Rakuten Medical, Inc. announced the acquisition of Medlight SA. Medlight produces and commercializes a large range of catheters and diffusers for optical light delivery.

The acquisition of Medlight provides Rakuten Medical with a strategic partner, including resources and its network of well-qualified subcontractors to facilitate rapid development of new optical devices under the European and US medical regulatory standards. This acquisition also ensures Rakuten Medical has access to and more comprehensive oversight of a supply chain vital to the development of the company’s diagnostics and therapeutic light technologies.

Previously Medlight served as a contract manufacturer for Rakuten Medical’s device finishing facility in Germany. Medlight was also a labeler for clinical trial materials and provided QA oversight for upstream manufacturing activities.

Founded in 1997, Medlight technologies have been used by more than 35 biotech companies in over 70 different diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Though cancer is the primary therapeutic indication, Medlight’s technologies have also been applied to treat cardiovascular diseases, Parkinson’s disease, ophthalmic, dermatologic, and dental diseases.

Medlight has a strong track record of working cooperatively with health care professionals, industrial partners, academic institutions, and pharmaceutical companies to develop specific medical devices for therapeutic light delivery. Headquartered just outside of Lausanne, Switzerland, Medlight’s proximity to Rakuten Medical’s device development group in Sinn-Fleisbach, Germany provides additional logistic benefits.

“Medlight is an ideal acquisition, as they are global leaders in the development of light dosimetry technologies for a variety of diseases,” said Hiroshi Mikitani, Chairman and CEO of Rakuten Medical. “This acquisition secures our supply chain, ensuring the needs of patients are met by optimizing and managing continuous improvement of our delivery system.”

Founder and CEO, Medlight SA, Roland Bays commented, “Our agreement with Rakuten Medical is a strategic and operational fit. We are very excited to combine our innovative technologies to yield the maximum benefit to the medical community, the patients, and families that are battling cancer.”

About Rakuten Medical, Inc.

Rakuten Medical, Inc. is a global biotechnology company developing precision, cell-targeting investigational therapies on its IlluminoxTM platform, which, in preclinical studies have shown to lead to rapid and selective cell killing and tumor necrosis. Illuminox therapies have not yet been approved by any regulatory authority. Rakuten Medical is committed to its mission to conquer cancer and aims to realize a society where cancer patients can lead fulfilling lives. Headquartered in the United States, Rakuten Medical has 6 locations in 5 countries, including Japan, the Netherlands, Germany and Taiwan.

About Illuminox

The Illuminox platform is an investigational platform based on a cancer therapy called photoimmunotherapy, which was developed by Dr. Hisataka Kobayashi and team from the National Cancer Institute in the United States. Rakuten Medical is developing the Illuminox platform as a technology consisting of a drug, device and other related components. The drug component of the platform consists of a targeting moiety conjugated with one or more dyes leading to selective cell surface binding. The device component consists of a light source that locally illuminates the targeted cells with non-thermal light to transiently activate the drug. Pre-clinical data have shown that this activation elicits rapid and selective necrosis of targeted cells through a biophysical process that compromises the membrane integrity of the targeted cells. Therapies developed on Illuminox may also result in local and systemic innate and adaptive immune activation due to immunogenic cell death of the targeted cells and/or the removal of immunosuppressive elements within the tumor microenvironment. Illuminox therapies have not yet been approved as safe or effective by any regulatory authority.

Synchronous Health, a behavioral health company that combines the strength of human empathy with artificial intelligence (AI) to increase access and quality of behavioral health services, and Adventist Health, a nonprofit integrated multi-state health system servicing over 10 million people in more than 80 communities on the West Coast and Hawaii, announced a strategic partnership that provides customized behavioral healthcare and well-being solutions to key populations.

Through this partnership, Synchronous Health and Adventist Health will co-develop behavioral health and well-being solutions to address the biggest drivers of health costs and community needs. Synchronous Health’s technology and clinical models have already been tapped by Adventist Health to address the needs of two critical populations during the COVID-19 pandemic: caregiver burnout and resiliency among the health system’s 37,000 associates, and depression and isolation among more than 2 million older adults in communities served by Adventist Health. Adventist Health is not only fortifying the well-being of its team and community by providing the custom-designed Synchronous platform, but also investing in the dynamically growing company as part of the partnership.

“This partnership directly reflects the market’s need for our vision and solution of an entirely new model for delivering behavioral health and well-being services,” said Guy Barnard, CEO of Synchronous Health. “By combining the benefits of human connection and technology, Synchronous can scale to serve more populations with broader reach, greater impact, and sustained improvements.”

