3dMDnews

Advancing Healthcare through 3-D Surface Imaging

February 2002

Volume I, Issue 3

NEWSLETTER CONTENTS

· Tailor-Made Dressings - Body Talk Article reprint from South London Press… (See below to read more)

· How 3-dimensional surface imaging contributes to better patient care for wounds patients… (See below to read more)

· 3-D Market Momentum… (See below to read more)

· Newsletter Sponsor – 3dMD, LLC… (See below to read more)

1) Tailor-Made Dressings - Body Talk Article reprint from South London Press, 26 October 2001

At Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery, (based at King’s College) London, a £1 million grant is being invested to boost research into revolutionising dressings for chronic wounds. With the use of three-dimensional imaging, medical staff will be able to look at the layout of people’s wounds and the area of the body that’s affected. This is where the research will come into its element. Through this process it is hoped people will be able to have dressings cut to size or in effect, tailored for their needs. Dr Trisha Grocott, who is leading the research, said: “Our studies will characterise the needs of patients and communicate them to the industry to bring about a much needed improvement in the design of dressings and chronic wound care.” – Peter Harrison, South London Press

The three-dimensional imaging system supplied by 3dMD is currently located in the Radiotherapy Department in Guy’s Hospital, which is part of King’s College. King’s College London was established by King George IV in 1829 and became one of the founding colleges of the University of London. It is now a multi-faculty institution with students occupying a leading position in higher education in the UK and worldwide reputation for teaching and research. For more info on King’s College, please visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk.

2) How 3-dimensional surface imaging contributes to better care for wounds patients

Today, all wounds dressings are manufactured in industry standard sizes, regardless of the actual size needed for an individual patient’s wound. Additionally, when patient’s wounds comprise a large surface area, healthcare professionals are required to piece several dressings together to cover the wound. Research and patient feedback generated at the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery has shown that taking a “one-size-fits-all” approach to wound care causes embarrassment and discomfort for patients, especially in more severe cases when the wound is chronic. As Dr Trisha Grocott, project manager for the study, points out, “patient movement causes wound dressings to move which alter its original position, therefore if the initial fit isn’t the best possible fit, it will only get worse over time causing more discomfort for the patient and more work for hospital staff.”

To ensure a solid foundation for feedback to the industry, the School is utilizing 3dMD’s clinically-accurate 3-D surface imaging device to assist in the measurement of the wound surface area as a basis for each unique dressing size. “With the use of three-dimensional imaging, our medical staff has a clinically-accurate, electronic visual record of wound patients,” states Dr Grocott. “This is significant because it helps us to minimize the pain and discomfort of trying to measure the wound area directly on the patient and eliminates the errors caused by lack of perspective data in two-dimensional photographs.”

3) 3-D Market Momentum

With more than 30 customers worldwide, 3dMD is excited to report its continued momentum for 3-D surface capture and application in healthcare through its growing user community. During the past few months, 3dMD has received orders from…

· Malaysia - Cybron Technology, a 3dMD distributor, on behalf of the Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia for multidisciplinary use

· UK - Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh

· South Africa - AME International, a 3dMD distributor, on behalf of the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital Kwa Zulu Natal for multidisciplinary use

· US - Connecticut-based Hartford Hospital for wounds management applications

…and commissioned new systems at:

· UK - London-based King’s College Hospital for chronic wounds management applications

· US - Atlanta-based Dent/AART for comprehensive restorative dentistry applications

· US - Illinois-based Decatur Memorial Hospital for burns assessment applications

With a maturing portfolio of application solutions, 3dMD is positioned to continue its market momentum through Channel Partner programs, supported by an enthusiastic and ever growing user community.

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