Yet More Breakthroughs in Science and Technology

Yet More Breakthroughs in Science and Technology
Here is yet another installment in the series on incremental change in science and technology. As ever, check out data on the improving state of the world at www.humanprogress.org. Prawn Sex-Change Boosts Yields. Male prawns grow faster and get to be …
Omaha, Neb., (Nov. 29, 2010)RadTrac, an informatics and biotech solutions firm, has created breakthrough radiation dosage tracking technology that will track and prevent unnecessary radiation exposure for patients and limit liability for hospitals and other medical related facilities.
Overexposure to radiation can lead to serious health problems including cancer. There are currently standards set by the American Medical Association for radiation limits but currently, there are no established procedures to track the cumulative radiation a patient receives. This can lead to patients receiving higher doses of radiation due to medical tests such as x-ray exams and MRIs. RadTracs goal is to help patients and medical staff understand the amount of radiation absorbed by the patient and to help offer alternative exam options for patients who are at risk for radiation overexposure.
Patient radiation levels are tracked and monitored through RadTracs proprietary Radiation Dosage Tracking System (RDTS) software engine. Before a patients exposure level reaches an unsafe amount, health care providers are alerted and can review diagnostic options before exposing that patient to more radiation, making facilities aware of the potential for overexposure. RDTS allows the physician and medical team to concentrate on practicing medicine and make informed decisions about radiation exposure in real-time.
“The RDTS will not only prevent excess exposure and track cumulative exposure, but can also be used as a research tool in the future,” said Gena Kriewald, Co-founder and Vice President of Clinical Development. “The educational benefits that come from creating a national database of radiation exposure on a variety of modalities are immeasurable. By sharing dosage level information across a network of hospitals throughout the nation, facilities can learn not only how to limit exposure but also what modalities are most effective while offering the least amount of radiation.”
“We are currently tracking several facilities with various modalities in regions throughout the United States,” said RadTrac Chief Executive Officer Jesse Fisher. “The RadTrac system takes a proactive approach to preventing radiation exposure by tracking the amount of radiation patients are exposed toboth at the procedure level and cumulativelyand alerting medical professionals before high levels of radiation exposure are reached.”
RadTrac implemented the initial phase of RDTS testing in March of 2010, and completed beta testing in June. The product is now available for release.