Synchronous Health offers a unique combination of person-to-person telehealth sessions through a national network of licensed counselors paired with its proprietary AI platform, Karla®, a bot that delivers precision coaching support between sessions. The Karla platform is customized per individual to include proactive and reactive coaching through messages and alerts, as well as direct access to a behavioral health specialist when indicated. This comprehensive approach can be both scaled to serve large populations and tailored to individual preferences and conditions in a timely way.

“Behavioral health and well-being are two-thirds of our mission statement and consistently represent the highest needs of the communities we serve,” said Adventist Health CEO Scott Reiner. “Our 10-year transformation strategy includes bringing accountable, needs-based community well-being improvement solutions to the forefront. Synchronous Health fits exactly into that strategy. We will continue our 150-year legacy of whole-person care for our associates, patients, and communities by ensuring they are cared for in mind, body and spirit and the critical importance of innovating how healthcare is delivered and received.”

The partnership currently provides Adventist Health’s caregivers trauma resilience assistance through virtual visits with highly trained behavioral health specialists. Together with their specialist, Adventist Health caregivers design their personalized support plan through Karla®, which uses predictive analytics and AI to deliver interventions in the moment they are needed – rather than waiting for the next scheduled appointment. The program, which launched in April 2020, took only 10 days to implement, demonstrating how flexible the platform is in configuring solutions to meet the specific needs of the population and any individual in it.

“The endurance and tenacity of our colleagues on the front lines have been tested like never before, especially for those who see the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic firsthand,” said Bill Wing, president of Adventist Health. “Because our clinicians’ well-being is central to our mission, we needed an innovative solution, and we needed it fast. In Synchronous, we found a unique approach that allows us to quickly expand the care and support needed for our front-line workers.”

Additionally, the two organizations co-developed and launched a program last month to improve the well-being of older adults who are more isolated now due to COVID-19 and at higher risk for anxiety and depression. The pilot program incorporates both a physical and mental health assessment and facilitates access to community resources, a connection to peers and telehealth services with Karla® support. This is one example of how this partnership will demonstrate the tremendous savings in total cost of care when behavioral health is addressed.

“Adventist Health shares our passion for creating better ways to care for the whole person,” said Lisa Henderson, chief operating officer of Synchronous Health. “With our platform and Adventist Health’s expert clinical assets and deep-rooted community presence, we are delivering individualized, precision care to millions of people. We started Synchronous Health to extend care beyond the appointment – our goal is to help everyone, everywhere have more good days.”

About Adventist Health

Adventist Health is a faith-based, nonprofit integrated health system serving more than 80 communities on the West Coast and Hawaii. Founded on Seventh-day Adventist heritage and values, Adventist Health provides care in hospitals, clinics, home care agencies, hospice agencies and joint-venture retirement centers in both rural and urban communities. Our compassionate and talented team of 37,000 includes associates, medical staff physicians, allied health professionals and volunteers driven in pursuit of one mission: living God’s love by inspiring health, wholeness and hope. Together, we are transforming the American healthcare experience with an innovative, yet timeless, whole-person focus on physical, mental, spiritual and social healing.

About Synchronous Health

Synchronous Health is reinventing population behavioral health, working primarily with large employers, health systems, payors, and universities. Through a national network of credentialed mental health counselors, combined with an advanced technology and artificial intelligence platform called Karla®, the company works to improve mental health and well-being among its participants and communities. Through Karla®, the platform brings together seemingly unrelated or inconsequential data to provide real-time and predictive insights to guide human services and deliver digital support when and where it is needed.

ClearMask LLC, a privately held American medical supply company, announced that it received the U.S. FDA 510(k) clearance for its ClearMask™, a fully transparent surgical mask.

ClearMask™ is the world’s first FDA-cleared, fully transparent surgical mask that can be used in hospitals, clinics, schools, retail, hospitality, and other settings. The mask is optimized for maximum clarity and comfort, and meets applicable ASTM Level 3 requirements for fluid resistance and flammability, which offers a high level of protection for medical use in environments such as operating rooms.

In this disheartening time as the world fights against the COVID-19 pandemic, the ClearMask™ helps provide protection while bringing much-needed relief through a reassuring smile and familiar face among fear, confusion, and suffering. In addition to blocking particles or droplets with its fully transparent, anti-fog plastic barrier, the ClearMask™ helps improve visual communication, which may help avoid costly errors and adverse outcomes. Transparent communication during the customer experience can be critical in establishing rapport and earning trust, while assuring safety as a priority.

