Israël: un nouveau blindé-robot pour l'armée

Tsahal développe actuellement un nouveau blindé dont la particularité sera de ne contenir aucun homme, et d’être téléguidé par des moyens électroniques ultrasophistiqués.

Aroutz 7: "Lors du conflit de 2006, de graves lacunes s’étaient révélées au niveau de l’intendance, dans l’approvisionnement des soldats en nourriture, eau, carburants et en matériel de combat, en pleines zones ennemies. Ce nouveau véhicule a été développé par le Département de Logistique et Technologie de Tsahal, sous le commandement du Général Dov Bitton, et produit en collaboration par les sociétés "Genius", "Elbit" et "Israel Aircrafts Industries". Il est dénommé provisoirement "Phoenix", il est doté d’un blindage très solide et de huit roues lui donnant la capacité de se mouvoir dans presque toutes circonstances et topographies, de nuit comme de jour.
Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Sources: Aroutz 7 et Israel Valley)

Israël : un test de l'haleine pour détecter le cancer du poumon

Des chercheurs israéliens ont mis au point un processus permettant de diagnostiquer un cancer du poumon en analysant l'haleine, avant que les tumeurs ne soient visibles sur des radios, selon une étude publiée dimanche dans la revue britannique Nature Nanotechnology.

Le processus utilise des nanoparticules en or qui permettent de détecter des niveaux infimes de composés organiques volatiles dont la quantité augmente chez les personnes souffrant de cancer. Selon cette équipe, conduite par Hossam Haick, de l'Institut de technologie d'Israël, le procédé doit encore être soumis à des essais cliniques à grande échelle. Les premiers essais ont détecté des cancers du poumon avec une réussite de 86%, affirment-ils. [...]

Selon l'Organisation mondiale de la santé, le cancer du poumon coûte la vie à 1,3 million de personnes par an dans le monde, soit près de 18% des décès par cancer.
Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Sources: AFP et Les Echos)

Gold nanotech breath test may show lung cancer early

Israeli researcher finds natural cure for insomnia

Traditional sleeping pills have many side effects. Now an Israeli company is introducing a new drug that works with the body's natural processes to induce restful, restorative sleep. When that good night's sleep becomes elusive, sometimes the only option is medication. But the sleeping pills now on the market often come with risks that may outweigh the benefits, inducing dependency, withdrawal symptoms, and occasionally even cognitive impairments such as short-term amnesia.

Not so with Circadin, a new drug produced by Neurim Pharmaceuticals and based on the research of company founder and chief scientific officer Professor Nava Zisapel at Tel Aviv University (TAU). Unlike other sleep medications which suppress brain activity, Neurim says that Circadin works with the body's natural processes to induce a restful, restorative sleep. It does so by gradually releasing melatonin in the body - the hormone that prepares the body for sleep.
Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: article de Ilana Teitelbaum @ ISRAEL 21c)
Anti Boycott Israel blog: insomnie, troubles du sommeil

Optique Israël: les atomes thermiques peuvent geler des images

Les images imprimées sur des rayons lumineux se propageant dans un espace libre perdent leur netteté après une courte distance, un phénomène nommé diffraction. Des chercheurs du Technion et de l’Institut Weizman découvrent une méthode d’élimination de ce phénomène dans un support atomique spécial. Des chercheurs du Technion et de l’Institut Weizman ont trouvé le moyen d’éliminer le phénomène de diffraction, lequel provoque la perte de netteté des images véhiculées par des rayons lumineux. Leurs travaux ont été récemment publiés dans la revue scientifique "Physical Review Letters". "Nous sommes au sommet d’une révolution de l’information et des efforts impressionnants sont investis pour améliorer la technologie de traitement, de transmission et de stockage des informations», expliquent les chercheurs.

"Une des sphères de recherche la plus fascinante porte sur le traitement de données tout optique, dans lequel les chercheurs explorent les systèmes permettant de traiter les données optiques sans devoir les convertir en données électronique ou numériques. Ces systèmes sont censés accroître de façon significative la vitesse de traitement des données. En particulier, ils présentent un énorme intérêt pour la transmission et le traitement des images. L’une des difficultés de la mise en œuvre des systèmes tout optique dans le traitement d’images repose sur la distorsion, laquelle se produit sur les images lors de leur déplacement dans un espace ouvert, provoquée par la diffraction. Plus l’image stocke des données et plus la résolution est élevée, plus la distorsion est rapide. Dans les systèmes d’imagerie tels qu’une caméra ou l’oeil, des lentilles sont utilisées afin de restituer l’image d’origine, mais une telle restitution dépend de la qualité et de la taille des lentilles et ne peut pas être utilisée dans nombre de cas."

Dans l’étude publiée récemment, les chercheurs du Technion (l’étudiant en doctorat Ofer Firstenberg, le Dr Moshé Shuker et le professeur Amiram Ron, ainsi que le professeur Nir Davidson de l’Institut Weizmann) présentent un support atomique spécial, dans lequel la diffraction optique est intégralement éliminée.
Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: Israel Valley)

Israel: Solaire: Siemens prend 40% dans Arava Power Company

Siemens annonce avoir investi 15 millions de dollars dans Arava Power Company, une compagnie israélienne spécialisée dans le développement de centrales solaires photovoltaïques. Un accord signé au Kibboutz de Ketura entre les deux parties permettra à Siemens de prendre 40% de participation dans l'entreprise.

