Smallest, Cheapest Patch Insulin Pump
Infusion pumps that deliver insulin and
other drugs have been getting quite advanced thanks to modern wireless
technology. Yet, many people around the world simply can't afford even existing
pumps.
With this in mind, TouchéMedical, an Israeli firm, is developing a small, cheap, and accurate infusion pump that would be within the budgets of millions of diabetics and people with other diseases treated by drug pumps.
The device has a disposable cartridge that is particularly cheap to manufacture, and a reusable core that contains the actual pump and the electronics to drive it. It includes Bluetooth connectivity to be able to interface it with a smartphone can even send out SMS messages to keep physicians and loved ones informed on how the drugs are being delivered.
Avi Keret of TouchéMedical stresses that he and his inventor son Amir are not reinventing the wheel, rather making it more universally accessible. "Our device gives the same amount of medication as any other pump; it just delivers the drug in a way that allows for a better quality of life," he said.
The device would be especially welcome, he believes, in parts of India and other Asian countries with a rising diabetes rate and a high incidence of thalassemia, a genetic blood disorder often affecting multiple members of the same family. A patch pump is the best solution for administering lifesaving medication continuously, but the high cost forces many of these families to share one device, compromising its effectiveness.
"We'll offer them an alternative," Keret pledges. "People who have or don't have medical insurance will be able to afford it. Children all over the world will be able to use it."
Source: www.medindia.net
30.01.2015
World Leprosy Day 2015
World
Leprosy Day (WLD) is observed on the last Sunday of January each year. This
year it is Sunday 25 January. The idea of WLD was conceived by the French
Humanitarian, Raoul Follereau who played a major role in helping, supporting
and fundraising for people affected with leprosy. Follereau believed that people
affected with leprosy should not be treated as sub-human and should receive the
same care, dignity and quality treatment as any other disease. He also believed
that raising awareness about the facts of leprosy was necessary to create
awareness and reduce the stigma associated with the disease.
This day was chosen to mark the anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's assassination on 30 January 1948. In his lifetime, Gandhi had worked extensively caring for and supporting people with leprosy. Gandhi nursed several affected people at the Sabarmati ashram. He was one of the first leaders to work for leprosy-affected people. To quote Gandhi, "leprosy work is not merely medical relief, it is transforming frustration of life into joy of dedication, personal ambition into selfless service..."
This day is being observed from the past 60 years in order to create and spread awareness of leprosy keeping with the objectives conceived by Raoul Follereau. The idea of a special day to mark leprosy is to make people aware of a disease that is thought to be extinct.
Objectives of
World Leprosy Day
In
2013, 215,656 people were diagnosed with leprosy. There are millions who also
go undiagnosed. According to the WHO statistics, there are 3 million people
worldwide who are disabled as a result of late diagnosis and treatment.
According to the Leprosy Mission Trust India (http://www.tlmindia.org/), 55% of
leprosy cases are in India and there were 127, 000 new cases reported between
2010-11. Leprosy affects the poor and marginalized communities who lack access
to adequate sanitation, healthcare and clean living spaces.
Given the statistics of leprosy, it is necessary to disseminate the right information about the disease and treatment available for a cure.
The
World Health Organization (WHO) partners with governments across the world for
a range of leprosy eradication programmes. The National Leprosy Eradication
Programme (NLEP) is supported by the WHO in its various programmes to create
awareness, provide treatment and rehabilitation and address issues of social
and economic stigma.
30.01.2015
Only he who can see the invisible can do the impossible
Frank Gaines
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