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medicalofficeequipmentrevie-blog · 5 years

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Top Medical Software - 2019 Reviews

Medical software includes a wide class of systems that manage the clinical and administrative functions of healthcare organizations. Systems have been tailored to automate just about every healthcare process, including billing, patient scheduling, creating and managing patient records, picture/image archiving, prescribing medication and more.

The Patient Dashboard in CareCloud, a modern, cloud-based system

In this guide we discuss the following:

Common Features of Medical Software What Type of Buyer Are You? Benefits of Medical Software Important Considerations Recent Events You Should Know About

Common Features of Medical Software

Electronic medical records

Electronic medical record (EMR) or electronic health record (EHR) software assists in creating and storing digital patient records. Helps track patient notes, demographics, histories and medications. Features include e-prescribing, SOAP notes, E&M coding advice and more. EMRs may also provide

medical lab

integration, device integration, tablet support and voice recognition.

Medical billing

Manages the creation of patient statements and submission of claims. Functions include coding, claim scrubbing, eligibility inquiry, electronic claim submission, payment posting and reporting.

Patient scheduling

Automates the process of scheduling patient visits. Features include automated follow-ups, text message/phone/email reminders and multi-location support. Typically offered with billing in a practice management suite.

Radiology information systems

Manages the operations and workflow of radiology imaging centers. Automates the process of storing, manipulating and distributing patient data and images.

Picture archiving and communications systems

Manages the storage and retrieval of DICOM images (X-rays, CAT scans, MRIs etc.). Often used in conjunction with an RIS to execute the radiology workflow efficiently.

Medical accounting

Automates accounting procedures for healthcare practices. Functions include A/R, A/P, general ledger, financial reporting and more.

Clinic management

Combines practice management software and EMR software to handle the business and practitioner sides of a clinic.

Prescription writing

Helps doctors and practices create, print, record and transmit prescriptions by offering a group of dedicated applications and software add-ons.

Patient engagement

Allows doctors to stay in communication with their patients by providing educational resources and improving patient-provider relationships.

Practice analytics

Tracks data for doctors and practices such as patient intake, revenue cycle, reimbursement rates, and other information to help give an understanding of overall operations.

What Type of Buyer Are You?

Most organizations we speak with are researching and evaluating medical software for one or more of the following reasons:

Transitioning from paper charts to digital records. “It’s raining paper” is the common cry we hear from paper-based practices. These buyers want to cut back on paper, improve office efficiency, reduce errors and run a more effective operation overall.

Replacing outdated software. This is a common scenario we hear from buyers. Their current system—whether it be a homegrown system or from a medical software vendor—is out of date and costly to maintain or update. They want a more modern system that is easier to use, meets federal requirements (e.g., ONC-ATCB certification) or that meets feature/functional needs.

Combining applications into an integrated suite. In many cases these practices have a hodgepodge of disparate applications, and as a result, find themselves doing double data entry and dealing with other inefficient workflows and processes. These organizations invest in integrated medical office management software—that is, integrated EMR, billing and scheduling applications—to centralize all information and functions in one place.

Implementing best-of-breed applications. Conversely, these buyers are focused on applications to address a specific need. Most often, buyers in this category are looking for a stand-alone billing, EMR, RIS or PACS system.

Pursuing federal incentives. Thanks to the HITECH Act of 2009, physicians have been replacing their EHRs or purchasing new ones for the first time to meet federal requirements. In order to qualify for Medicare and Medicaid incentives, physicians—or more accurately, “eligible professionals”—must make “meaningful use” of a certified EHR. The law offered incentives for physicians who complied before 2015, but physicians who still aren’t meeting “meaningful use” standards today face penalties in the form of decreased reimbursements.

We should note that outpatient and inpatient organizations often have different feature/functional requirements. For example, inpatient care provider centers such as hospitals will require systems to support bed management, UB-04 billing and potentially long-term patient stays. Meanwhile, ambulatory care providers such as primary care physicians and specialists will share common feature requirements to support “walk-in/walk-out” care.

Practices looking to integrate business intelligence tools into their existing medical solutions might be interested in healthcare BI software.

Benefits of Medical Software

The general benefits of any medical system are improved quality of patient care, increased operational efficiency and improved practice profitability. These benefits are created by different applications and impact organizations in different ways.

For example:

The automation of back-office operations streamlines administrative tasks associated with patient encounters, which may enable providers to spend more time with patients and hire fewer staff.

More accurate documentation of these encounters and a more organized claims submission process can lead to improved collections.

Automated alerts prompt providers with potential issues or risks, while automated reminders help patients return to the office when necessary, improving quality of care.