The company, consisting of Johns Hopkins University graduate students and alumni, started developing the transparent mask in 2017 after their deaf co-founder experienced an adverse experience during her surgery. Traditional surgical masks blocked her providers’ faces, impeding effective communication and safety.

“After three years of research, development, and testing, we are thrilled to bring a human-centered mask to everyone who needs it, especially those who can benefit from improved visual communication, such as children, older adults, deaf and hard of hearing people, and those who do not speak the same language. The ClearMask™ is well-positioned to join the fight against the current pandemic,” said Allysa Dittmar, President of ClearMask.

The ClearMask™ is the first product in ClearMask LLC’s growing portfolio of novel masks to receive FDA clearance as a Class II medical device. To fulfill the current and rising demand as the company ramps up production of the FDA-cleared mask, the company is currently offering a non-medical, consumer face mask that similarly helps to improve visual communication and provide protection at a lower price. The consumer masks have provided much relief to different communities in need, including state emergency management agencies and essential workers.

To date, the company has provided the masks in bulk volumes, typically in the tens to hundreds of thousands. The consumer masks can now be purchased through ClearMask’s website at buy.theclearmask.com, starting at a box of 24 masks. The company has partnered with several distributors, including Cardinal Health Canada, McKesson, Oaktree Products, and Grainger to help get the masks out to as many people as possible.

“Regulatory clearance and mass production are two significant milestones in ClearMask’s mission to get the ClearMask out to as many people as possible,” said Aaron Hsu, CEO of ClearMask. “This achievement is a testament to our company’s hard work and commitment to serving different communities in need during this time.”

The devastating explosion of 2750 tons of ammonium nitrate in the Port of Beirut on August 4th has left unimaginable devastation.

Kremsmünster, August 2020 – The gaping 43-metre-deep crater is proof of the force of this blast. Authorities say more than 160 people have died, over 6000 people were injured and hundreds of thousands have been left homeless. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) registered an explosion equivalent to an earthquake magnitude of 3.3.

Donation to relief effort

This catastrophe has hit the crisis-torn country hard. The Lebanese Red Cross re-acted quickly and is providing vital emergency aid on the ground. At the same time, the Red Cross is gearing up to support reconstruction efforts and to provide further aid in the long term – whether it be the supply of blood, support with accommodation, expanding the medical emergency service or meeting any other needs. Since 2019, Greiner Bio-One has been a partner of the Swiss Red Cross, working with them on their project to develop a blood donor service in Lebanon. In order to make a quick contribution and avoid red tape, Greiner Bio-One decided to support the relief effort with a monetary donation.

ONVIF®, the leading global standardization initiative for IP-based physical security products, has published the Release Candidate for Profile D, a draft specification that covers interfaces for access control peripherals. This newest profile candidate is designed to provide ONVIF interoperability for peripheral devices such as locks, credential/biometric readers, PIN pads, license plate recognition cameras, door phones, sensors and displays.

“Profile D, together with access management profiles like ONVIF Profile A and C, and video profiles like ONVIF Profile T, will help users build modern and secure IP-based access control systems,” said Patrik Björling, Chair of the ONVIF Profile D Working Group. “It will allow for the integration of products from different manufacturers and help further drive the adoption of ONVIF interfaces in the physical access control and video surveillance space.”

Using Profile D, a peripheral device can pass credential identifiers to a securely located Profile D conformant client, such as an access control unit or management software. The client or controller, which stores access rules, schedules and credentials, can then take the access decision and send a command back to the peripheral device to grant or deny access, display a message or request additional input such as a PIN code. Having sensitive information on a separate controller in a secured area enhances security. Communications between the device and client are secured using ONVIF security protocols such as TLS.

The Profile D specification enables a conformant client to configure a conformant device with the necessary data such as which door and access point the device is responsible for, as well as configure a list of allowed or blocked credential identifiers in a device that supports this capability.

The need for standardized interfaces between access control management systems and peripheral devices is driven by innovative identification technologies such as license plate recognition cameras for parking management, bar code reading cameras for visitor management, wireless locks and sensors for access control, and video door stations for intercom management.

ONVIF Profile D complements Profile A and Profile C in enabling standardized communications in an IP-based electronic access control system. Profile D devices can also support video profiles such as Profile T to enable an integrated video and access control system using ONVIF interfaces. Such devices include a door phone that combines a reader and lock with audio/video intercom, or an IP camera with a relay output connected to a lock that can be used by a guard to visually identify a visitor and remotely unlock the door.

