The Edison Histotripsy System
The Edison Histotripsy System designed to destroy tumors without incisions, needles or radiation.

CHICAGO, January 9, 2024 (Newswire.com) - Bubbles make any kid’s day better. Now, they’re improving the lives of cancer patients at the University of Chicago’s medical center as well. 

Dr. Osman Ahmed and his colleagues received a new ultrasound device last week. It uses the gases naturally present in human tissue to create tiny micro-bubbles that mechanically break up liver cancer tumors, a process called histotripsy. The “Edison Histotripsy System,” from the company HistoSonics, recently received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

UChicago Medicine’s Edison is among the first four deployed in the world. It was funded by a $500,000 grant from the GI Research Foundation through its CA CURE initiative. CA CURE is the largest funding program in the foundation’s history, and it provided nearly $20 million in support last year to advance the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of gastrointestinal cancers.

“Histotripsy is a new category of treatment,” said Ahmed, an interventional radiologist and Associate Professor at the University of Chicago. 

“Minimally invasive treatment becomes noninvasive treatment. No surgery. No needle. A really fancy ultrasound – the same technology used to look at a baby in utero – is used to blast tumor cells. It lowers risk and reflects every patient’s desire not to have something invasive.”

The Edison Histotripsy System includes a computer-guided robotic arm with multiple ultrasound transducers on it, both for imaging and delivering the therapy. During treatment, Dr. Ahmed will be able to visualize the patient’s liver, precisely zero in on the tumor, and use the same device to hit the tumor with thousands of pulses of sonic energy. Those pulses will induce bubbles only a few millimeters in diameter – the size of an individual grain of rice. The creation and movement of those bubbles will break up the tumor and leave nothing but completely liquified and destroyed cells to be naturally absorbed by the body. 

The pulses are very precise, and the bubbles dissipate nearly instantly when the treatment is stopped. That means there are no burns or unwanted damage often caused by thermal or radiation treatments. 

“This world would look very different without physicians like Os and his team,” said Mike Blue, CEO of HistoSonics. “True innovators want to offer the most recent and up-to-date treatment options for the patients they care for, and, without them, new technologies would never make it to the people who need it the most.” 

The Edison Histotripsy System is currently approved for use with liver tumors, and treatment will initially focus on patients with particular types of tumors. It will likely be used for treatments of many other gastrointestinal and abdominal cancers in the future. Funding from the GI Research Foundation allows Ahmed and UChicago Medicine to stay at the cutting edge of those treatments.

“We probably wouldn’t have access to this technology for years without support of the GI Research Foundation,” Ahmed said. “The rate-limiting step is always getting the funding, which is momentum lost. This process only took a few months and was seamless. I’m still pinching myself – like it’s too good to be true.”

“The GI Research Foundation has a legacy of funding high risk-high reward and innovative science, and doing so efficiently and extraordinarily effectively. Dr. Ahmed and his colleagues are one of the multiple beneficiaries of CA CURE, a dedicated campaign that we launched in 2022 to tackle the most difficult challenges of colorectal cancer,” said Dr. David Rubin. Rubin is the Joseph B. Kirsner Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at University of Chicago Medicine. He is also GI Research Foundation’s Senior Scientific Advisor. 

According to Katie Chudnovsky, chair of the foundation’s Board of Directors, “This quick, high-impact funding is exactly the way we want to operate. Our rigorous scientific review process, tremendous team, and deep connections to the University of Chicago are such a powerful combination, and we’re going to see the benefits of that combination with Dr. Ahmed’s patients very soon.”

About the GI Research Foundation

The GI Research Foundation was founded in 1961 by grateful patients and friends of the late Dr. Joseph B. Kirsner, a pioneer in gastroenterology who devoted his life to medicine, teaching, and patient care. Today, the University of Chicago Medicine’s Digestive Diseases Center, which is supported by the foundation, is internationally recognized for research-driven medicine and its team of highly specialized physicians. For more information, see: https://giresearchfoundation.org/

About the University of Chicago Digestive Diseases Center

The Digestive Diseases Center at the University of Chicago Medicine is a collaborative, multidisciplinary network of physicians, researchers and affiliated health professionals who share a legacy of innovation and a common purpose: to improve the lives of patients who suffer from digestive diseases. For more information, see: https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/conditions-services/digestive-diseases

TRUMBULL, Conn., January 9, 2024 (Newswire.com) - The sam® 2.0 long-duration wearable ultrasound unit from ZetrOZ Systems was cleared by the the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for expanded indications to treat soft tissue injuries and knee osteoarthritis, a decision that will make the sustained acoustic medicine device more readily available to patients with a wider range of medical conditions.

Specifically, sam® 2.0 clinical efficacy studies supported the new FDA indications for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis, upper back myofascial pain, and shoulder, elbow, and ankle tendinopathy.