In addition to these general benefits, the major applications found in medical software each provide a host of specific benefits. For example, in 2014 we surveyed physicians about the benefits of electronic health records. They cited “easy access to records,” “more robust/legible records” and “drug interaction alerts” as the top advantages of using an EHR.

Important Considerations

Integrated suite vs. best-of-breed. When selecting a system, buyers will have the choice of implementing different applications for specific tasks, or a complete suite of tools to address all their needs. The key decision that most providers will need to make is whether to implement a standalone electronic medical records (EMR) system or replace an existing practice management system with a complete system. We hear from many buyers facing this decision as practice management systems have been ubiquitous since the 1990s and EMRs are increasing in adoption, primarily due to the HITECH Act.

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). The trend toward cloud computing is impacting many industries, and healthcare is certainly one of them. Web-based, or SaaS, software offers several advantages such as lower upfront costs, reduced IT and support costs, remote accessibility and more. However, practices in rural settings may not have access to the broadband Internet necessary to efficiently run Web-based software. Moreover, Web-based systems may not support all the feature/functional needs of some practices with unique requirements.

Mobile EHR Software. Going hand-in-hand with SaaS, healthcare providers are finding themselves increasingly on the go and accessing systems from multiple offices, home and mobile devices. Tablet (e.g., iPad) and smartphone support, including iPhones and Android phones, is increasingly common. If you will be accessing your software primarily from a mobile device, we suggest choosing a vendor that has developed a native app for your device, such as MediTouch’s iPad EMR.

ONC-ATCB certification. As most healthcare professionals are aware, the HITECH Act of 2009 requires the use of electronic medical records systems by 2015. Eligible professionals can subsequently qualify for up to $44,000 through the Medicare EHR Incentive Program or up to $63,750 through the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program. To qualify, they will need to demonstrate “meaningful use” of one of the ONC-ATCB certified EMRs.

Recent Events You Should Know About

Epic partners with BI software vendor Tableau. In February 2016, Tableau software announced a “technology agreement” with Epic. This deal gives Epic’s medical software users greater access to analytics tools. For example, any dashboards created on Tableau will be integrated in Epic’s EHR.

Vendor Aprima acquires EHR reseller Healthcare Data Solutions. The deal, which was announced in January 2017, means Aprima will now service Healthcare Data Solutions’ customer base of 300 providers in 125 practices across the U.S.

McKesson plans to buy CoverMyMeds. In January 2017, McKesson Corp. announced it will be paying $1.1 billion for CoverMyMeds, a company that automates the process of prior authorization for pharmacies, providers, drugmakers and payers. The deal is expected to close before July 2018. CoverMyMeds is expected to keep operating as an independent business unit under its current leadership team.

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swifterm · 3 years

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Top 10 Courier Companies in the USA and Canada

The growth of courier industry in the USA is directly proportional to the growth of economic progress of the country. One of the first courier companies in the USA was Wells Fargo in 1852 which operated in the unorganised sector.

Much water has flown through Mississippi and Missouri since then. The courier industry in the USA stands at 109 billion $ in 2019 growing at a rate of around 5% since last six years.

It is expected to grow up to a whopping 400 billion $ in the next 4 to 5 years at a compounded growth rate of 8% on a conservative estimate.

The Courier Companies List

10. Pace Couriers

Based at Alabama, their office is operational 24 x 7. The company has a chain of ground transportation logistics system which is customised depending upon the client’s needs. The channel logistics team of the organisation works in perfect tandem with the client team for optimum output and deliveries.

The main focus of the courier is now into servicing the retail trade as retail is very fast becoming an important area of growth in USA.

Very recently it has inaugurated a 16000 square feet warehouse at North Carolina. Pace already has undertaken a CSR initiative called Pace Foundation to serve the larger community.

https://pacecourierservice.com

9. Transportes Pitic

The organization was formed in 1973 at Mexico and has a concrete presence in transportation and distribution since then. An excellent shipping process coupled with punctual deliveries and very well managed logistics management has earned the company a great affinity amongst its clients and the industry.

The company mainly services retail, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, manufacturing and automotive industry.

Transportes Pitic also has undertaken a massive CSR campaign to serve the community in its areas of operation.

https://www.transportespitic.com

8. Spee Dee Delivery Service

Two main strategies that the Minnesota based courier company epitomises are speed and pricing both of which are very important factors today. It has got extraordinary ground delivery services with focus in Midwest of the country.

In some cases the deliveries are completed the next day itself. The company claims that with their smaller operational ambit they perform and deliver better than the usual big players in the industry.

The rates offered are very competitive and the services are tailor made according to the client’s requirement.

