RaySearch Laboratories AB (publ) announces that La Clinique Generale-Beaulieu, a part of Swiss Medical Network in Switzerland, is the first center in the world to treat a patient using the Accuray CyberKnife radiation treatment delivery system with RaySearch treatment planning system RayStation and oncology information system RayCare.

The first treatment was successfully carried out on May 4, 2022. The clinic is equipped with RaySearch’s RayCare 5A and RayStation 11A and the CyberKnife M6TM Robotic Radiosurgery System is connected to Accuray’s iDMS Data Management System.

La Clinique Generale-Beaulieu has been using RayCare and RayStation for more than a year. Step by step the systems have been implemented and integrated into daily operations and today the clinic manages all aspects of the treatment, for all their machines, through RaySearch software. This gives a comprehensive picture of the patients’ treatments while taking advantage of RayCare efficiency for all patients.

Swiss Medical Network is one of Switzerland’s two largest groups of private clinics. Within the network all types of cancers are treated, using cutting-edge technology and complex treatment methods. In 2019, as the first hospital in the world, Swiss Medical Network signed a multi-system, multi-clinic agreement for the purchase of Accuray radiation therapy delivery systems as well as RaySearch’s treatment planning system and oncology information system.

Professor Oscar Matzinger, medical director of radiation oncology at Swiss Medical Network, says: “We are happy to announce that we have successfully treated our first patient using RayStation and RayCare with a CyberKnife machine. In partnership with RaySearch and Accuray we are now closing the loop regarding treatment delivery, using only RaySearch software for both CyberKnife and Radixact machines.”

Johan Lof, founder and CEO, RaySearch, says: “We are very pleased to hear that the first treatment with CyberKnife and RayCare has been successfully carried out at this world-class center. It is an important proof of concept that a clinic can use RayCare as the sole oncology information system together with Accuray machines. This makes the achievement of significant value not only for our mutual collaboration with Swiss Medical Network but also for potential collaborations with other clinics around the world with a similar machine set-up and, above all, for patients in need of radiotherapy treatment.”

About Swiss Medical Network
Swiss Medical Network is one of the two leading Swiss groups of private clinics. Established in the three linguistic regions of Switzerland the clinics offer first-class hospital care to both Swiss and international patients. Swiss Medical Network consists of 23 clinics, 46 ambulatory centers and 15 competence centers spread over 15 Swiss cantons and has highly qualified specialists in all medical fields.

About RaySearch
RaySearch Laboratories AB (publ) is a medical technology company that develops innovative software solutions for improved cancer treatment. RaySearch markets the RayStation treatment planning system (TPS) and the oncology information system (OIS) RayCare. The most recent additions to the RaySearch product line are RayIntelligence and RayCommand. RayIntelligence is an oncology analytics system (OAS) which enables cancer clinics to collect, structure and analyze data. RayCommand, a treatment control system (TCS), is designed to link the treatment machine and the treatment planning and oncology information systems.

RaySearch software is used by over 800 clinics in more than 40 countries. The company was founded in 2000 as a spin-off from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and the share has been listed on Nasdaq Stockholm since 2003. More information is available at raysearchlabs.com.

About RayStation
RayStation is a flexible, innovative treatment planning system, chosen by many leading cancer centers worldwide. It combines unique features such as unmatched adaptive therapy capabilities, multi-criteria optimization, market-leading algorithms for treatment plan optimization for HDR brachytherapy and external beam therapy with photons, electrons, and protons, as well as helium and carbon ions. RayStation supports a wide range of treatment machines, providing one control center for all treatment planning needs and ensuring centers get greater value from existing equipment. RayStation also seamlessly integrates with RayCare. By harmonizing the treatment planning, the care of cancer patients worldwide is improved.

About RayCare
The RayCare oncology information system (OIS) is designed to support the many complex logistical challenges faced by oncology clinics. RayCare is closely integrated with RayStation and provides seamless access to all the powerful planning tools in RayStation and RayCommand. The system efficiently coordinates activities in radiation therapy and offers advanced features for clinical workflow automation, and adaptive radiation therapy. RayCare responds to the demand from clinics for a more user-friendly and workflow-oriented information system that can support the cancer care of the future.

Everside Health, LLC, a leading national direct primary care provider, today announced the launch of TotalRx by Everside Health (TotalRx), a comprehensive prescription solution service offering affordable access to prescription medications and personalized consultations. TotalRx enables large companies, labor unions, school systems, municipalities and other employers to offer a comprehensive formulary for their workforces, including affordable access to generic, brand and specialty drugs; convenient and flexible distribution; direct-to-patient education through clinical pharmacists; and advanced analytics. On average, the TotalRx program saves patients over $150 per year on prescription medication and employers 15% annually on medication costs.