Founded in 2008, ONVIF is a leading and well-recognized industry forum driving interoperability for IP-based physical security products. The organization has a global member base of established camera, video management system and access control companies and nearly 19,000 profile conformant products. ONVIF offers Profile S for streaming video; Profile G for video recording and storage; Profile C for physical access control; Profile Q for improved out-of-the-box functionality, Profile A for broader access control configuration, and Profile T for advanced video streaming. ONVIF continues to work with its members to expand the number of IP interoperability solutions ONVIF conformant products can provide.

About ONVIF

ONVIF® is a global and open industry forum that is committed to standardizing communication between IP-based physical security products to ensure their interoperability and to facilitate their integration. ONVIF was established in 2008 to develop a global open standard for IP-based physical security products. Membership is open to manufacturers, software developers, consultants, system integrators, end-users and other interest groups that wish to participate in the activities of ONVIF.

Health sociology is the study of the link between society and well-being. Societal norms and trends are examined for their effects on chronic illness numbers and mortality rates. The prevailing relationship investigated when embarking on a health sociology study is the professional-patient link and how vital the role of healthcare professionals in society is.

According to leading sociologists, ill-health is not purely a physiological state as it is influenced heavily by societal factors.

The difference between research and sociology

Medical research aims to collect data on illnesses, whereas the sociology of health seeks to study the spread of health conditions and what causes it. Taking the current example of the coronavirus pandemic, researchers deal with the number of infections.

However, sociologists are studying its spread in communities and how it is influenced by factors such as ethnicity, socio-economic circumstances, and traditional beliefs and practices. If you are also studying sociology or any related area, you must know about https://eduzaurus.com/free-essay-samples/sociology/. It’s a free online resource trusted by students from all parts of the world for its free essays on every subject. The wide variety of sociology topics on EduZaurus will prove to be valuable in your studies.

The value of health sociology

While many people might question the relevance of health sociology, its proponents believe it is essential. The link between sociology and a student’s mind gives them critical insight into their career of choice, with the medical professional being no exception.

Without understanding the sociology behind the spread of a disease or condition, medical professionals are hard-pressed to implement preventative measures and create effective treatment programs.

For these workers, a study of the overall health of those in immediate proximity is vital as this is where they source their patient base. Understanding the prevalence of medical conditions in different ethnic and socio-economic groups enables them to understand underlying causes and how these issues affect mortality rates.

A study of trends

It stands to reason that developed and developing countries would vary when it comes to the sociology of health. However, even within the first world, trends differ between countries with universal healthcare and those that do not.

For example, the USA has an outstanding healthcare system, but it is accessible only at a price. In contrast, Canadians can seek similar medical services regardless of their ability to pay for it. Despite cutting edge technology, denial of access to care for those families in middle and low-income brackets means that some diseases and conditions are more prevalent in these groups.

Historical factors, which may go back many generations, have left ethnic groups trapped in the poverty cycle. The lines along which these groups are drawn tend to focus on religion and ethnicity. For others, past and present conflict severely impact their health status.

In developing countries, alternative medical practices are more common as their inhabitants still believe in traditional healers and medicines. Obesity rates in these countries are also lower, while malnutrition is more common. The opposite applies to developed economies. Some first world countries buck this trend due to their traditional diet, such as Mediterranean countries in Europe.

Communicable diseases are a common feature in third-world countries because of overcrowding, poor sanitation, malnutrition, and a lack of healthcare access.

There is an ideological resistance to using long-term medication or prolonging the wait to seek medical care in some cultures, thereby allowing a condition to worsen. This is prevalent in African culture. In other groups, people are prone to self-diagnosis instead of approaching a medical professional for their advice.

Universal trends

Some factors that cause illness and death that exist around the world. Among them are alcohol abuse and smoking, which seem to permeate all societies to a certain extent. Lung cancer and liver failure occur in many areas. However, they are found in higher ratios in wealthier countries, where people have more disposable income to spend on alcohol and cigarettes.

The increased consumption of processed foods has led to global increases in heart conditions, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes. These are medical issues that occurred only infrequently in some areas, but the incidences are rising.

Conclusion

A failure to consider the sociology of wellness can severely hamper medical practitioners’ ability to treat their patients successfully. The current pandemic has proven that certain groups, based primarily on ethnicity and socio-economic status, are more vulnerable to both infection and death, even in countries that provide excellent healthcare. There are known reasons for this, but an ongoing study will uncover more and identify the best ways to eliminate it.

Author’s Bio:

Robert Everett works as a software developer for a tech company that mainly caters to the needs of health and pharma sector.