As a market penetration strategy, the company offers less than truckload delivery, on call pick-up and pick-up tag service which is unique in their respective aspects.

https://speedeedelivery.com

7. Dicom Canada

Established in 1968 and operating from Montreal, Dicom is one of the largest couriers in North America. The company has been acquired by General Logistics system in 2018.

The client’s list includes small organizations as well as Fortune 500 companies. The company fleet operates cross border from Canada to the US and vice versa with full truckload and less than full truckload consignments.

Undoubtedly the sheet anchor of the company is the Regional Parcel Service famed nationally for its speed, precision, reliability and punctuality.

The tools that Dicom offers to its clients are smart 4 tracking, near perfect rate estimates and transit time calculator.

https://www.dicom.com/en/dicom/corp/home

6. LaserShip Inc

Established in 1986 with headquarters in Virginia, LaserShip specialises in picking up from the hub to the final destination of the consignment.

Focussing mainly in the Midwest and the Eastern parts of the country, LaserShip handles Amazon deliveries and in some cases, same day delivery. In 2018 the company was acquired by Green Briar Equity Group.

The courier has received certificates of appreciation and of full compliance from the ISCPO, the parent organisation of logistics management corporations in the USA .

The company is one of the best service providers in the e commerce segment and offers tailor made logistics for its esteemed clients.

https://lasership.com

5. TFI International

Established about 50 years back in Montreal, TFI is one of Canada’s largest couriers with a huge fleet of trucks. TFI’s US operations are also very big now possessing a massive fleet of more than 12000 trucks.

Over the years it has been making acquisitions and in 2010 took over Dallas based Dynamex thereby increasing its turnover manifold.

TFI has multiple divisions under its broad segments like truckloads, LTL, Package and courier, container transport and specialised services division operating in the energy sector with leading clientele.

https://tfiintl.com/en/

4. OnTrac Inc.

Founded in 1991 and operating from Arizona, OnTrac targets the smaller businesses for its highly competitive rates and the services which is as good as professionally managed larger courier companies. Their shipping hub is also based at Tennessee.

The company also provides overnight delivery at very economical rates in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, California, Utah, and Colorado apart from Arizona.

The company is family owned and therefore it has a distinct advantage of delivering personalised touch in its operations.

OnTrac clientele include a host of essential service providers, schools , colleges, Churches and fibre to the home companies, or FTTH companies.

https://on-trac.co.uk

3. Purolator

Headquartered in Ontario, Canada and established in 1967, the brand name is actually an abbreviation of the word “pure oil later” although it is now a purely courier company. Purolator has a business tie up with UPS for deliveries outside Canada.

The Ontario based specialised cargo airline, Cargojet operates large bodied Boeing fleet for Purolator. The company has an enviable team of ground and air logistics with nearly 100% success rate of systematic and punctual deliveries along with service.

Purolator has activated “ Purotouch Advantage ”whereby each of its client gets tailor made customized service with long and short term solutions of its issues if any.

https://www.purolator.com/en

2. FedEx

One of the largest express delivery services companies globally, FedEx originally known as Federal Express is operating in 220 countries globally maintaining punctuality, along with exemplary service.

Unmatched services along with logistics management, reliability coupled with superior transportation infrastructure gives FedEx the cutting edge in handling almost 4 million shipments daily. Headquartered at Brussels, the main hub of FedEx is at the De Gaulle international airport, Paris .

The 50 + aircrafts fleet like Boeing 777, Airbus , McDonnell Douglas and 757 touchdown in at least 45 airports almost daily.

FedEx tracking is so meticulous and prompt that it is the second most popular service after delivery.

https://www.fedex.com

1.UPS

United Parcel Service as the company is also known, is an American transnational corporation based at Georgia. The forerunner to UPS was American Messenger Company formed in 1907.

After much changes the company was renamed United Parcel Service in 1919.During the course of all these years UPS has acquired a host of courier companies like TNT Express, Lynx Express etc.

It has a host of subsidiaries under it some of them being leaders in their own domain like UPS Stores, UPS Airways, UPS Capital, UPS Logistics, UPS i- Parcel etc.

Last year UPS has got the approval of FAA the US Government Authority on aviation to fly drones for delivering health care commodities which is a milestone and a path breaking achievement for the courier giant.

https://www.ups.com/

We hope you enjoyed this article, intended to help improve our client’s profitability. It reflects the care SwiftERM offer. If you haven’t already done so, then please enjoy a FREE month’s trial and let us know what you think.

#ecommerce USA delivery retail marketing

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un-enfant-immature · 4 years

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Healthcare startup Lyfebin exposed medical images

Healthcare startup Lyfebin exposed thousands of medical imaging files, such as X-rays, MRI scans, and ultrasounds.