Chris Miller, CEO of Everside Health, said, “With the U.S. spending more than $1,125 per person on prescribed medicines per year, per capita, and with more than three in four adults agreeing that prescription drugs are unaffordable, we knew something had to be done. We created TotalRx as a holistic, affordable solution that improves patient health by making medication adherence easier at every stage of the process.”

Details of the TotalRx program include:

More affordable prescriptions: Unlike similar industry offerings that utilize average wholesale pricing, TotalRx is based on lowest net cost for brand, generic and specialty prescriptions, irrespective of how members receive their medication. Importantly, employers are only billed when medications are dispensed, not when they are stocked in health centers.
Convenient and flexible distribution: Patients can access to their medications by their preferred method, whether onsite at an Everside Health center, through home delivery or from a network of select retail pharmacies.
Direct-to-patient education: Members with complex prescription needs can access virtual consultations with a clinical pharmacist, who also coordinates any recommended prescription changes with the prescribing provider, providing personalized guidance on the most effective medications for their health needs.

Susan Kinzler, Executive Vice President of Everside Health, said, “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 20 to 30 percent of new prescriptions are never filled, and 50% of the time, medication is not taken as prescribed. Given these concerning statistics, we developed TotalRx to help drive better medication compliance, which ultimately supports improved health and better clinical outcomes for our patients. With all of our offerings, the concept of TotalRx is rooted in increased accessibility, decreased cost and the highest quality of care.”

Everside Health offers preventive health services that treat the whole person and not just their symptoms, including mental and occupational health, to onsite or near-site employer workforces, as well as virtually. This approach has been successful in helping employees better manage a wide array of costly, chronic health problems, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. On average, employers on the Everside program save 17% on claims costs by year three and 31% by year five, based on a retrospective claims analysis conducted by the company.

CathVision, a medical technology company developing innovative electrophysiology solutions designed to enhance clinical decision making in the EP lab, today announced the FDA 510(k) clearance of the ECGenius EP Recording System. ECGenius, the company innovative EP recording technology and proprietary hardware amplifier, acquires high-fidelity, low-noise, cardiac electrograms to help electrophysiologists improve the diagnosis and treatment of complex atrial arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation (AF).

Conventional EP recording systems typically acquire noisy and artifact-ridden electrogram signals, preventing the accurate analysis and interpretation of those signals and severely limiting the ability of electrophysiologists to correctly diagnose and devise ablation strategies. ECGenius delivers a necessary evolution in the quality of ECG signal acquisition, the accuracy of electrogram interpretation and the advancement of therapy support.

“ECGenius is setting a new standard for EP recording technology by providing clean electrical activation signals even in the most complex arrhythmias. This makes it possible to observe even minor, but significant, signal modifications,” said Dr. Peter Spector, Professor of Medicine and Engineering, and Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont. “The system achieves minimal baseline noise without using a notch filter, minimizing EGM distortion. This provides the ability to see very low voltage signals which are often blurred or completely undetectable by the filtering of traditional recording systems. ECGenius is an excellent new system that will provide physicians with higher quality information with which to treat their arrhythmia patients.”

ECGenius is an open platform that can be seamlessly integrated into current hospital environments. The system also includes modern computer functionalities, real-time and review windows for simultaneous EP analyses and study configurations, and requires minimal user training.

“Our mission is to put electrophysiologists in the best position to improve clinical outcomes, and the basis for electrophysiology is the quality of the cardiac electrograms,” said Mads Matthiesen, CEO, CathVision. “The ECGenius System offers clean, unfiltered signals, and by replacing existing conventional EP recording systems, we give physicians a new way of looking at electrograms without adding more equipment to their EP labs.”

Additionally, ECGenius exceptional signal quality enables the future inclusion of artificial intelligence algorithms. CathVision is actively developing AI-based solutions that will be integrated into the system to facilitate electrogram interpretation and provide electrophysiologists with unprecedented levels of analysis and clinical decision support.

Clinical research and trial programs are an essential part of the medical industry. For one, they create opportunities to discover new treatments and drugs that may improve a person’s condition or quality of life. However, medical studies also take a lot of work, making it difficult for researchers to finish a project and produce reliable results.

It may be advantageous for research professionals to find ways to optimize their processes. Doing so may help generate more detailed information about a new medical practice or product. Additionally, it can make the trial process more manageable for patients and researchers.

That said, here are some ways experts can improve their clinical trial practices:

1. Use A Cloud-based Metadata Repository

It’s no secret that some research projects produce and collect large amounts of information. For instance, a clinical trial for a new treatment gathers and analyzes various data to determine its effects or setbacks. So, it’s common for some clinical researchers to struggle with storing and organizing their research files.

