Smart Health

Why washrooms in French hospitals advise paper towels for drying hands

Blog by Professor Frédéric Barbut, medical microbiologist, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, hôpital Saint-Antoine, Paris

Did you know that we all carry many millions of bacteria on our hands? Anything between 100 to 1,000,000 per square centimetre of skin! But before you start to panic, rest assured that many of these bacteria occur naturally, along with fungi and viruses, and are normally harmless (or ‘not pathogenic’ to use the scientific term). They are known as ‘resident microflora’ and can actually be beneficial in protecting us from infection. Common strains include Staphylococcus and Micrococcus.

Merck Launches First Software for Complete Data Traceability in Microbial QC

M-Trace® Electronic Test Record Software offers digital cleanroom-friendly solution for sterility testing
Digitizes pharmaceutical microbial quality control workflows
Enables complete, real-time, comprehensive data traceability and regulatory compliance, reducing deviations and human error

Merck Signs MoU with KAIST to Advance Scientific Collaboration

Partnership to facilitate collaborative research in academia and industry to further progress in life sciences.

Partnership to facilitate collaborative research in academia and industry to further progress in life sciences
Multi-dimensional program to build local research capability and startup ecosystem as well as joint R&D projects
Further example of Merck’s close cooperation with Korea, following the recent € 300 million bioprocessing investment in Daejeon

eschbach Launches Shiftconnector Equipment Hub to Streamline Regulatory Compliance in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Global software developer eschbach, the provider of the Shiftconnector® enterprise manufacturing platform for the process industry, has a module, Shiftconnector® Equipment Hub. Designed for the pharmaceutical industry, the Equipment Hub ensures data integrity, simplifies search and retrieval across logs for audits and inspections, and streamlines compliance reporting.

Limula raises $6.8M to democratise access to life-saving Cell and Gene Therapies with Swiss-made manufacturing platform

Award-winning technology combines a bioreactor and a centrifuge into one single vessel for the first time, a new approach gentler to patient cells during process steps.

SABIC introduces VALOX HX325HP resin for high-precision diabetes management devices, offering excellent processability & chemical resistance

High-flow, biocompatible PBT grade to be shown at NPE2024

New VALOX™ HX325HP resin meets international standards of biocompatibility and change management.
This unreinforced polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) resin has predictable processing and performance properties, including excellent mold release, flexible sterilization options and high environmental stress cracking (ESC) resistance.
It addresses a growing need for medical devices that enable more-convenient and personalized insulin administration and glucose monitoring by patients.

What QI has to do with AI

At HANNOVER MESSE 2024, QI-Digital will be showing two demonstrators from the "AI in Medicine" pilot project: a testing platform for AI algorithms and an open-source MRI that can be built cost-effectively thanks to AI.

Merck Invests More Than € 300 Million in New Life Science Research Center in Germany

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz emphasizes significance for Germany as research location at cornerstone laying ceremony
Research center to accelerate biopharmaceutical product development
Part of Merck’s € 1.5 billion investment program in Darmstadt by 2025

ETS campaign charts the evolution of research into hand drying over 15+ years

Showcases how studies have probed different facets of hand drying and their impact on hygiene and cleanliness

Extra power to strap on

The S700 shoulder exoskeleton from exoIQ is an innovative, ergonomic aid. It provides active support during tiring activities at chest height and overhead work. It relieves the muscles in the shoulders, arms and neck. Tools or your own arms feel almost weightless.