ReleaseWire Connect

Cloud computing is emerging as a major disruptive force for both IT vendors and users as companies globally strive to reduce cost of ownership for IT infrastructure. However the term “cloud computing” means many things and different service layers (Infrastructure, Platform, Software) are deployed across organizations based on customer needs. There is plethora of service providers with expertise in different service layers of the cloud. In addition to the different layers of services in cloud computing there are different technological concepts like Grid computing, Virtual computing, etc. that need to be well understood by IT managers and end users alike before signing up with a service provider.

Point of care testing (POCT) enables diagnostic tests to be performed rapidly while the patient remains at the point of care facility, such as a hospital, health clinic, doctor's office or another near-patient venue. POCT is rapidly being recognized as a method of providing the results of the diagnostic tests immediately, rather than waiting hours or even days for outside lab results to arrive, thus improving patient outcomes. This report analyzes the European market for POCT products, a major component of the overall European in vitro diagnostics (IVD) category. This study reviews in detail the key sub-segments of the point of care diagnostics market including: blood glucose, blood gas and electrolytes, rapid coagulation, cardiac markers, substance abuse, infectious diseases, urine strip, pregnancy, fecal occult, cholesterol, and many others. For each of the individual sub-segments, this study examines the key market drivers and restraints, as well as evaluates the latest technological advances.

During the past 35 years, ultrasound and nuclear medicine were introduced into clinical medicine, computed tomography (CT) revolutionized diagnostic procedures and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) emerged, bringing new diagnostic information at the cellular level. X-ray morphed from analog films to digital, and virtually all medical images became "soft" files on the electronic networks. As imaging departments in healthcare facilities have migrated from film to digital, the display and storage systems have had to migrate too. These new digital imaging storage and display systems are called picture archiving and communication systems (PACS).

Until superior therapeutic treatments are developed to prevent, treat and cure cancer, the best means of reducing mortality and morbidity in a disease this complex is early detection and diagnosis. In the major solid cancer types such as lung, breast, colon and prostate, long-term survival rates drop precipitously once metastatis has occurred. The case is clear for development of biomarkers for early detection and screening tests for diseases such as breast, colon, ovarian and lung cancer. In addition, diagnostic measurement of cancer disease progression is essential to successful disease management. For these reasons, development of new and effective biomarkers for cancer detection and diagnosis is central to the cancer problem.

The European market for medical imaging equipment continues to thrive despite the impact of a global economic recession. As such, the European medical imaging market represents a dynamic and robust sector which will progressively represent an increasingly important sub-market within the medical device business. In order to provide a comprehensive and relevant analysis of the European medical imaging market, this TriMark Publications report covers the major medical imaging modalities of computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and ultrasound. In order to reflect the ongoing shifts in the utilization of the modalities from single to multimodality systems, this study also includes analyzes of the European markets for PET/CT and SPECT/CT.

Nuclear imaging for cardiac diseases helps in accurately diagnosing the disease and blood flow blockages. Gamma cameras and positron emission tomography (PET) scanners are the key imaging devices used for cardiac procedures. Though nuclear imaging in cardiology faces competition from other methods, the impact is relatively limited. Demand for diagnostic medical imaging equipment is mainly driven by the number of diagnostic procedures. The application of PET's clinical use, its combined use with other imaging equipment and the current shift to PET/CT imaging and SPECT/CT imaging are the important factors driving the dramatic rise in procedural volumes.

Ultrasound represents a low-cost and efficacious imaging technology that continues to help radiologists and others collect significant clinical data about patients. Ultrasound is appropriately suited to many patients. No other imaging modality gives patients a real-time viewing at their anatomy or inspires discussions with physicians about their symptoms and the evidence of disease on the monitor. Ultrasound is radiation-free, patient-friendly and less-expensive.

Point of care testing (POCT) enables rapid diagnostic tests to be performed while the patient is at the point of care facility where results can be obtained immediately, rather than waiting hours or even days for outside lab results to arrive. Point of care diagnostic testing markets covers: blood glucose testing, blood gas and electrolytes analysis, rapid coagulation testing, rapid cardiac markers diagnostics, drugs of abuse screening, urine strips testing, pregnancy testing, fecal occult blood analysis, food pathogens screening, hemoglobin diagnostics, infectious disease testing and cholesterol screening. This TriMark Publications report describes latest developments in the point of care testing market segment. It examines clinical instruments, devices and reagents and supplies as utilized in near-patient environments like hospital emergency rooms, critical care units, clinics and doctor's offices.

The technologies that constitute molecular diagnostics--like first-generation amplification, DNA probes, fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), second-generation biochips and microfluidics, next-generation signal detection, biosensors, and molecular labels--are influencing the discovery of therapeutic molecules, the screening and diagnosis of patients, and the optimization of drug therapy. In the past few years, this rapidly evolving field has seen several fascinating developments. This TriMark Publications report describes the specific market segment of the in vitro diagnostics market known as molecular diagnostics and includes all of the generally accepted clinical analytical activities in use today.

This TriMark Publications report describes the specific segment of the in vitro diagnostics market known as molecular diagnostics testing for infectious disease. In the current medical diagnostics market, molecular diagnostics in infectious disease testing offers one of the most promising areas for growth and innovation. The confluence of breakthroughs in genomics and proteomics--along with the development of microarray devices to measure analytes in the blood--has led to this revolutionary market development. Specifically, molecular diagnostics offers the power of advanced analytical techniques to diagnose infectious diseases.