The Los Angeles-based healthcare startup allows doctors and medical staff to store medical images in its “secure environment,” per its website, allowing patients and doctors access from anywhere.

But the files were found stored in an unprotected Amazon Web Services (AWS) storage bucket, without a password, allowing anyone who knew the easy-to-guess web address access to the data.

The files were dated between September 2018 to October 2019.

After we reached out to warn of the security lapse, Lyfebin secured the data.

The storage bucket contained more than 93,000 files — many appeared to be duplicates — containing medical scans. The files were stored in the DICOM format, a common file type used by medical imaging equipment. When opened, DICOM files contain the images from the scan as well as other metadata, such as the patient’s date of birth and the name of the physician.

When asked, Lyfebin wouldn’t say how many individual patients were affected. Instead, an unnamed company spokesperson claimed that the bucket was a “test environment where we use fake accounts and fake patient accounts to test out new features,” but provided no evidence to support the claim. (We asked several times for the spokesperson’s name, but the company representative stopped returning our emails.)

One of the scans found in the exposed storage bucket.

“When we ingest patient information into our servers, we remove all identifying information,” the unnamed spokesperson said. “No patient information has been exposed,” they added.

Many of the files appeared to be anonymized to some degree, though we found evidence of some potentially identifiable information — including physician names and the patient’s gender and date-of-birth, even if the patient’s name had been scrambled from the file’s cover sheet.

One file we examined still contained a name. The file had enough identifiable information to allow us to search for the person using public records. When reached, the person could not recall the specific date of their scan.

When asked to clarify, the unnamed spokesperson repeated the claim that the data contained “fake patient information,” then threatened TechCrunch with legal action.

“If published, our legal team will review your article for any inaccuracies and will sue with the highest extent of the law for any malfeasance by you or TechCrunch,” the spokesperson said.

Lyfebin did not answer our other questions, including how long the bucket was exposed. The company would not say if the company plans to inform customers of the security lapse, nor would it say if it planned to disclose the incident to local authorities per state data breach notification laws.

Over 750,000 applications for US birth certificate copies exposed online

Sprint contractor left thousands of US cell phone bills exposed

Tuft & Needle exposed thousands of customer shipping labels

StockX was hacked, exposing millions of customers’ data

Stop saying, ‘We take your privacy and security seriously’

#TechCrunch

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freedicomviewer · 4 years

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The program gives students a number of choices to explore their interest in the sciences of health imaging. Such programs may provide you with the opportunity to specialize in invasive or non-invasive cardiovascular technology. To turn into a health imaging technician, you should finish a training program that causes a certificate, an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree. The education necessary for a career in DICOM medical imaging data Mac is related to the particular field of health imaging that you enter.

#dicom medical imaging #DCM viewer #dicom viewer #online dicom viewer #free cloud storage

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technicaldr · 4 years

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Challenges and methods for securing Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS)

Medical data is a valuable commodity for identity theft. Despite HIPAA privacy rules being in effect for more than two decades, millions of health records, including images, have been stored on unsecured servers by healthcare provider officers across the United States.

A ProPublica investigation revealed that 187 servers in the U.S. with medical records such as X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, for instance, are findable with a simple online search. One imaging system had open internet access to patients’ echocardiograms, which were minimally secured.

While securing Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) can be challenging, in part, because of the need for multiple providers to access the same data, the images stored in PACS are Protected Health Information (PHI) and must be kept private in accordance to HIPAA rules.

To address this issue, in September 2019 the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released new draft guidelines to secure PACS, Special Publication 1800-24C - Securing Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS).

The Challenges of Securing PACS

Over the past decade, healthcare images have shifted from hard copy to mostly digital. These digital images are easier to share, speeding up the diagnosis time.

Of course, the fact that healthcare images can now be uploaded, shared on personal mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, and stored digitally, also makes them a target for cybercriminals.

PACS also interact with multiple other systems: electronic health records, regulatory registries hospital information systems, and even government, academic, and commercial archives. This creates plenty of potential security gaps for cybercriminals to lurk and steal this data.

Here are the most common challenges in securing PACS:

Monitoring and controlling internal user accounts and identifying outliers in behavior (e.g., large number of downloads in a small period of time)

Controlling and monitoring access by external users

Enforcing least privilege and separation-of-duties policies for internal and external users

Ensuring data integrity of the images

Securing and monitoring connections to the system

Securing and monitoring connections to and from systems outside of the in-house system

Providing security, data protection, and access management without affecting productivity and system performance

As you can see, these are common cybersecurity challenges. The draft PACS security guidelines are adapted from the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. While the challenge of securing medical images is real, this is a framework that any HIPAA-covered entity can use to help secure their PACS.

