a fine powder, remaining fragments can still cause pain and potential infections, and surgery is often necessary to remove them with all the attendant risks.
Engineers from Duke University in North Carolina now believe they have found a more efficient way to destroy the stones, using a phenomenon that was first seen when testing supersonic aircraft.
“The challenge for treating kidney stones is to reduce the stones to very fine fragments so the doctors don’t have to follow up with any ancillary procedures,” said Zhong. “Based on the insight gained through this model, we may be able to optimise the shape of the shock waves and lithotripter design to create more tension on the surface of the kidney stones to open up the defects more efficiently.”
https://www.urotoday.com/conference-highlights/wce-2019/116234-wce-2019-developing-a-free-three-dimensional-tool-for-kidney-stones-surgical-planning-calculator.html
WCE 2019: Developing a Free Three-dimensional Tool for Kidney Stones’ Surgical Planning: “Calculator”
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UroToday.com) Flexible ureteroscopy has gained a fair degree of popularity for kidney stone treatment over the years. However, operative times vary quite dramatically depending on the volume of the stone burden that is being treated. In his study, Dr. Frederic Panthier of the Hospital Tenon Department of Urology aimed to develop a 3D tool for calculating the volume of stone burden for purposes of surgical preoperative planning.
For his study, Dr. Panthier utilized a program known as 3DSlicer, a free open-source software for medical image computing (DICOM) and 3D visualization. Specifically, within the 3DSlicer program, Dr. Panthier worked with a tool known as the “Extension Developing Tool,” which helps to create new modules in the 3DSlicer program using Python scripting. He and his team sought to develop an application within 3DSlicer that could interpret a CT scan DICOM series, be able to define a region of interest within a CT scan, detect single or multiple stones and calculate their respective stone densities based on Hounsfield Units (HU), and, finally, allow for 3D visualization of a patient’s stone burden.
Fortunately, Dr. Panthier was able to develop an application in 3DSlicer that was able to achieve this set of criteria, which he named “calculator.” The application allows for the user to define an adjustable region of interest based on axial, sagittal, and coronal views using the pre-existing “Crop Volume” feature in 3DSlicer. From the regions of interest identified, “calculator” is able to define an adjustable segmentation based on thresholds to detect stones. In addition, the “split islands into segments” feature of the “calculator” module was developed by Dr. Panthier to be used in cases when multiple stones are present.
The most impressive capability of this “calculator” module, however, is its ability to calculate stone volumes and the estimated amount of time needed to break up stones during lithotripsy (if the application is provided with some information regarding laser parameters being used).
https://health.ucsd.edu/news/releases/Pages/2019-10-14-new-study-evaluates-hand-held-device-for-nonsurgical-kidney-stone-therapy.aspx
UC San Diego Health has enrolled its first patient to evaluate an investigational hand-held technology to non-invasively fragment painful kidney stones. The clinical trial will assess the safety and effectiveness of breaking up kidney stones using acoustic energy. Unlike traditional shockwave technologies, this next-generation form of lithotripsy uses cyclic pulses of ultrasound to fracture kidney stones at lower pressures and potentially with little to no anesthesia.
Traditional non-invasive treatment for kidney stones is called shock wave lithotripsy. This therapy uses high amplitude shock waves to break up stones. Shock wave lithotripsy often requires the use of x-ray imaging to target the stone, anesthesia, and higher pressures as compared to the Break Wave device. Complications related to these procedures include hematomas, urinary tract injury or obstruction.
“If this study shows that this technology is both safe and effective in fragmenting kidney stones and does so with little to no anesthesia, it could be a game changer for patients,” said Sur who performed the world’s first clinical trial procedure. “While watchful waiting is a good approach for the majority of kidney stones, we are in need of more non-invasive technologies that can treat stones without harming other structures.”
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Researching this atm. Would this affect Stonechecker (SC) in anyway? Still only a study atm so hopefully still early, but noted this is a different type of treatment to the shock wave lithotripsy SC has been programmed for. (if i understand correctly - i.e. AI analysis of CT scans comparing which stones from scan went on to successfully break up using SW Lithotripsy.
e.g. Could Stonechecker be used as is? If it works for SW Lithotripsy... or would a new study be needed analysing which CT scans went on to successfully breakup kidney stones using this new treatment? Presumably a lot cheaper than SWL too.