Revolution ahead for US health tech

America's healthcare IT overhaul will involve much more than just electronic medical records. This is the bold prediction from Cisco CEO John Chambers, who forecasts a major revolution in the way that Americans access medical care, reports TheStreet.com.

President Obama's ambitious plans for revamping US healthcare relies heavily on technology, and Washington has earmarked billions of dollars to drag the sector's IT systems into the 21st century.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes $19.5 billion for health IT, and Obama has vowed to implement electronic medical records by 2014. With companies like IBM, Intel, GE and McKesson all vying for a slice of the e-health pie, Cisco chief Chambers is predicting that video will play a major role in the sector in coming years.

Life Technologies officials said at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference that the company expects to introduce an early-access programme in late 2010 for its single-molecule sequencing system, according to GenomeWeb Daily News.

The technology underlying that system came from Life Tech's 2008 acquisition of Visigen for $20 million. The real-time, single-molecule, sequencing-by-synthesis technology would represent the firm's third-generation sequencing technology, beyond its long-standing capillary electrophoresis franchise and its 'Solid' next-generation instrument.

Life Technologies chairman and CEO, Greg Lucier, told investors at the conference the firm plans to present more information on the single-molecule sequencer, as well as make "a major announcement" regarding updates to Solid at the Advances in Genome Biology and Technology meeting in February.

Dell has introduced the Optiplex XE desktop for retailers, the healthcare industry, and original equipment manufacturers, states InformationWeek.

The system is designed to withstand high heat, dust, and 24-hour operation. The desktop fits easily into medical carts, video rental kiosks, retail point-of-sale systems, and other custom deployments, Dell said.

The OptiPlex XE is built to operate in enclosed spaces and can withstand heat up to 131 degrees Fahrenheit with an optional ducting kit. Standard port covers offer basic dust protection, and an optional dust filter is available to help reduce downtime associated with dust removal.