carapace – Not your father's america

April 18, 2013

War Medicine Now Helping Boston Bomb Victims

The bionic legs cost $60,000 a piece, are hydraulically operated and equipped with microchips and a gyroscope…   continue

FROM: LateWire

Statewide Law Enforcement/Mental Health Efforts Strategies to Support and Sustain Local Initiatives

Nationwide, law enforcement agencies in rapidly increasing numbers have embraced specialized policing responses (SPRs) to people with mental illnesses. These efforts, which prioritize treatment over incarceration when appropriate, are planned and implemented in partnership with community service providers and citizens. The two most prevalent SPR approaches are Crisis Intervention Teams and police-mental health co-responder teams. Individual states have responded to the growing need to support SPRs by assigning a public agency or nonprofit the lead role in helping local communities to design, implement, and sustain effective responses to people with mental illnesses. Specifically, state legislatures create the laws that authorize police powers for emergency mental health evaluations and custody. This report describes how statewide coordination efforts are structured in three states: Connecticut, Ohio, and Utah. Additionally, program examples from five other states (Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, and Maine) are discussed.

Source: Bureau of Justice Administration, U.S. Department of Justice

January 14, 2013

Scramble For Vaccine As Flu Season Heats Up

Federal health officials said Friday that there is still some flu vaccine available and it’s not too late to benefit from it … continue

FROM Today in Manufacturing.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

How Consumers Impact Medical Device Innovation

With today’s 21st Century technology, medical device manufacturers are faced with unique trends in meeting consumer needs and global regulatory requirements … continue

FROM Today in Manufacturing

Tuesday, September 18 2012

To test the effectiveness of the drug delivery system, a special gel is used to mimic the behavior of human skin. Here the jet first creates a hole on the surface of the gel, then, at a lower jet pressure, the drug is delivered into the skin. This gel simulation also reveals that there is no splashback from the injection, which is an important patient safety factor. (Credit: Optics Letters)

Millions of injections are given annually, from annual flu shots to childhood immunizations. However, while hypodermic needles deliver controlled, precise injections, the pain they deliver continues to make them unpopular among recipients, especially children. Now, a new laser-based system, being developed by mechanical and aerospace engineers at Seoul National University in South Korea, could painlessly blast microscopic jets of drugs into the skin.

Click here for the full story.

FROM http://www.medicaldesignbriefs.com/component/content/article/14787

Battlefield M.R.I.s

09/17/2012

Magnetic Resonance Imaging machines stateside allow medical staff to get a better look at tissue in the human body, including the brain. The M.R.I. trailer in Kandahar, Afghanistan allows battlefield doctors to traumatic brain injury and its effects on service members on the front lines. Video provided by American Forces Network Afghanistan ———- Disclaimer: The [...]