Arava Power développe, construit et exploite des centrales photovoltaïques en Israël. "Cet investissement constitue une nouvelle étape pour renforcer davantage nos technologies écologiques et durables", a déclaré Peter Löscher, Président et CEO de Siemens. "Grâce à un ensoleillement intense et à une demande toujours croissante en énergie, Israël est un endroit idéal pour développer notre activité solaire."
Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: Enerzine.com)

- Siemens seeks major stake in Israeli solar energy companies
- Arava : Inauguration de la première tour solaire hybride d’Israël

D Medical unit gets EU OK for insulin patch

NiliMedix's NiliPatch contains a tiny disposable insulin pump. Medical devices holding company D Medical Industries Ltd. (TASE:DMDC) portfolio company NiliMedix Ltd. has obtained EU CE Mark certification to market its NiliPatch disposable insulin pump. [...]

The NiliPatch is a continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion based on proprietary pressure triggered release mechanism. It contains a very small disposable pump on a t patch attached to the skin. The NiliPatch is derived from the company's ADI Insulin Pump, which has already obtained CE Mark and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance.

The NiliPatch can be used as a patch without an infusion tube or on a belt with an infusion set. Its advantage lies in its disposability, which improves convenience and ease of use, because the syringe does not have to cleaned, sterilized, and refilled.
Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: Globes)
Anti Boycott Israel blog: diabète, pompe à insuline jettable

Israeli researchers make dramatic breakthrough in treating heart disease

Israeli researchers have made a dramatic breakthrough in treating heart disease, growing heart muscle in rats' abdomens and using it to patch the hearts of rats that suffered heart attacks. The experiment, whose results were published this week in an American journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the first to demonstrate the possibility of rejuvenating the heart after a heart attack. While many researchers have tried to develop heart patches, until now, none of the tissue patches have survived implantation into the heart. The Israeli researchers were led by Dr. Tal Dvir, who developed the new method for his Ph.D. thesis at Ben-Gurion University and is now at MIT. The researchers planted cardiac cells taken from newborn rats on a laboratory "scaffold" and seeded them with growth agents. Once the cells had grown sufficiently, the entire scaffold was implanted in the rat's abdomen, where the tissue continued to grow and developed a network of blood vessels. A week later, the new tissue was removed from the abdomen and transplanted into the damaged heart.

After 28 days, the blood vessels in the patch had linked up with the damaged heart's own blood vessels. This, Dvir said, prevented it from dying of lack of oxygen, as previous bioengineered patches have.
Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: article de Dan Even @ Haaretz)
Anti Boycott Israel blog: traitement après crise cardiaque, cardiologie

An audible breakthrough for implants and hearing aids

New Israeli software turns down the volume on background noise for the hearing impaired.A new Israeli technology called Clearcall can improve the quality of voices heard through hearing devices, such as hearing aids and cochlear implants.

Functioning as miniature amplifiers in the ear or outside it, hearing aids and cochlear implants not only increase the volume of hard-to-hear voices, but they ramp up background noise as well. This makes it hard for the hard of hearing to make sense of what's being said when they are in a busy work environment or at a café, says the professor [Prof. Miriam Furst-Yust].

In these situations, "Hearing-impaired people have a real problem understanding speech," she explains. "Their devices may be useful in a quiet room, but once the background noise levels ramp up, the devices become less useful. Our algorithm helps filter out irrelevant noise so they can better understand the voices of their friends and family."
Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: ISRAEL 21c)
Anti Boycott Israel blog: surdité, appareils auditifs

Curetech gets FDA nod for liver cancer trial

Clal Biotechnology Industries Ltd. (TASE: CBI) portfolio drug development company Curetech Ltd. has obtained US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for a Phase I/II clinical trial for the treatment of liver cancer. Curetech's leading drug candidate, CT-011, is intended to treat hepatocellular carcinoma. [...]
Curetech is meanwhile continuing the Phase II trial of CT-011 for the treatment of blood and colon cancers and the Phase I/II trial for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.
Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: Globes)
Antiboycott Israel blog: cancer du foie, cancer du colon, hépatite C

Une histoire (vraie) israélo-angolaise qui réchauffe le cœur

An Angolan - Israeli tale to warm hearts : Until this week, Dalton Antonio Domingos was a three year-old boy with no future. Living in a poor district in the Kilamba Kiaxi district of Angola, he suffers from a severe heart disease for which there are no treatment or operative facilities in his country. His parents - his father is a truck driver and his mother is a housekeeper - did not have the financial capability to see medical help elsewhere.

