Friday, December 14, 2007

FP7 Collaborations in the Manufacturing Sector,17-18 th Jan 2008

International Partnering Meeting & Successful R&D Project Preparation for the Second Call for Proposals in the Nanotechnology, Materials and New Production Technologies Programme

Initiate your collaborative project or become a partner in an EU-project
The general aim of the international partnering meeting is to facilitate transnational R&D-collaboration between industry, Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and research organisations active in the field of manufacturing and in particular to setup Framework Programme 7 (FP7) projects.

Targeted Audience: European and Swiss representatives from manufacturing industry and related academia; etc.

Deadline to send 5 min presentations: 11 Jan 2008

more detailed information: click here!

Monday, December 10, 2007

Virtual Colonoscopy Procedure for Easier Colon Screening


Numerous patients who need a screening of the colon do not go through the procedure for fear of the procedure. The colonoscopy procedure that is currently available involves inserting a flexible tube with a viewing instrument into the rectum. It requires anaesthesia and there's a remote chance that the colon wall could be perforated by the tube. However, patients now have an easier option with the discovery of a procedure called 'Virtual Colonoscopy'. This procedure, allows computerized scanning of the colon which is more comfortable for the patient. The patient is made to lie down in a computerized tomography (CT) scanner while a small probe is inserted into the rectum so that the colon can be inflated with carbon dioxide gas. The CT scanner then takes 3 dimensional images of the whole colon, which can then be examined for polyps. The patient does not need anaesthesia and the procedure takes only half an hour. However, the procedure is purely diagnostic and if doctors find a polyp, the regular colonoscopy procedure has to be done for removal and assessment of the polyp. Further, cleansing of bowel is still required that most of patients find unpleasant.

reference: Bio-Medecine