A Security Architecture for PACS

Using commercially available products, NIST created a reference network architecture. It provides an example for healthcare providers to separate their networks into zones to decrease cross-network access and, thus, risk.

The NIST SP 1800-24C guidelines are just that: guidelines. Information technology professionals need to adapt the architecture and framework guidance to their particular organization’s IT stack and security goals.

To mitigate risks, the NIST practice guide’s reference architecture includes technical and process controls to implement. They are:

A defense-in-depth solution, including network zoning that allows for more granular control of network traffic flows and limits communications capabilities to the minimum necessary to support business function

Access control mechanisms that include multi-factor authentication for care providers, certificate-based authentication for imaging devices and clinical systems, and mechanisms that limit vendor remote support to medical imaging components

A holistic risk management approach that includes medical device asset management, augmenting enterprise security controls and leveraging behavioral analytic tools for near real-time threat and vulnerability management in conjunction with managed security solution providers

NIST Cybersecurity Guidance also recommends a thorough cybersecurity risk assessment to identify areas of weakness and to help determine how to optimize your network for cybersecurity.

Recommended capabilities for a secure PACS environment include:

Role-based access control

Authentication

Network access control

Endpoint protection

Network and communication protection

Micro-segmentation

Behavioral analytics

Tools that use cyber threat intelligence

Anti-malware

Data security

Segregation of duties

Restoration and recoverability

Cloud storage

The Importance of User Training

While not included in this particular NIST publication, it is always good to remember that user training is critical to the success of any cybersecurity initiative. Many Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) images are shared via mobile devices.

Password protections are also important, as is understanding HIPAA compliance involving social media and basic HIPAA security procedures.

PACS do enable better patient outcomes, but they are a potential target for cybercriminals. Following the guidance from NIST, healthcare organizations can help ensure the continued privacy of their patients’ protected health information.

Technical Dr. Inc.'s insight:

Contact Details :

[email protected] or 877-910-0004 www.technicaldr.com

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healthybones · 5 years

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DASH To Perform Knee Replacement Surgeries

Apparently, doctors at Breach Candy hospital in Mumbai have enforced a brand new system that uses associate degree iPod bit with a software system referred to as DASH to perform knee replacement surgeries.

We have been hearing regarding iOS handhelds getting used in education/attention for someday currently and here may be a professional usage of a similar. The last time I hunted knowledgeable app on the App Store, it had been a DICOM viewer to show some tomography scans quickly. However, regarding victimization the iPod bit to perform an excellent advanced surgery?

We would spare you the deep technical workings of this setup (though the demo video below will enough), however merely place in numbers, there’s a 601% rise projected (from 2005-2030, in step with reports cited) in corrective knee replacement surgery in the United States. And as several as five-hundredths of those happen because of reasons like arrangement and loosening. Victimization exactitude tools will bring down these numbers drastically and at a similar time, cut back the operational time.

According to Dr Arun Mullaji all WHO demoed the technology to the United States, the intuitive iPod bit operation saves the necessity for significant computers and a lot of significantly the educational curve/certification needed by doctors. And raise him why not the iPad, he shoots back with ‘it’s like taking an image from the iPad camera’. Breach Candy has performed three successful surgeries victimization this technology.

The system is developed by BrainLab (Smith & kinsman Dash sensible Instrument system), you’ll strive the demo app that is free on the App Store referred to as “DASH Learn “. The hardware includes a cerium certification for Europe and awaits approval on the United States.

#DASH #Knee Replacement Surgeries

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alicecpacheco · 5 years

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LED Medical Diagnostics Announces Corporate Name Change to Reflect Its Evolving Digital Dental Imaging Business

Vancouver, British Columbia, August 28, 2019 — LED Medical Diagnostics Inc. (“LED” or the “Company”) (TSXV: LMD) has announced that it is changing its corporate name to Apteryx Imaging Inc. effective September 3, 2019, leveraging the longstanding reputation and brand equity of its wholly-owned subsidiary Apteryx, Inc.

“The Apteryx Imaging brand underscores our continued commitment to our guiding principal, which is the development and sale of open-architected imaging software systems and device solutions that provide dentists and specialists the freedom to choose device technologies that work best for their individual practice, regardless of brand or manufacturer,” commented Apteryx CEO Dr. David Gane. “Our digital workflow solutions are unique in that they mirror the medical imaging model, which relies on the universal DICOM standard to facilitate image exchange, communication and device interoperability between manufacturers, rather than the closed proprietary systems that dominate the current dental market space.”