Fortunately for him, this week he became the first Angolan child - and the 2000th child in total - to undergo life-saving heart surgery at the Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, as part of the unique work of the charity Save a Child's Heart (SACH). SACH is an Israeli-based international humanitarian project providing heart surgery and follow-up care for children with life-threatening congenital cardiac conditions from developing countries. SACH's team of doctors, who work in a largely voluntarily capacity for the charity, usually go to developing countries themselves to find and examine candidates for surgery in Israel. So far, children from every part of the globe have been operated on at the Wolfson Medical Center (WMC), SACH's center of activities: from the Caribbean, Ecuador, China, Vietnam, Russia, the Ukraine, Ethiopia, Zanzibar, Congo and the Middle East.
Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: article d'Esther Solomon @ Haaretz)

Darfur refugee youth gets life-saving heart surgery

An 18-year-old refugee from the horrors of Darfur in Sudan underwent free, minimally invasive heart surgery on Wednesday at Holon's Wolfson Medical Center, through the Save a Child's Heart (SACH) organization. Jamal Mohammed, who lives near the central bus station in rundown south Tel Aviv, left Sudan without his parents and seven siblings to cross the Egyptian border into Israel a few months ago. When he left, he was unaware of his heart condition, though he did suffer from certain symptoms that later proved threatening to his life.

After being examined by cardiologists at Beersheba's Soroka University Medical Center, he was told that his only chance for survival was to undergo catheterization and have a tiny "umbrella" installed in a coronary artery. As a refugee with no health insurance or money, he could not have dreamed of undergoing such a procedure. But SACH's chief cardiologist Dr. Akiva Tamir, Wolfson's chief of pediatric cardiology - and other staffers - volunteered to perform the surgery, and the AGA Medical Corporation donated the expensive "umbrella" device.
Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: article de Judy Siegel-Itzkovich @ JPost)

Israël invente une nouvelle technologie contre la falsification de l'ADN

Des scientifiques israéliens ont mis au point une nouvelle technologie pour lutter contre la substitution d'identité génétique après avoir réalisé que l'ADN prélevé sur le lieu d'un crime peut être aisément falsifié. Selon ces chercheurs, il n'est pas difficile, avec un matériel élémentaire et du savoir-faire, de fabriquer artificiellement des échantillons d'ADN qui peuvent être incorporés dans la salive et le sang humain. On peut ainsi disséminer directement de la fausse ADN sur le lieu d'un crime.

"Aujourd'hui, les méthodes d'identification ne permettent pas de distinguer entre des prélèvements de sang, de salive ou des surfaces en contact avec de l'ADN artificiel", écrivent ces scientifiques dans un article publié le mois dernier par la revue spécialisée "Forensic Science International: Genetics".

"Pour fabriquer de grandes quantités d'ADN artificiel, il suffit d'envoyer une tasse de café sale ou un mégot de cigarette à un laboratoire, et pour une somme relativement modique, l'échantillon d'ADN collecté peut être identifié, puis reproduit et réexpédié dans une éprouvette", explique à l'AFP Elon Ganor, PDG et co-fondateur de Nucleix, une start-up israélienne spécialisée dans l'analyse d'ADN. Il suffit alors d'implanter ces échantillons d'ADN, ainsi produits selon la technique dite de "l'amplification globale du génome", sur le lieu de n'importe quel crime.
Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: Les Echos)

Moving to the center of gravity: Biomarkers

If it meets sky-high expectations, the blood test that Nadir Arber is developing could change the world of colorectal cancer, for patients of the deadly disease and the doctors who treat them. And it could make the people and institutions involved in this ambitious project very wealthy indeed. Arber, a professor of medicine, runs the Cancer Prevention Unit at Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov Hospital) in Tel Aviv. His breakthrough is the development of a simple, relatively cheap diagnostic kit costing $50 to $100 for private patients and $30 to $40 when sold in bulk to institutions. The kit does nothing less than provide early diagnosis of colorectal cancer. No less importantly, the test can identify precancerous polyps with the potential of developing into full-blown tumors.

Today diagnosing colorectal cancer depends on a painful and mortifying colonoscopic inspection of the patient's intestinal tract. Whether because of the discomfort or embarrassment, all too many people simply choose to forgo periodic checkups. But, as Arber points out, some 85% of colon-cancer cases are asymptomatic or involve no family history of the disease.
Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: article de Ronny Linder-Ganz @ Haaretz)
Anti Boycott Israel blog: cancer colorectal, diagnostic cancer colorectal, polypes pré-cancéreux

MediWound's burns treatment uses chemical methods rather than surgical techniques

MediWound Ltd., which is developing a gel for the treatment of burns, has completed recruitment of the 175 patients required to file the intermediary report for its Phase III clinical trial for European Medicines Agency (EMEA) approval. Nochi Dankner's IDB Holding Corp. (TASE:IDBH) unit Clal Biotechnology Industries Ltd. (TASE: CBI) owns 56% of MediWound.

MediWound should publish its intermediary report by the end of the year. If the results show that the trial has clearly statistically achieved its main targets, then MediWound will be exempt from recruiting an additional 100 patients in order to provide clear statistical proof in a larger sample of recipients of the treatment. Should that happen then the clinical trial will take an extra year. MediWound is striving to prove that its gel can remove burned and superfluous tissues utilizing a precise and efficient chemical method, instead of current surgical techniques.
Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: article de Gali Weinreb @ Globes)
Anti Boycott Israel blog: brûlures, dermatologie

Convention entre l'hôpital Hadassah de Jérusalem et l'ONG française "Un Coeur Pour la Paix"

ACCORD FRANCE-ISRAËL. Jean-Michel Casa a signé une convention entre l’Hôpital Hadassah de Jérusalem, l’Ambassade de France et l’association "Un Cœur Pour la Paix", présidée par le Docteur Muriel Haim.

