Imaging robot used in spine surgery | MyUPMC app adds new feature | Math and heart attacks

Mercy Health uses mobile imaging robot

SPRINGFIELD, OH–Mercy Health – Springfield Regional Medical Center announced that it has become the first in the Midwest to treat patients with Loop-X, a new mobile imaging robot used in spine and brain surgery. In addition to Loop-X, staff members will be using the advanced technological capabilities of a new robotic arm called Cirq. Surgeons at Mercy Health plan to use these cutting-edge robotic technologies for a variety of spine and neurosurgical procedures.

UPMC adds scheduling feature to app

PITTSBURGH, PA–UPMC Enterprises has added a new feature to its MyUPMC app. “’Mammogram’ is one of the top searched terms on the Find-a-Doc site,” according to UPMC’s Caitlin Kelley. “We knew we had all of these people searching for mammograms, but we weren’t helping patients easily find a UPMC Imaging Center and schedule their exam online.” Patients using the app can now search for mammograms, find a site in the Pittsburgh region, and within three or four clicks are presented with available time slots to schedule.

Indiana University student recognized for pig organ transplants

INDIANAPOLIS, IN–An Indiana University School of Medicine student has been selected for an Excellence in Research Award from the American College of Surgeons (ACS). Arthur Cross-Najafi’s research focuses on xenotransplantation, the process of genetically modifying pigs so their organs can be safely transplanted into humans. Cross-Najafi has participated in both the Indiana Medical Student Program for Research and Scholarship (IMPRS) and Medical Student Training Applied to Research (MedSTAR) medical student research education programs through the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI) and IU School of Medicine.

Math and heart attacks

COLUMBUS, OH–Researchers at The Ohio State University are developing a mathematical model of a heart attack. Nicolae Moise, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher in biomedical engineering at Ohio State, said the study uses mathematical algorithms to assess the efficacy of the drugs used to combat the potentially lethal inflammation many patients experience in the aftermath of an attack.

Personalized hypertension treatment with algorithm

ROCHESTER, MN–While hypertension is one of the most common conditions in the U.S., its treatment depends on testing different medicines and making lifestyle changes to see what works. Digital health startup K Health is teaming up with Mayo Clinic Platform to develop an algorithm that will help clinicians provide personalized hypertension treatment. The datasets in the Mayo Clinic Platform include nearly 1.2 billion lab test results, 3 million echocardiograms, and more than 640 million clinical notes.