Dr. Gane continued, “We have evolved from a single product device manufacturer with the market- leading VELscope Vx oral screening system, to a digital image software platform and device manufacturer. We feel that the adoption of such a well-established dental imaging brand, Apteryx Imaging, more closely reflects our uniqueness and commitment to be the leading innovator of open- architecture imaging software through our XrayVision brand family, along with continuing to develop high-value digital imaging and oral screening devices, including our TUXEDO Intraoral Sensor and award- winning VELscope system.”

Apteryx Imaging’s core product lines include XrayVision and XVWeb imaging software, TUXEDO Intraoral Sensors and the VELscope Vx Oral Screening System. XrayVision is the industry’s leading open- architecture imaging software platform, with over 90,000 licenses issued to customers, including the United States Army, the United States Navy and many of the nation’s largest Dental Support Organizations (DSOs). XVWeb cloud imaging recently received the Cellerant “Best of Class” Technology Award for imaging software, while the VELscope Vx is the most awarded adjunctive oral screening device on the market today, receiving over 15 industry awards since its launch in 2011.

“The Apteryx brand has a rich history in imaging technologies, which allows us to consolidate our product brands under one all-encompassing corporate identity,” concluded Chris Koch, director of marketing for Apteryx Imaging. “We are excited about this new direction that embraces our corporate

vision moving forward while respecting the history of LED and the VELscope product that launched our company many years ago.”

As part of the change from LED Medical Diagnostics to Apteryx Imaging, Apteryx Imaging will be updating their stock ticker on the TSX Venture Exchange from LMD to XRAY effective at market open on September 3, 2019. Updates to the Company’s tickers for the OTCQB and Frankfurt stock exchanges are also in process and will be announced as soon as the change is approved by these two entities. Apteryx Imaging will maintain its existing offices in Vancouver, BC, Akron, OH and Atlanta, GA. The new CUSIP number is 03836P108. Shareholders are not required to exchange their existing share certificates for new certificates.

Apteryx Imaging will be exhibiting at the American Dental Association/FDI World Dental Congress, September 4-8, 2019 in San Francisco, CA. For more information on Apteryx Imaging, please visit www.apteryx.com or call 877-APTERYX.

About Apteryx Imaging, Inc.

Apteryx Imaging has provided dentists and oral health specialists with advanced diagnostic imaging software and device technologies for over 20 years. Our proprietary technologies include XrayVision, XVWeb and XrayVision DCV imaging software solutions, the VELscope Vx Enhanced Oral Assessment and TUXEDO Intraoral Sensors.

Backed by an experienced leadership team and dedicated to a higher level of service and support, Apteryx Imaging is committed to providing dental practitioners with the best technology available by identifying and adding leading products to its growing portfolio. The Company is currently listed on the TSXV under the symbol XRAY, the OTCQB under the symbol LEDIF, as well as the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol LME.

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coin-river-blog · 5 years

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News

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro has announced that the price of the petro, his country’s national “cryptocurrency,” has been increased from 3,600 sovereign bolivars to 9,000. While the wallet for the petro is still unavailable, the Venezuelan government continues to sell the digital currency and issue certificates of purchase to buyers.

Also read: Indian Supreme Court Moves Crypto Hearing, Community Calls for Positive Regulations

Price Hike for Petro

Maduro announced on state television on Thursday the price increase of the petro, Venezuela’s so-called national “cryptocurrency,” effective on Friday. The announcement was made at the same time he ordered a 150 percent increase in the country’s monthly minimum wage, the sixth rate hike this year. Bloomberg wrote on Thursday:

The price for the petro cryptocurrency will rise from 3,600 sovereign bolivars [Bs.s] to 9,000.

Previously, Maduro announced that 1 petro was worth 3,600 sovereign bolivars.

In August, Maduro linked the price of the petro to the sovereign bolivar (bolívar soberano), the main currency of Venezuela since Aug. 20. “Each petro, as the anchor point of the sovereign bolívar, will have a value of 3,600 Bs.s,” he announced at the time.

Following Maduro’s Thursday announcement, Venezuelan economist Leonardo Buniak explained that the petro “was worth 3,600 Bs.s because the Dicom dollar cost 60 and the oil cost 60,” Atodomomento publication reported. He added, “now a petro is decreed at 9,000 Bs.s … you have just devalued the sovereign bolivar with respect to the petro and by more than 100%,” elaborating:

Anchoring the bolivar to the petro is anchoring it to nothing.