With its effectiveness documented in more than 40 studies, ZetrOZ Systems’ sustained acoustic medicine has been popular with professional, college and amateur athletes for the treatment of a variety of sports injuries. The FDA’s clearance of expanded indications for the sam® device means it may be safely and effectively used in more conditions that affect the general population. Knee osteoarthritis, for example, affects an estimated 32 million people in the United States.

FDA clearance also has significance for health care providers and health insurance companies, indicating to physicians that they can prescribe the ZetrOZ sam® device with confidence and paving the way for insurers to eventually cover the treatment.

“We’re thrilled that the sam® wearable ultrasound unit is now FDA-cleared for expanded medical indications,” said George K. Lewis, founder and CEO of ZetrOZ Systems. “Dozens of studies over the last decade have shown that our sustained acoustic medicine technology effectively treats numerous types of injuries. This FDA clearance will make it easier for doctors and their patients to utilize our ultrasound treatment to speed injury healing without the need for oral medication, corticosteroids, or surgery.”

The effectiveness of sam® in treating soft tissue and other injuries has been documented in 42 peer-reviewed publications and 20 Level 1-5 clinical studies and is protected by 46 U.S. patents. ZetrOZ's sam® devices are the only FDA-cleared wearable ultrasound units approved for daily use at home. ZetrOZ's technology was developed, in part, with funding from the National Institute of Health, National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, and NASA.

For more information on ZetrOZ Systems and the revolutionary sam® 2.0 ultrasound device, please visit www.samrecover.com.

About ZetrOZ Systems

ZetrOZ Systems is leading healing innovations in sports medicine, developing wearable bioelectronic devices for the delivery of sustained acoustic medicine (sam®). Researched and funded by the federal government, ZetrOZ is built on the proprietary medical technology of 46 patents and is the exclusive manufacturer and developer of the sam® product line, which is designed for the treatment of acute and chronic musculoskeletal conditions.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., January 9, 2024 (Newswire.com) - As colleges and universities deal with budget constraints, Mentavi Health, which pioneered telehealth services through ADHD Online, is partnering with the institutions’ student health centers to provide mental health services and help all students succeed academically. 

As mental health care becomes better understood, higher education institutions are facing a growing demand for mental health services from students with ADHD, anxiety, depression and other issues. That increased demand comes when financial resources are more limited, forcing student health services to outsource mental health assessments – often with wait times of six to nine months for in-person appointments. 

That can mean students are unable to receive diagnoses and begin treatments until the next semester or even the next academic year, placing their academic success in jeopardy.

By working with Mentavi Health, colleges and universities have a way to connect students with timely and cost-effective diagnoses and treatments. 

“We partner closely with the care team within the student health centers at our partner institutions. On many campuses, we are happy to complete assessments and render diagnoses and then refer students back to the colleges’ health services to develop proper treatment plans based on our findings,” said Tim Gutwald, Vice President of Business Outreach at Mentavi Health.  “This way, the institution can maintain control over how medications are being prescribed and administered on campus, and the student can minimize their out-of-pocket costs for appropriate medical treatment.” 

Working with Mentavi provides other benefits for both students and institutions.   

Students with untreated ADHD are three times more likely to drop out before they graduate. Colleges understand that neurodiverse students contribute to the campus environment and can be incredibly successful if given the proper support. As colleges seek to attract those students, Mentavi can help them provide the accommodations students need for success. Mentavi’s “Smart Assessment” is being used by multiple colleges within their classroom accommodation process.  

Mentavi’s expert assessments can be crucial for students’ health. Students often exhibit symptoms that sound like ADHD but also sound like anxiety or depression. It requires a clinical expert to help identify which of these highly related conditions is affecting a student, and a proper treatment plan must consider the source of the symptoms to be effective.  

“A simple six-question survey that looks like it comes out of a magazine will not give a psychologist enough information to make this determination,” Gutwald said. “Our Smart Assessment is designed to draw out more details to ensure our psychologists can identify what conditions are involved. We want it to be simple and easy, but we think it should take longer to complete a mental health assessment than it takes to order a burrito online.” 

Mentavi strikes a necessary balance with its clinician-designed Smart Assessment system: It is easy to complete, and Mentavi delivers results based on the sound clinical evaluation by its licensed psychologists in days instead of weeks or months.  

Mentavi also helps students access mental health care by making assessments, diagnosis and treatment affordable. “Traditional off-campus assessments may cost thousands of dollars, even after any health insurance contributions,” Gutwald said.  

“In general, the cost of our Smart Assessment is extremely competitive compared to the out-of-pocket costs incurred by students who are covered by their school’s student health plans,” Gutwald said.

Mentavi also addressed many issues that colleges and universities struggle to manage. First, its diagnoses for ADHD, anxiety, and depression stand up to clinical scrutiny, because they are evaluated by a licensed mental health professional and based on clinical frameworks.