Depuis quatre ans, le service de Cardiologie Pédiatrique de l’Hôpital Hadassah opère chaque année 50 enfants palestiniens souffrant de malformations cardiaques graves. Ces opérations sont financées à hauteur de 50% par l’ONG française "un Coeur Pour la Paix" et à 50% par l’Hôpital Hadassah.

L’ambassadeur Jean-Michel Casa, à quelques jours de sa fin de mission a souhaité à nouveau soutenir cette action. Dans le cadre de cette convention, l’Ambassade de France en Israël versera 18.000 euros à l’association "Un Cœur Pour la Paix".
Source: article de Yoël Nermann @ Israel Valley
Anti Boycott Israel blog
A Heart for Peace

La possession de déserts pourrait bien s’avérer être un avantage compétitif du 21e siècle

L’utilisation du patrimoine naturel du désert pour produire de l’électricité devient de plus en plus la focalisation des Gouvernements que ce soit aux Etats-Unis, Mexique où ailleurs. Les Israéliens sont en retard dans ce domaine. David Ben Gourion l’avait pourtant dit : "le désert est le futur d’Israël". Le monde entier est en train de redécouvrir ce Capital Désert.

“Finalement, la possession de déserts pourrait bien s’avérer être un avantage compétitif du XXIe siècle, et c’est tant mieux ! Si les déserts ont depuis longtemps alimenté les peurs de nos civilisations urbaines et développés, ils sont en train de devenir un enjeu de développement et de gestion locale, comme en témoigne la décision américaine de réserver près de 1 000 miles carrés (d’où les 2 500 km carrés et quelques, à la conversion) à des projets d’exploitation solaire. La moitié de cet espace se situant en zone désertique (EcoGeek)" (Agoravox).
Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: article de Daniel Rouach @ Israel Valley)

Israeli-Dutch bike-baby carriage hybrid hopes to stroll to success

Is it a bike? Is it a stroller? No it's a Taga - a hybrid between a bicycle and a baby carriage, jointly produced by Israeli-Dutch designers. "A multifunctional urban vehicle for parents, not a bike or a stroller but a whole new concept," is the description of the Taga given by Hagai Barak, the general manager of the self-titled company producing this new invention.

Essentially the product is a cross between a bike and a baby carriage, which can be transformed within a minute into either. It was created over four years by a team of Israeli and Dutch designers, and is made for city and suburban living, where parents wish to get around quickly and easily, while simultaneously being able to go into shops and buildings one could not enter with a regular bike.

The Taga has won a host of prestigious awards, including the King-Jugend Innovation Award 2008, the Eurobike award and the Red Dot Design Award 2009.
Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: article de Aron Lewish @ JPost)

Le centre de R&D Google en Israël est à l'origne de la version française de son nouveau service Insights for Search

Google a annoncé lundi 17 août le lancement de la version française de son nouveau service Insights for Search, "Tendances de Recherche". Cet outil innovant a été développé au centre de R&D de Google en Israël.

Lancé l’année dernière en anglais, Google Insights for Search permet d’obtenir des statistiques sur les mots clés le plus utilisés sur les moteurs de recherche Google selon différents critères : temporel, thématique et régional. Cet outil permet de mettre en évidence les mots clés qui connaissent les plus fortes progressions, les thématiques qui sont stables ou qui baissent et de les classer par pays, région ou ville.

Yossi Matias, Directeur du Centre R&D d’Israël où sont développés Trends et Insights for Search, explique : "Insights for Search donne un aperçu de l’air du temps. Ce que les internautes recherchent nous donne une idée de ce qui intéresse les gens à travers le monde. Une bonne compréhension des grandes tendances peut s’avérer utile pour les annonceurs, les spécialistes du marketing, ainsi que pour tous les particuliers qui souhaitent mieux connaître le monde qui nous entoure". Selon Yossi Matias, la version en hébreu du service Insights for Search serait en cours de développement.
Source: article de Sébastien Fortin @ Israel Valley

WideMed's sleep apnea monitor was to identify cardiology events

WideMed Ltd. (TASE:WDMD) today reported success in a clinical trial of its Morpheu automated device for monitoring and documenting sleep apnea and cardiology variables.
The study found that documentation by the system was as good as manual monitoring from visual viewing of patients and monitors. In the notice to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE), WideMed cautioned that this was its first important announcement, besides its financial reports, so far this year about the company's activities. [...]

WideMed's sleep apnea monitor was able, among other things, to distinguish between awake and sleep states, identify and classify sleep apnea events, and identify cardiology events. The study results were submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in order to obtain marketing approval for Morpheus for this purpose. WideMed already has FDA clearance for the diagnosis of sleep apnea and cardiology events in intensive care units, and the company signed a marketing agreement with GE Healthcare two years ago. In its financial report for the first quarter, WideMed said that joint marketing of Morpheus would begin in a few months.
Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: article de Gali Weinreb @ Globes)
Antibcott Israel blog apnée du sommeil, cardiologie

World summit on terrorism's global impact to be held in Israel

The flagship annual gathering of the international counter-terrorism community will be hosted for the ninth time by the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) in Herzliya, Israel, on September 7-10, 2009. More than 1,100 top decision-makers, defense, intelligence and police officials, prominent academic scholars and security industry leaders from 53 countries took part in last year's conference. Hundreds of new participants from around the globe are expected to join them this year for three intensive days of professional lectures, workshops and discussions, scheduled to coincide with, and commemorate, the terror attacks of September 11, 2001.