Fortunately, various tools can make their work less tedious and help make it more efficient. A cloud-based metadata repository is an excellent application any researcher can use to store their data.

A metadata repository acts as a library for all research-related information. By incorporating it during a clinical trial, accessing and finding information becomes simpler. Additionally, it allows anyone involved to access any information wherever they may be. If you’re interested in learning about this tool for your trial process, you can go to this site for more details.

2. Apply Machine Learning To Match Patients

One crucial aspect of any clinical trial process is gathering eligible patients. It can influence the success of any clinical study. If many participants aren’t fit for a specific research project, the results may not be reliable. So, clinical researchers need to find suitable candidates for their studies.

When selecting eligible candidates for a clinical trial, there are many factors to consider. So, evaluating each potential participant can take a lot of work. But, by using machine learning (ML) methods, choosing patients can be a much easier process.

ML can sift through patient information and categorize them based on the criteria set by the researchers. It can then help create a more eligible patient pool so that the trial process can yield more insightful results.

Furthermore, it can consider other factors like patients’ profile, location, and accessibility since these can affect how a trial process can proceed.

3. Utilize A Software Program To Organize Workflow

Clinical researchers can utilize various technological tools to improve their trial process. For instance, using software to track and monitor workflow can prevent bottlenecks during the study.

Although not all research processes can be done using a software program, it can lessen the work done manually by researchers. For instance, instead of contacting each participant to set their next appointment, using an appointment scheduling application to track patient schedules may be more efficient. It can eliminate missed consultations or schedule conflicts for treatments.

Clinical researchers can also use software programs to draft protocols for the study, conduct follow-ups, and track patients’ progress without any problem. Overall, they can utilize various technological applications to ease their workload to focus on more complex tasks.

4. Choose A Strategic Research Location

Another factor that may affect the efficiency and progress of a clinical trial is the location where it’s conducted. The placements of the patients and the research site can influence how a researcher or organization spends their money to finish their research. For instance, if several patients are hard to reach or need to travel for their treatments, a clinical trial project may cost more money. Alternately, if all aspects involved in the project are strategically placed, the expenses for the study may be more manageable.

Hence, picking an accessible research location may be advantageous for optimizing a clinical trial process. It’ll be easier to collect and monitor data and ensure all resources are within reach.

Picking an excellent research site can also help eliminate delays caused by a lack of equipment or materials. Additionally, it can ease the burden of patients who need to travel for their consultations or treatments. It’ll help prevent missed appointments which can then help yield more insightful data.

Final Thoughts 

Various changes and improvements in the medical field enabled professionals and companies to conduct more clinical trials and research projects. However, it also made it more challenging for experts to analyze vast amounts of data and produce accurate and reliable results. Fortunately, utilizing tools like machine learning methods or a cloud-based metadata repository can make conducting and finishing a trial project less stressful.

Berry Global has begun construction of its new manufacturing facility and global Centre of Excellence in India.

Based in Sira, close to the company’s existing operation in Bangalore, the new factory will offer world-class capabilities to serve the healthcare and other key market sectors. It will enable Berry to extend its R&D innovation expertise and scale up production to support growing demand from customers throughout India and South Asia, offering best in class quality and service to both national and international businesses, as well as local and start-up companies.

In particular, the site will have International Sustainability and Carbon Certificate (ISCC) Plus accreditation. This enables it to sell to healthcare customers certified packaging and plastic components that contribute to a circular economy approach, based on advanced recycling and mass balance. Mass balance is an accepted chain of custody methodology that documents and tracks recycled and/or biobased content from supplier through to final delivery to customers.

The Sira facility will consolidate Berry’s leading position in the design, development and production of patient-centred healthcare solutions, including ophthalmic, nasal pumps, inhalation, and injectable administrations. Central to this are the company’s technical and design skills in the creation of products that improve the patient experience for the administration of medicines and ensure the highest levels of functionality in areas such as ease of use, dosage control, and effective medicine protection, while also helping to meet customers’ sustainability goals.

The manufacturing facility will house the latest precision high-quality manufacturing equipment along with a dedicated R&D Centre of Excellence to support the design and development of new products and customer-specific projects.

“This latest investment demonstrates our commitment to establish strategically-placed facilities throughout the world that will enable us to bring our global expertise and localised support to customers of any size,” commented Jean-Marc Galvez, President, Consumer Packaging International (CPI) Division. “It will allow us to further strengthen existing customer partnerships and develop new business opportunities in this important region.”

Construction of the 15-acre site began with the traditional Pooja ceremony and the laying of the foundation stone. Building work is now in progress with the clean room expected to be operational by the end of this year and full completion of the factory by Spring 2023.

Nuffield Health, the UK’s largest healthcare charity, is opening the doors to the City of London’s first independent hospital, located within the grounds of Barts Health NHS Trust’s St Bartholomew’s Hospital site, a leading specialist heart and cancer centre in Europe.