Mentavi’s process also is developed with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) considerations, such as whether assessment language penalizes some populations, and whether the summary report and communication consider the diverse backgrounds and specialized needs of the entire student population.  

Universities’ athletic departments are using Mentavi’s Smart Assessment to document a valid diagnosis of a condition that may require a student-athlete to take a medication that could otherwise disqualify them from competition under NCAA guidelines.   

Colleges also are concerned about the introduction and proper use of certain prescription medications on campus. Mentavi’s assessments can reduce risks of medication diversion and improper use of prescribed substances.  

“With Mentavi’s assessment, the institution can maintain control over how medications are being prescribed and administered, and the student can minimize their out-of-pocket costs for appropriate medical treatment,” Gutwald said. “Mentavi is proving to be an effective partner for higher education, both in holding down costs and in ensuring that all students have their best chance for success.”  

For more information, visit https://mentavi.com.

About Mentavi Health and ADHD Online    

Mentavi Health was launched as ADHD Online (adhdonline.com) in 2018 with the mission that everyone should have access to quality ADHD assessments from a licensed psychologist regardless of who and where they are. As the reach has expanded to address diagnosis and, in some cases, treatment of ADHD and adjacent mental health conditions, ADHD Online is now a brand under Mentavi Health. The Mentavi Smart Assessment is offered nationwide, with treatment options available in 40 states.

HealthMe Logo

NAPLES, Fla., January 9, 2024 (Newswire.com) - HealthMe announced today they have entered a partnership with Boston Hernia to launch HealthMe’s direct pay platform that allows deployment of transparently priced healthcare bundles via a convenient marketplace designed specifically for their growing community of direct payers. Building upon HealthMe’s rapid growth within the musculoskeletal space, the agreement with Boston Hernia is a major milestone as the first expansion into another surgical specialty. This validates the premise that independent practices across multiple specialties can, and will, provide better solutions that are especially suited for direct payers: both self-pay patients and self-insured employers who seek better ways to provide quality, value-based care for their employees. 

Bringing collaborative surgical decision-making to their patients, the team at Boston Hernia emphasizes the importance of spending more time with each patient learning, educating, and discussing the best treatment options. The partnership with HealthMe helps patients and payers gain a further understanding of the cost of care with transparently priced surgical bundles and consumer-friendly payment options which eliminates concerns over the cost of care and surprise bills. 

“Over the last 22 years, we have been caring for hernia patients, listening to their needs and goals, and adapting our practice to best serve our patients,” commented Michael Reinhorn, MD, founder of Boston Hernia. “With our launch of the HealthMe platform, we are staying true to our commitment of compassionate care and a state-of-the-art patient experience. Our partnership takes best principles of technology innovation and revenue management to accelerate our goals in providing the optimal patient care coupled with measurable gains in office workflow and staff engagement.”

“Based on their commitment to practice excellence and the digital transformation of healthcare, Boston Hernia is the perfect partner to launch our platform into other specialty practices,” commented Michael Havig, MD, HealthMe Founder and CEO. “As we expand into general surgery and other specialties, we are committed to the success of independent medical practices like Boston Hernia as they serve as the backbone of quality, accessible specialty care for the majority of Americans. We are proud to partner with Dr. Reinhorn and the world-class team at Boston Hernia.”

About Boston Hernia

Performing over 1,000 hernia surgeries every year, Boston Hernia offers a tailored approach for each patient. An independent practice owned by their providers, Boston Hernia brings a “small business” approach to care which allows them to focus on each individual patient and help them return to doing the things they love. The providers at Boston Hernia are committed to continuously improving their surgical techniques and outcomes by participating in various hernia societies, studying their outcomes through a national registry, and publishing data to influence the care of hernia patients nationally and internationally. Boston Hernia is an independent, affiliate practice of the Mass General Brigham system. In addition to operating at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, a Mass General Brigham Hospital, Boston Hernia offers care at Boston Outpatient Surgical Suites in Waltham MA, and the Surgery Center of New Hampshire-Derry.

About HealthMe®

HealthMe is a visionary healthcare company committed to transforming the healthcare experience for providers, payers, and patients alike. With a focus on transparency, affordability, and personalized care, HealthMe’s direct pay and direct contracting solutions are redefining the healthcare payment landscape—especially for specialty care. HealthMe’s direct-pay platform provides medical practices with a secure, proven solution to effectively serve the growing population of direct-pay patients and payers.

IRVINE, Calif., January 9, 2024 (Newswire.com) - DentalXChange, the dental payments platform, announces the relaunch of Dental Billing Services. These services provide clients supplemental support with expertly trained administrative staff across all, or specific, revenue cycle management processes. "The dental industry is facing an ever-increasing challenge in accessing affordable, experienced talent to ensure administrative and business-related functions of managing a dental office happen timely and effectively," said Paul Kaiser, CEO of DentalXChange.   