At the ICT conference counter-terrorism experts, security professionals and leading academic scholars from around the world are able to network, establish essential cooperation mechanisms and exchange views on best practices. Participants in the conference have the chance to broaden their understanding from an interdisciplinary viewpoint and learn from fellow government agencies, research institutes and industries about real-world challenges posed by modern and post-modern terrorist organizations.
Source: ISRAEL 21c
Photo: Wikipedia
Anti Boycott Israel Blog: lutte contre le terrorisme, conférence en Israel

Mazor's SpineAssist completes successful surgeries

Mazor Surgical Technologies Ltd. (TASE:MZOR) today announced that its SpineAssist robotic navigational device for spinal surgeries was successfully used in three procedures to remove malignant tumors in the spine and procedures on the neck vertebrae. These procedures are considered particularly risky. The procedures were carried out at the N.N. Burdenko Neurosurgical Institute in Moscow. [...] SpineAssist, Mazor's flagship product, is a robotic navigation and imaging system that enables great precision for spinal implants and other procedures, in line with the surgeons' pre-procedure planning. The device enables surgeons to use minimally invasive procedures on the spine.

The demonstration procedures at the Burdenko Neurosurgical Institute could open the Russian market to Mazor. The company has a distribution agreement with a Russian medical equipment distributor, and it expects to get more orders from other Russian hospitals. The distributor made a special effort for the SpineAssist, including specialized sales and technical support staff.

Mazor CEO Ori Hadomi said, "The success in these three difficult procedures is further evidence of the level of precision and high stability of the SpineAssist technology that we developed. The response of the Russian doctors confirmed the system's capabilities and level of navigation precision that it provides, enabling the doctors to provide patients with treatments that would not have been possible with the robot. We believe that completion of this additional application of the SpineAssist is of significant clinical and commercial value for the company, and will enable Mazor to offer the SpineAssist for target audiences that have been waiting for it, since they hitherto lacked a response to their needs."
Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: article de Yossi Nissan @ Globes)
Anti Boycott Israel blog: robotique, chirurgie colonne vertébrale

Optoacoutics: communicate despite MRI noise

Rooms with magnetic resonance instrument (MRI) scanners are noisy places due to loud whistling and thumping by the magnetic and electronic equipment. An Israeli company, Optoacoutics, has developed an optimal communcations system that cancels noise in the MRI room, making it possible for doctors, nurses, technicians and patients to converse normally and minimizing the chance of medical errors. The Tel Aviv company, whose CEO is Dr. Yuvi Kahana, has sold its IMROC (interventional MR optical communications) system at the the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, one of the world's leading oncology centers.

The IMROC system, claimed to be unique, uses optical headphones and optical microphones that support up to eight concurrent dialogues, eliminating MRI noise and providing previously unheard voice quality. The system has a highly directional fiber-optic microphone integrated with patented, fiber-optic headphones, an optics-based switching unit worn by staffers in the scanning room and a six-channel mixing console. Dr. Kamran Ahrar, the lead interventional radiologist at the Texas hospital, said that since the IMROC technology was installed, MRI rooms have become much more efficient as staffers are able to understand each other. For its various interventions, the MRI room staff use up to five IMROC headsets to communicate.

The new system is now being installed at three additional leading MRI facilities in the US. One hopes the money will be found so that Israeli hospitals can purchase it too.
Source: article by Judy Siegel-Itzkovich @ JPost

Laparoscopy co Virtual Ports gets EU CE Mark

The company's EndoGrab devices has already been used in 50 procedures, without any significant complications. Virtual Ports Ltd. has obtained EU CE Mark for its EndoGrab device that reduces the number of incisions (or ports) needed to perform laparoscopic surgical procedures.

EndoGrab is an internally anchored, hands-free retracting device that eliminates the need for the hand-held retractor traditionally used during laparoscopic procedures, thereby reducing scarring and some of post-surgical complications associated with abdominal incisions.
Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: article de Gali Weinreb @ Globes)
Anti Boycott Israel blog: laparoscopie

Biocancell jumps on clinical trial success (lung cancer)

Biocancell Therapeutics Ltd. (TASE:BICL) today notified the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) that it had successfully completed a clinical trial on laboratory mice for the effectiveness of its lung cancer treatment BC-819. The company's share jumped 25.1% to NIS 3.70.

In the trial the drug was injected into the lungs of the mice which had been induced with lung cancer. The results of the trial found that the malignant growths that had been treated by BC-819 were "significantly smaller compared with the control group that had not been treated."

