Nothing against bloodhounds, but finding bodies buried by someone who wanted them to stay undiscovered can be difficult. However a new technique developed by scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), can reliably detect biochemical changes in a decomposing cadaver, The NIST instrument is a modification of a technique developed at the lab to sense minute levels of difficult-to-detect chemical compounds.

Read the full story here

A new membrane developed at the University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics blocks gas from flowing through it when one color of light is shined on its surface, and permits gas to flow through when another color of light is used. It is the first time that scientists have developed a membrane that can be controlled in this way by light. The membrane is a piece of hard plastic riddled with tiny holes.

Read the full story here

A new research project at the University of Leicester is set to play a vital role in continuing research into viable alternatives to invasive autopsies, which many families find to be unpleasant. The research team at the University of Leicester’s East Midlands Forensic Pathology Unit has won a substantive award by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to investigate and develop the use of cardiac angiography in relation to near virtual autopsies.

Read the full story here

Epocal, Inc. has announced that it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance to market its new lactate test on the epoc Blood Analysis System. Lactate measurements from the epoc System are used to evaluate acid-base status and for diagnosis and treatment of lactic acidosis. The addition of lactate to the epoc BGEM Test Card further expands the clinical utility of the Company’s point of care blood gas and electrolyte platform.

Read the full story here

The FDA has approved a portable polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing device, which can be used by military doctors to diagnose novel H1N1 flu infections in troops stationed overseas. The device, called (Joint Biological Agent Identification and Diagnostic System), is a rugged, suitcase-sized instrument that can run PCR-based molecular diagnostic tests. It has been under development for several years by a consortium of military health research centers, the CDC and academic medical laboratories.

General Electric Co.’s GE Healthcare unit has received FDA approval of its LightSpeed CT750 HD, the first high-definition computed tomography (CT) scanner. According to the company, the product improves image quality while reducing dose by up to 50% across the entire body and by as much as 83% for cardiac scans.

Abbott Laboratories has introduced the Architect i1000SR immunochemistry analyzer. The analyzer can process up to 100 tests per hour, accommodate 65 patient samples and prioritize emergency test results to provide results in less than 16 minutes. The launch of the Architect i1000SR analyzer has expanded the company’s Architect family of diagnostic instrument systems for clinical laboratories.

CombiMatrix Corporation announced that its subsidiary, Combimatrix Molecular Diagnostics, has completed the clinical validation of its highest density constitutional array genetic test to date, the BAC HD Scan test. Following the successful validation, CombiMatrix has launched the test, which can diagnose over 125 genetic disorders.