Lacking Crypto Traits

Buniak also asserted that “the petro cannot be called a cryptocurrency because the value was given by President Maduro and not the interaction between supply and demand,” the publication conveyed. He detailed:

When the president decrees that a petro is worth 9,000 Bs.s, what he is saying is that the petro is not a cryptocurrency but a debt title that is predetermined, [which] cannot be mined. It is impossible to think that it is a cryptocurrency when its value is not given by the interaction between supply and demand.

Furthermore, the wallet for the petro is still unavailable. The links to download them for Windows and Linux still pop up the message: “This wallet will soon be available for your operating system.” In addition, Tarek El Aissami, the country’s economic minister and former vice president, previously explained that Google has removed the Android app for the petro wallet from the Google Play store.

The Petro code is also not available to the public, so independent confirmation of its existence or functionality is impossible. There are also no published charts or data showing the health of the Petro network, such as network activity, confirmation times, transaction throughput, mining hashrate, or other basic cryptocurrency statistics.

The Venezuelan government’s own block explorer for the petro currently shows a total of 3,138 blocks despite the Petro whitepaper’s description of one block per minute.

A Venezuelan government official holding her petro certificate.

Despite the petro’s lack of cryptocurrency traits, Sunacrip, the regulator in charge of all crypto activities in Venezuela, has been selling the digital currency at its headquarters since the end of October. Buyers are issued certificates of purchase after completing know-your-customer (KYC) verification involving fingerprinting.

Meanwhile, Maduro announced on Nov. 26 during a meeting with his cabinet of ministers that “tourism zones will be created in which services will be paid in international cryptocurrencies, in the petro government cryptocurrency and in international currencies,” El Nacional reported.

What do you think of Maduro raising the price of the petro against the sovereign bolivar? Let us know in the comments section below.

Images courtesy of Shutterstock and the Venezuelan government.

Need to calculate your bitcoin holdings? Check our tools section.

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cybernetmanufacturing · 7 years

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A Brief Introduction to Medical Grade Monitors

Radiologists, surgeons, medical physicians, and information technology specialists routinely rely on medical monitors for diagnostic, surgery, and treatment purposes. In medical imaging diagnostics, the human is the “brain,” but the medical imaging monitor is the “eyes.”

Medical professionals require medical grade monitors for an accurate and consistent performance of the medical image display system. Too much is at stake in a system where sub-par technology or inaccurate calibration can result in misdiagnosis. So, adequate medical monitors are the key element of the medical image viewing platform powering modern hospitals.

There is a wide availability of IT solutions from consumer grade to high-end medical grade gray-scale or color monitors to meet the demands of any hospital department. However, not every solution can provide the quality of the medical image displayed on the monitor that would be adequate for diagnostic purposes. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for all medical imaging purposes. That is why decision-makers need to involve the IT department and members of the care team working with medical images when selecting medical monitors.

LCD Technologies Used in Modern Monitors

TN Panel: Twisted Nematic (TN) is the oldest and the most common panel type. It is also cheap because it is easy to manufacture – you can see them in low-end monitors and laptops. Its strongest point is the fast response time. When coupled with a LED backlighting, TN monitors are energy-efficient and provide high brightness. However, the color distortions at moderate to wide viewing angles results in low quality of the image, and low accuracy.

IPS Panel: In-Plane Switching monitors reproduce colors noticeably better than TN. IPS also offers better readability and color stability at extreme viewing angles. However, IPS panels have a lower light transmittance than Vertical Alignment monitors. With the advent of S-IPS (Super-IPS), the response time and contrast have improved. IPS also allows for color calibration.

VA Panel: Vertical Alignment (VA) is the technology that combines the advantages of the above two, offering better light and color transmittance. Yet, the contrast is poor at extreme viewing angles.

MVA Panel: Multi-Domain Vertical Alignment (MVA) is a combination of a VA panel and a compensation film. It offers excellent image quality at extreme viewing angles, and a fast response time surpassing that of the IPS monitors. MVA also offers better blacks and contrast than IPS or TN monitors. The color reproduction of an MVA monitor is better than that of the TN. MVA medical monitors combine high quality with affordable price – a perfect fit for clinical review purposes.

AFFS Panel: Advanced Fringe Field Switching (AFFS) offers superior performance, color reproduction and high luminosity, minimum color distortion at extreme viewing angles and great white/gray reproduction. AFFS is used in high-end panels in commercial aircraft displays mounted in cockpits. Later it evolved into HFFS (High-Transmittance Fringe Field Switching) and AFFS+ with enhanced readability on outdoor environments. The most expensive type.