Biocancell conducted the trial in Munich as part of its attempts to develop cancer drugs that destroy cancerous cells while preserving healthy cells. The company said that it would "consider continuing the development of the drug in accordance with the resources at its disposal." [...] Since that investment, Biocancell has conducted trials on ovarian cancer and the renal pelvic and has received approval for a trial on pancreatic cancer.
Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: Globes)
Anti Boycott Israel blog: cancer poumon, cancer pancréas

Teaching the blind to see through sound

A new soundscape language has been created by an Israeli researcher that allows blind people to 'see' objects, in much the same way a bat does. Sounds can delight the ears and the soul, but according to Israeli researcher Dr. Amir Amedi, sounds can also give sight to the blind. After all, if bats can echolocate and "see" with sound, then why not people, too?

Amedi, of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has an eye-opening approach. Using sounds which can be associated with the basic shapes of physical objects, Amedi and his Dutch colleague Peter Mejeri have effectively trained a number of congenitally blind people to "see." The patients do not "see" via the optic nerve in the eye, but use their visual cortex directly. The sounds that Amedi's new software and algorithms teach to the blind are, in effect, a new language called "soundscapes." Soundscapes could enable those blind from birth, or newly blind, to "see" who and what is in a room.
Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: article de Karin Kloosterman @ ISRAEL 21c)
Anti Boycott Israel blog: cécité, malvoyance

France-Israël - succès pour Given Imaging qui fait un carton en France

EXCLUSIF - Selon des sources exclusives d’IsraelValley en Israël et en France, les ventes de Given Imaging pour cette année sont en croisssance spectaculaire (les chiffres sont sous embargo).
Selon notre enquête téléphonique auprès de médecins parisiens, le fait que la Sécurité Sociale Française remboursent la capsule endoscopique depuis quelques mois a joué un rôle essentiel.
Fin 2008 Given Imaging avait annoncé que le Ministère de la Santé français et la Caisse Nationale d’Assurance Maladie ont publié l’arrêté portant sur le remboursement de la PillCam® SB et a fixé son prix à 418 euros hors taxe de TVA. La décision a été publiée dans le Journal Officiel en date du 21 novembre 2008.
ISRAELVALLEY PLUS - La capsule Pillcam SB est indiquée dans les situations suivantes :
1. Les saignements digestifs chroniques obscurs extériorisés et/ou occultes et l’anémie ferriprive chronique avec suspicion d’origine digestive.
2. Le diagnostic positif de la maladie de Crohn chaque fois qu’elle est suspectée cliniquement et biologiquement alors que les examensmorphologiques sont négatifs.
Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: article de Dan Assayah @ Israel Valley)

Israel's Given Imaging developed the first ingestible video camera, so small it fits inside a pill. Used the view the small intestine from the inside, the camera helps doctors diagnose cancer and digestive disorders.

Israel: new drug hope for children with leukemia

New Israeli research that links childhood leukemia to a protein mutation found in adults with a common blood disorder holds out hope of a cure. Israeli researchers have discovered a vital new link between childhood leukemia and a protein mutation that leads to a blood disorder in adults. The discovery holds out hope for a possible new treatment for children suffering from blood cancer. A drug now in clinical trials for the adult disorder could also prove effective in treating a similar mutation in children with leukemia.

Every year around 4,500 children in America are diagnosed with leukemia, according to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, making it the most common childhood cancer. For most children who receive this diagnosis, the prognosis is good. Around 80 percent of them will recover and go on to lead healthy lives. For 20%, however, the illness will prove deadly.

One protein mutation links to various disorders
Dr. Shai Izraeli, of Tel Aviv University's Sackler School of Medicine and Sheba Medical Center first began research into this field when he and his team discovered a mutation of the JAK2 protein in patients with Down syndrome. Izraeli's discovery was published recently in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet.
Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: ISRAEL 21c)

Médical: Israël développe la plus petite caméra au monde

Deux compagnies israéliennes – Medigus spécialisée dans la fabrication de matériel médical, et la fonderie de silicium Tower Semiconductor – ont annoncé leur décision de coopérer pour fabriquer la plus petite caméra vidéo médicale du monde.

La minuscule caméra sera basée sur la technologie CMOS. Le terme CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) désigne une technologie de fabrication de composants électroniques. Elle pourra être utilisée dans divers domaines médicaux et surtout la chirurgie : la caméra miniature sera un endoscope jetable pratique soit pour établir un diagnostic, soit pour traiter une maladie ou un traumatisme.

Medigus, compagnie spécialisée dans la miniaturisation des instruments de diagnostic et de chirurgie, s’est associée au spécialiste du développement de semi-conducteurs et de puces Tower, dans l’espoir de réduire grâce à cette nouvelle technologie le coût des endoscopies et autres procédures de diagnostic, et pour améliorer les méthodes de traitement.
Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: Israel Valley)
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Two Israeli companies - Medigus and Tower Semiconductor - have announced their collaboration on the world's smallest medical video camera. The disposable mini-camera will measure a mere 700 by 700 microns, or about seven times the width of a human hair. The sophisticated tiny camera will be used for disposable endoscopes and various medical and surgical purposes.

Medigus, experts in the miniaturization of diagnostic and surgical tools and Tower, a leading specialty semiconductor manufacturer and image sensor provider, expect the innovation will lower the cost of diagnostic procedures, as well as improve curative treatments in growing markets such as Gastroenterology, Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopy Surgery, Bronchoscopy, Orthopedics and ENT.