Nuffield Health at St Bartholomew’s Hospital is a new 55-bed hospital is split over two buildings, specialising in private cardiac surgery, cardiology, orthopaedics, cancer care and women’s health. It’s supported by seven intensive care beds and by a wide range of diagnostic and physiotherapy services, including 26 consultation rooms.

The hospital is part of a new health and wellbeing campus, meaning patients will have access to the recently opened Nuffield Health Fitness & Wellbeing Centre in Barbican, providing prehabilitation and rehabilitation support as well as mental wellbeing services, including CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and counselling.

The charity will also run free to access community clinics from the campus, including Joint Pain and COVID-19 rehabilitation programmes. Patients who have long-term symptoms of COVID will be able to refer themselves directly or through a GP or NHS referral.

Uniquely in the independent sector, the new hospital’s cardiac care pathway includes cardiac rehabilitation. Patients will be assigned one physiotherapist and one clinical nurse specialist to support them from diagnosis, through treatment and then onto rehabilitation with specialist fitness and dietary support, with the aim of improving their long-term health and preventing a future return to hospital.

Patients at Nuffield Health at St Bartholomew’s Hospital will have access to over 200 consultants, all of whom have university teaching hospital experience and many who practice at Barts Health NHS Trust. Dr Andrew Deaner, a Consultant Cardiologist, is working at the new hospital and is well known for supporting the recovery of former footballer Fabrice Muamba, after he suffered cardiac arrest on the Tottenham Hotspur football pitch in March 2012.

Consultants will benefit from the breadth of experts working at the new hospital, with operating theatres featuring in-built live streaming capabilities. Live operations can be streamed to the hospital’s boardroom, providing world class training opportunities and clinical knowledge sharing.

Nuffield Health has invested £70 million into the new hospital. It has been built in collaboration with Barts Health NHS Trust, which runs St Bartholomew’s Hospital, and is operationally independent, with Nuffield Health leasing and renovating the former pathology and residential staff quarters buildings, at a cost to Nuffield Health. The disused pathology building at Britain’s oldest hospital developed cult status after its appearance in the second series of the television programme, Sherlock.

Jonathan Canham, Business Development Director and Interim Hospital Director, Nuffield Health at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, says:

“We are delighted to open the doors to our new hospital, the first and only independent hospital in the City of London community. Our new hospital – Nuffield Health’s 37th hospital in the UK – complements the internationally-leading cardiac care delivered at the neighbouring St Bartholomew’s Hospital. Our private patients will have access to many leading consultants within cardiac, cancer, orthopaedics, and women’s healthcare.

“We are proud to be working with Barts Health NHS Trust. Both organisations have values of continually striving to help people throughout the different stages of their lives. Our positive relationship has already seen 20 members of the Nuffield Health hospital team being seconded into Barts Health hospitals in late 2021 to support in intensive care, cardiac wards, and with COVID vaccination clinics.”

Dame Alwen Williams, Barts Health NHS Trust Group Chief Executive says:

“Our partnership with Nuffield Health has breathed new life into our historic buildings, while surpluses generated from private patient activity will be invested back into NHS services, benefiting patients across east London.”

Steve Gray, Chief Executive Officer of Nuffield Health, says:

“Opening this new hospital is an exciting milestone for everyone at Nuffield Health and demonstrates our purpose of investing in new, cutting-edge connected health and wellbeing services. Londoners will be able to be referred by a Nuffield Health GP, receive treatment at our new hospital and then choose to receive rehabilitation at our new Barbican Fitness and Wellbeing Centre, which is located nearby the new hospital, or at any one of our 11 medical centres or 35 fitness and wellbeing centres across London and within the M25.”

Facilities and services available include:

• 55 patient beds
• Oncology Day unit – including access to Maggie’s at St Bartholomew’s Hospital
• Four advanced operating theatres
• Seven specialist intensive care beds
• 26 consultation rooms
• Inpatient and outpatient physiotherapy services
• Free community programmes, including the Joint Pain and COVID-19 recovery programmes
• A full range of diagnostic services including an imaging suite and Siemens MAGNETOM Sola 1.5T MRI system with BioMatrix Technology (which means the scanner automatically adjusts for each patient to give greater precision and better diagnosis)
• Connection to the new Nuffield Health Barbican Fitness & Wellbeing Centre state-of-the-art gym floor, athletic zone, 25m heated indoor swimming pool and spa facilities, dedicated prehab and rehab area and group exercise studios. The on-site medical centre provides expert physiotherapy, emotional wellbeing services, private GP and a travel clinic.

The new hospital currently has around 200 employees, including nurses, clinicians and administrative staff.