The choice of panel is crucial. It determines whether the monitor is:

good at reproducing colors (for the ultimate accuracy of your diagnostic images)

responsive and fast (very important if the medical monitor is used during surgeries)

Of note are the calibration capabilities of the monitor. Calibration allows you to use professional graphics monitors for diagnostic interpretation if basic calibration and set up guidelines are followed. Higher resolution monitors do not necessarily translate into superior diagnostic quality if calibration and set up guidelines are not followed. Irrespective of the monitor type, it must be regularly checked for calibration conformance using a centralized monitoring system.

Types of Medical Monitors

When selecting medical monitors, you need to have a clear idea of your intended use and requirements that stem from it. You can not buy the same monitors for all your departments. A healthcare facility needs a reasonable combination of medical monitors that meet the specific requirements of each department.

Depending on the intended use, the medical monitors differ in properties. The differences in properties – and prices – are significant.

Surgery Room – Surgical Grade Medical Monitor

Used by surgeons, these medical monitors require fast response time as surgeons rely on them to view movements of the instruments and the state of the tissue during surgery. Perfect readability at extreme viewing angles is a must, so an antiglare film is needed.

The surgical grade medical monitors call for 300-500 nits brightness. Other critical requirements stem from the sterile environment in the operating rooms and the number of peripherals and devices that must be connected to the monitor.

Hence, surgical grade medical monitors must have an antimicrobial coating to prevent the spread of germs in the OR. IP65 rating (waterproof casing, sealed bezels) is also a must-have feature, as these monitors must be able to withstand:

CDC-mandated disinfection with liquid chemical solutions

accidental spills and splashes (medication, blood)

Additionally, surgical grade medical monitors must support multiple video modes, such as picture-in-picture, and dual screen mode. To connect various peripherals such as cameras and other vitals tracking that the surgeon needs on one screen, surgical grade medical monitors require a selection of ports that would accommodate the required devices (HDMI, DP, DVI-I, SDI, Composite, RS323, USB).

Radiology – Diagnostic-Grade Medical Monitor

Radiologists need the highest possible color reproduction, and contrast alongside DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine standard) certification, especially the grayscale build as these are used to review X-Ray images. The requirements for these monitors are most stringent. They must reproduce color in its smallest variations, true blacks, and grays. Diagnostic-grade medical monitors require excellent image uniformity and high brightness to reproduce images at 800+ nits.

Clinical Review – Medical Touchscreen Monitor

Many medical specialists need a secondary display for PACS quality control or modality viewing. The primary monitors are used by medical practitioners to interpret images for billing and reports that other doctors use to make the healthcare decisions. The secondary monitors are multipurpose and are used for more than just viewing medical images. Secondary medical monitors serve for patient edutainment purposes, office work, review by surgeons and clinicians, PACS quality assurance and image acquisition.

Even though primary monitors are at the forefront, secondary monitors can not be consumer grade because the consistent quality and efficiency of the imaging chain rely on:

quality of image acquisition

efficiency of the IT solution used for secondary display purposes

interpretation quality assurance

reliable and accurate reproducibility of a medical image at each stage (primary and secondary medical monitor)

Physicians relying on medical monitors for clinical review require a touch screen that is not only accurate and medical-grade, but also multipurpose and can be used for electronic documentation, EHR, patient edutainment. The touchscreen is ideal as it eliminates the need for peripherals (keyboard, mouse) and is ergonomic for settings where you need to limit the wire clutter to ensure patient safety.

The clinical review monitor does not call for a DICOM certification. Instead, it needs the antimicrobial coating to cap the spread of germs, and waterproof bezels to withstand disinfection with liquid solutions.

In many cases, clinical review monitors call for the antiglare coating to enhance viewing from extreme angles and in different lighting conditions.

Final Words

Medical practitioners must be working with medical grade monitors – no less. When screening vendors, take into account the following criteria:

Panel type: image quality, color stability at different viewing angles, response time, calibration options, quality assurance. Consider if there is a need for an anti-glare coating.

Touchscreen/no touchscreen: to use with or without keyboard and mouse if there is a requirement to remove wire clutter.

Certifications: DICOM, CDC, IP, 60601-1, etc.

Safety for near-patient use and use in sterile environments: antimicrobial coating, waterproof build.

Ports: ample selection of ports to connect required devices and peripherals.

Mounting: VESA, desktop, medical cart.

Cost considerations tend to guide monitor selection, but it is important to remember that medical grade monitors end up having a lower Total Cost of Ownership than consumer-grade ones due to low failure rate (less than 2% with Cybernet monitors), MIL-STD components, long lifecycle and 3-5-year warranty. In other words, they last significantly longer, and while they last – they give you the peace of mind as you rest assured of the reproducible quality and accuracy of your medical images.

#Medical Grade Computers #medical monitors #medical imaging #medical grade monitors

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