The first samples have already been distributed, with mass production expected to begin in the middle of next year.
Source: ISRAEL 21c

IOptima gets EU CE Mark for laser glaucoma treatment

Bio-Light Israeli Life Sciences Investments Ltd. (TASE:BOLT) portfolio company IOptima Ltd. has obtained EU CE Mark certification for its OT-134 non-invasive laser glaucoma treatment.

In contrast to US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, CE Mark certification only relates to a product's safety, but not necessarily to its efficiency. Product safety certification is critical for IOptima, given the scary nature of its therapy - laser beams that reduce the internal eye pressure, even though it does not penetrate the eye membrane. The company will soon begin marketing the OT-134 in Europe.
Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: Globes)

Enfin un traitement chirurgical du glaucome à la fois sûr et simple

New drug could prevent epilepsy in brain trauma victims

A joint Israeli-American study has identified a drug that could prevent changes in the brain that lead to epilepsy after brain trauma. For people who suffer severe head injuries, there's good news and bad news. The good news is that because of better medical care, many people who would have previously died of their injuries now survive. The bad is that between 25-50 percent of them will go on to develop epilepsy, and currently no treatment exists to prevent this happening.

Now an Israeli neurosurgeon believes he may have an answer. Dr. Alon Friedman, a professor and researcher at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, together with researchers from UC Berkeley, California has identified a TGF Beta Blocker that prevents epilepsy after traumatic brain injury in rats.

If the findings, which were published this month in The Journal of Neuroscience, are confirmed in humans, a TGF-beta blocker may prevent many cases of epilepsy in accident victims, Iraqi war GIs who suffer from brain trauma after roadside bomb attacks, or people who develop epilepsy after brain tumors, meningitis or other infections to the brain.

In the Western world, epilepsy affects approximately five million people, with some 400,000 new cases diagnosed each year. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in the US, approximately 2.3 million Americans currently live with epilepsy, and each year, an estimated 25,000 to 50,000 die of seizures and related causes.
Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: ISRAEL 21c)
Anti Boycott Israel blog: épilepsie

Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation is safe and effective for treating depression

Brainsway Ltd. (TASE:BRIN) today announced success in the clinical trial of its Deep TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) for the treatment of depression. Brainsway's share rose 12.3% by early afternoon to NIS 13.90.

56 patients participated in the trial, which was conducted at Hadassah Medical Organization in Jerusalem and Beer Yaakov Mental Health Center. The final results of the safety and effectiveness study found that of the 22 of the 45 patients who completed at least ten treatments showed statistically significant improvement and 13 patients achieved full recovery.
Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: Globes)
Anti-Boycott Israel blog: dépression, traitement dépression par stimulation magnétique transcrânienne

Israel : HU scientists discover how mutated gene speeds Alzheimer's

A Hebrew University of Jerusalem study that found why Alzheimer's develops more rapidly among people who carry a specific mutated gene - a gene which appears in a fifth of Americans and Israelis - is arousing much interest among dementia scientists, as it offers a promising approach to help treat the disease.

Researchers at HU's Silberman Institute of Life Sciences finally solved a mystery about the BChE-K gene and published their findings in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, which featured it on the cover and selected it as its "Paper of the Week."

In theory, the carriers of the mutated gene should actually be more protected from the devastating effects of the disease than those with a normal gene because the altered protein the normal one produces breaks down the neurotransmitter acetylcholine at a slower rate than in those who have the normal version. The result is that the carriers maintain higher levels of this neurotransmitter, so they should theoretically be protected from Alzheimer's, in which acetylcholinelevels decrease.
Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: article par Judy Siegel-Itzkovich @ JPost)

Israel: 'Electronic sniffer' that can also identify kidney disease

A chemical engineer at the Technion who was named one of the world's 35 top young scientists after developing a device that can detect cancers by "sniffing out" biomarkers, has now discovered that it can also be used to discover the presence of kidney disease. It will "require a long and tiring path" to reach the target of diagnosis of kidney disease early enough to delay kidney failure and dialysis, says Dr. Hossam Haick, since 2006 a senior lecturer in chemical engineering, whose electronic "nose" can diagnose cancer in just two or three minutes by analyzing a patient's breath.

Raised in Nazareth, Haick, 34, received his bachelor's of science from Ben-Gurion University and doctorate from the Technion; he spent two years at the Weizmann Institute of Science and later pursued post-doctoral research at the equally prestigious California Institute of Technology (Caltech), where he did much of the work leading to the device. He currently holds the position of senior lecturer in the Technion Faculty of Chemical Engineering and the university's Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute.

