15 May 10 Chemical Cocktail Can Keep a Heart Viable 10 Days, Outside the Body

nj_peeps writes "Science fiction is fraught with mad scientists who discover strange chemicals that can empower the human body or even reanimate the dead. Well, Harvard has come about as close to that scenario as anyone would want them to. Prof. Hemant Thatte has developed a cocktail of 21 chemical compounds that he calls Somah, derived from the Sanskrit for 'ambrosia of rejuvenation.' Using Somah, Thatte and his team have accomplished some amazing feats with pig hearts. They can keep the organ viable for transplant up to 10 days after harvest – that's incredibly longer than the 4-hour limit seen in hospitals today. Not only that, but using low temperatures and Somah, they were able to take a pig heart that was removed post mortem and get it to beat 24 hours later in the lab."

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15 Jul 10 Fujitsu's wireless guidance system promises to free patients from the waiting room

It may not do much to speed up wait times, but Fujitsu is at least doing its part to make the time outpatients spend at hospitals and clinics a bit easier. It's announced a new wireless outpatient guidance system, which packs an electronic paper display, and accommodates a card that a patient would receive when they arrive for their appointment. When placed in the card reader, the device would automatically register the patient at the hospital or clinic, guide them to their destination, and continually inform them of their wait time and place in line. It'd also, of course, work anywhere there's a wireless signal, so you'd be able to leave the waiting room without having to worry about missing your appointment. No word on any hospitals that have signed up to use it just yet, but the system will be commercially available in February of next year. Full press release after the break.

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Fujitsu's wireless guidance system promises to free patients from the waiting room originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tagi: guidance system, promes, gizmag, wireless signal, wait times, waiting room, aced, wait time, card reader, fujitsu, ace, hospitals, appointment, press release, nbsp