Nanotechnology: New Fluorescent Silicon Particles Discovered
Researchers have developed a new synthesis method, which has led them to the discovery of fluorescent silicon nanoparticles and may ultimately help track the uptake of drugs by the body's cells.
Dr Klaus von Haeften, scientist in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Leicester, explained: "A key advantage of the new method is the independent control of the nanoparticles' size and their surface properties. The method is extremely versatile and produces the fluorescent suspensions in one go."

The nanoparticles contain just a few hundred silicon atoms and their fluorescence was discovered after mixing them with water. This resulted in stability in fluorescence intensity over more than a three month period.

An interdisciplinary research project with the Department of Chemistry, led by Professor Chris Binns and Dr Glenn Burley, also incorporates this new method of synthesis. They are aiming to link nanoparticles to drugs involved in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

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GE Healthcare, a division of General Electric Company, and global eHealth specialist InterComponentWare, Inc. (ICW), announced that the companies have signed a strategic agreement to integrate and co-develop their health information exchange (HIE) solutions.

Through this relationship, GE Healthcare and ICW will leverage their existing solutions and co-develop new offerings for the health information exchange and global eHealth marketplace.  Using ICW’s expertise in eHealth and patient connectivity, GE Healthcare will enhance Centricity® Health Information Exchange service’s existing technology, patient connectivity and communications tools while further bolstering their security and interoperability capabilities.

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Royal Philips announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire the assets of InnerCool Therapies Inc., a pioneer in the field of therapeutic hypothermia, which involves the management of a patient’s body temperature. InnerCool, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cardium Therapeutics, Inc. (NYSE Amex: CXM), will be acquired in an asset purchase transaction for US $11.25M, as well as the transfer of approximately US $1.5M in trade payables. The transaction will reinforce Philips’ leadership position in the emergency care market by adding body temperature management solutions to its existing product offering in this field.

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Ortho Clinical Diagnostics announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the VITROS® Anti-HCV assay for use on the VITROS 5600® Integrated and 3600® Immunodiagnostic Systems.  This approval marks a major milestone in the successful launches of Ortho Clinical Diagnostics’ clinical laboratory testing platforms, and enables the consolidation of hepatitis C testing with routine assays on the VITROS® 5600 Integrated System.

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Covidien announced that its Mallinckrodt Inc. subsidiary is voluntarily recalling one lot of Mallinckrodt Sodium Chromate Cr-51 Injection, lot #370-9004 as a result of routine post-market testing in which the product was found to be subpotent. Sodium Chromate Cr-51 Injection is a radiopharmaceutical diagnostic agent used in the determination of red blood cell volume or mass, the study of red blood cell survival time and evaluation of blood loss. Increased red blood cell volume is associated with a disease known as Polycythemia rubra vera, which is diagnosed by relying on various blood and other test results. Using subpotent product could lead to an incorrect result in red blood cell volume or mass. A misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis followed by a delay in treatment puts patients at an increased risk of embolus or stroke.

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