DentalXChange’s Dental Billing Services streamline processes for clients by providing Claim Follow-Up, Payment Posting, Claim Submission and Dental Insurance Verification services. These services lower costs, accelerate cash, increase revenue, and provide partnership for office staff to be more effective, or address turnover challenges. As the dental industry continues to evolve and adopt new technologies and processes to improve efficiency, having access to trained dental revenue cycle talent will be critical. "Our team has been providing Dental Billing Services for more than eight years under the Virtual Dental Office brand and became part of the DentalXChange family through an acquisition. We are excited to introduce Dental Billing Services to all DentalXChange clients and the dental industry more broadly," indicated Paul Kaiser. "DentalXChange has nearly 100 clients utilizing one or more of the services which operate as an extension of their client's team."

About DentalXChange

Since 1989, DentalXChange has been on the forefront of modernizing and innovating dental claims creating dental payment solutions that bring ease to the payments process. Today, it has grown to support a current client base of more than 107,000 dental providers. Headquartered in Irvine, CA, through its own clearinghouse, state of art technology consisting of modern APIs, and secure Web portals, DentalXChange processes over 300 million transactions, consisting of more than 71 million dental claims annually. 

SALT LAKE CITY, January 9, 2024 (Newswire.com) - Mazree, a cutting-edge provider of medical equipment disposition services, has announced a strategic partnership with Capstone Health Alliance, one of the largest regional group purchasing organizations in the U.S. healthcare sector. The new collaboration combines Mazree's expertise in equipment value recovery with Capstone's vast industry leadership to benefit Capstone members significantly.

Capstone Health Alliance has a proven track record of delivering value and savings to its members through strategic partnerships with leading suppliers. By partnering with Mazree, Capstone aims to enhance its equipment value recovery capabilities and provide innovative solutions to its members. With its advanced medical equipment auction platform, Mazree has transformed the way buyers and sellers of medical equipment connect, enabling healthcare facilities to sell surplus and retired equipment to a vast network of trusted buyers.

The partnership highlights include streamlined asset management, enhanced financial returns, elevated environmental responsibility, and advanced software with transparent reporting. By leveraging Mazree's expert asset disposition services, Capstone Health Alliance members can efficiently manage surplus or retired medical equipment and optimize resource utilization and space management. Through Mazree's targeted approach and extensive network, members can unlock the total value of their surplus equipment, providing an additional revenue stream that can be strategically reinvested in the healthcare ecosystem.

Capstone and Mazree are firmly committed to sustainability and environmental responsibility in healthcare. By choosing Mazree, Capstone members can demonstrate their shared value of prioritizing responsible recycling, resale, and donation practices. Mazree's advanced software offers Capstone members a seamlessly integrated solution, providing real-time updates through user-friendly software, automating workflows, and centralizing asset management. Mazree's analytics capabilities empower data-driven decision-making, ensuring members are audit-ready and facilitating strategic planning. This commitment to transparency and software strengthens Capstone Health Alliance's reputation for excellence in the industry.

"This strategic partnership marks a significant milestone in Mazree's commitment to providing unparalleled value in the healthcare sector. By combining Capstone’s membership network with Mazree's cutting-edge solutions, we are eager to reshape the landscape of equipment value recovery," said Curtis McEntire, President of Mazree.

“Key partnerships are fostered when a need is identified, and solutions are required,” stated Tim Bugg, president, and CEO of Capstone Health Alliance. “This collaboration with Mazree will allow our Members to recoup significant funds and repurpose equipment that would otherwise sit dormant or find its way to a landfill. Need identified. Solution procured and now available for all Capstone Members.”

About Mazree:

Mazree is a leader in medical equipment disposition services, providing an advanced auction platform that maximizes the value of surplus and retired medical equipment for healthcare facilities. With a commitment to innovation and efficiency, Mazree transforms the industry by providing a seamless and value-driven experience. To learn more about Mazree, please visit www.mazree.com

About Capstone Health Alliance:

Headquartered in Asheville, NC, Capstone Health Alliance is a leading regional group purchasing organization (GPO) that collaborates with hundreds of hospitals and thousands of healthcare providers nationwide. Capstone’s primary goal is to deliver tangible savings and provide actionable data to enable informed supply chain decisions. Capstone is committed to helping Members reduce costs, enhance quality, and foster the exchange of best practices. This is achieved through an unwavering dedication to price parity, offering consistent savings regardless of organizational size or location. Capstone Members also gain exclusive access to educational opportunities and benefit from the expertise of their dedicated team of supply chain professionals. To learn more about Capstone Health Alliance and how their innovative solutions can benefit your organization, please visit www.capstonehealthalliance.com