Last year, Haick was chosen for inclusion in a list known as the "TR35" from more than 300 nominees by a panel of expert judges and editorial staff at Technology Review, the magazine of innovation of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Previous TR35 lists have included Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page and Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg.
Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: article par Judy Siegel-Itzkovich @ JPost)

Le détecteur de mensonges israélien fabriqué par Nemesysco utilisé par TF1 pour son émission Secret Story

TF1 utilise en effet une technologie israélienne pour détecter la véracité des paroles et des émotions des candidats de Secret Story.
La technologie a été présenté dans le prime du 31 août en direct par une interview de l’inventeur de la technologie, le mathématicien Amir Lieberman. La technologie, élaborée par à Zuran, en Israël, avait pour vocation initiale des applications dans les secteurs militaires, les compagnies d’assurances et la police.
Nemesysco a été créée en 2000 à partir de brevets dans le domaine de l’analyse vocale. La technologie utilisée pour ses détecteurs de mensonges ne nécessite aucun contact physique avec l’individu. Le détecteur n’est donc pas visible mais permet de reconnaître diverses émotions et de détecter des variations insensibles à l’oreille humaine afin d’identifier le trouble et le mensonge. La détection dure moins d’1 minute avec un taux de réussite de plus de 90%.
Les détecteurs de mensonges Nemesysco sont commercialisées environ 10.000$ et ont été testés avec succès en Israël. Ils sont déployés dans les services de renseignements et dans l’armée israélienne, ainsi que dans de nombreux aéroports, notamment celui de Moscou (Domodedovo ) depuis juillet 2006.
Anti Boycott Israel blog: TF1 émission Secret Story, détecteur de mensonges
(Source: article de Mickaël Finkelstein @ Israel Valley)

Israel: new tech could coat buildings in efficient solar-energy panels

A revolutionary development could change the face of solar electricity production: The Jerusalem-based GreenSun Energy says that it has developed a photovoltaic panel capable of using sunlight from any angle. The development is based on light-concentrating technology which the company says enables high efficiency production of solar electricity - even when the sunlight is of relatively low intensity.

The solar panels can be turned into a cost-effective transparent coating for buildings or windows. This development has important advantages over normal solar panels: Firstly, one panel can produce as much electricity as a regular panel five times its size, which makes it far more cost efficient. In addition, the panels do not collect heat, they don't require cooling systems and are more efficient in this respect as well.
Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: article par Avi Bar-Eli @ Haaretz)
Anti Boycott Israel blog: panneaux photovoltaïques, énergie solaire
- Audio interview by the Economist and Prof. Reisfeld (juillet 2009)
- Economist writen article (juillet 2009)

Oral drugs that can pack more of a punch

It may be the latest scientific trend, but Professor Simon Benita of the Hebrew University's School of Pharmacy has been working with nanotechnology since long before it had a name. His 25 years of research in nanotech has culminated in a new vehicle for oral drug delivery based on the microencapsulated double-coated nanocapsules that he developed.

Normally, our bodies' defenses would stop and break down orally administered drugs, so that we only benefit from about three-quarters of their potential effectiveness. Now, thanks to P-gpBypass, Benita's invention, important cancer and HIV drugs as well as a range of immunosupressants should be able to slip through those defenses to treat disease more effectively. The oral route is preferred, but only 40 percent of all drugs are water-soluble. This means that many drugs are administered intravenously, which is less effective and may lead to unpleasant side effects, or, they are delivered orally, in which case they have limited bioavailability.

Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: article de Karin Kloosterman @ ISRAEL 21c)

Anti Boycott Israel blog: médicaments, nanotechnologie

ISRAEL FRANCE NANOJV - Prof. S. Benita, J. Garnier, S. Augoula, Y. Bornstein, Dominique Bourra : Coopération SHIZIM - GLAIZER

Côte d’Ivoire - Israël : Des experts israéliens forment des coopératives agricoles

L’ONG ECOPA (entreprise de commercialisation de produits agricoles), en collaboration avec l’ambassade d’Israël, a organisé la cérémonie d’ouverture d’un séminaire de formation, le 27 juillet 2009 au District d’Abidjan, au Plateau. Cette séance de formation, qui s’inscrit dans le cadre de la coopération entre la Côte d’Ivoire et l’Etat d’Israël, est destinée aux coopératives agricoles ivoiriennes. Elle est assurée par deux experts israéliens et portera sur le thème : "L’organisation et la gestion des coopératives agricoles". Selon SEM Benny Omer, ambassadeur d’Israël en Côte d’Ivoire, "Israël n’a pas hésité à mettre à la disposition de ECOPA ses plus grands experts dans la recherche et l’innovation agricole".

Le diplomate a donné l’objectif recherché à travers ce séminaire en ces termes : "Pour l’occasion, nous sommes ce matin tous invités par ECOPA qui est une entité ivoirienne dont l’objectif est de permettre au paysan ivoirien de vivre réellement de ses activités tout en lui donnant l’occasion de s’ouvrir sur l’extérieur et de diversifier ses produits. Au-delà de tout cela, c’est de lui permettre de tirer le meilleur profit", a-t-il affirmé.Le directeur général de ECOPA, M. Germain Brou a justifié le choix d’Israël pour former ces coopératives agricoles ivoiriennes. "Nous avons décidé de rompre avec les anciennes méthodes pour nous tourner vers l’expertise de nos frères d’Israël", a-t-il dit. Selon lui, la coopération avec l’Etat d’Israël permettra davantage de développer l’agriculture et donc l’économie de la Côte d’Ivoire.
Lire l'intégralité de l'article » (Source: article d'Acsa Gnanchou @ abidjan.net)
Antiboycott Israel blog