Alcon DAILIES TOTAL1® helps Canadian essential workers fight the fog
New campaign provides one year's supply of contact lenses to 100 Canadian essential workers
TORONTO, March 1, 2021 /CNW/ - Alcon DAILIES TOTAL1® is helping Canadian essential workers fight the fog by giving 100 deserving workers a one-year's supply of DAILIES TOTAL1® lenses. The brand recognizes that on top of everything else, the last thing essential workers should have to deal with is the daily annoyance and interference of fogged-up glasses caused by constant mask-wearing.
"With masks mandatory, foggy glasses are just part of the daily routine for so many Canadians. This reality is even more difficult for our essential workers who are out on the frontlines every day," said Nelson Da Silva, senior brand manager, "We're pleased to be able to ease this one challenge for a number of Canadian essential workers, so they can safely and more comfortably do the important things that keep us all going."
Until March 15, 2021, Canadian essential workers can visit Fight the Fog for a chance to receive a one year's supply of Alcon DAILIES TOTAL1® lenses. Additionally, in a time when supporting local is so important, Canadian essential workers can receive an enhanced rebate of $150 off a one-year supply of DAILIES TOTAL1® lenses when purchased through their local optometrist or optician until May 31, 2021.
As the world's first water gradient contact lenses, Alcon DAILIES TOTAL1® lenses feel like nothing on your eyes, offering unsurpassed comfort while eliminating the issue of fogged-up glasses. SmarTears Technology releases a component found in natural tears throughout the wearing day to keep eyes hydrated all day long. Alcon DAILIES TOTAL1® lenses are offered in both spherical and multifocal lenses, with a silicon hydrogel core that offers outstanding breathability.
About Alcon
Alcon helps people see brilliantly. As the global leader in eye care with a heritage spanning more than seven decades, we offer the broadest portfolio of products to enhance sight and improve people's lives. Our Surgical and Vision Care products touch the lives of more than 260 million people in over 140 countries each year living with conditions like cataracts, glaucoma, retinal diseases and refractive errors. Our more than 20,000 associates are enhancing the quality of life through innovative products, partnerships with Eye Care Professionals and programs that advance access to quality eye care. Learn more at www.alcon.ca. You can also connect with us on Instagram and Facebook.
About DAILIES TOTAL1® Contact Lenses
DAILIES TOTAL1® contact lenses are designed for people with presbyopia and are intended to be used on a daily disposable basis. The contact lenses are available with a power range of – 6.00 to + 3.00D and three ADD powers (Low, Med, High). DAILIES TOTAL1® contact lenses are medical devices that must be prescribed by an eye care professional. See product instructions for complete wear, care, and safety information.
SOURCE Alcon Canada
Major Depressive Disorder: The Hope-Filled Battle for the Causes and the Cures
Spokane, WA, March 1, 2021 — The voice on the other end of the phone was familiar but shaky. It was Sarah’s friend Carolyn, and she was grappling with suicidal ideation.
“Something had her in its grip and would not let go,” Sarah Zabel explains. “I kept wondering, what’s doing this? How does a normal, happy person come to feel life is so bad that she must kill herself?”
A decade after that first phone call, solutions for Carolyn’s major depressive disorder remained elusive, and Sarah felt compelled to understand why.
Fighting Chance: How Unexpected Observations and Unintended Outcomes Shape the Science and Treatment of Depression delivers a 360-degree look inside the world of this debilitating illness, featuring interviews with more than 20 experts in the fields of neuroscience and psychiatry, current research and the unforgettable stories of 16 people personally impacted by depression.
Described by Sarah as a “science book for non-scientists,” Fighting Chancetackles key questions that have guided scientific research for decades and delves into the discoveries that have formed the medical world’s understanding of the disorder. Peppered throughout are more than 20 illustrations that help explain the science involved — making it widely accessible.
Sarah adeptly explores topics ranging from the neurobiology of depression to antidepressant medications; stress and inflammation; genetics; suicide; traditional and alternative therapies and treatments; and even gives a nod to Big Data’s efforts to clarify depression’s causes and cures.
Ultimately, Fighting Chance is a tale of human endeavor and ingenuity, of downright weird experiments and serendipitous discoveries, and of people who valiantly battle for answers for themselves and for people they will never know.
Author Sarah Zabel graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy with a degree in computer science in 1987 and was commissioned a second lieutenant. She retired from the Air Force in 2018 as a major general and decided to turn her focus to her life-long love of learning and become a science writer. She set herself the task of first coming to understand, and then to explain for other lay-persons, the science behind some of life’s most complex but important human experiences. Inspired, intrigued and frustrated by an enduring friend’s battle with depression, she set that topic as her first task. Sarah does occasional consulting and other activities associated with her time as one of the military’s leaders in cyberspace operations and security, in the provision of communications and other services to a community, and leadership of a diverse workforce.
Biosimilars Canada Announces Board Chair and Vice-Chair
TORONTO, March 1, 2021 /CNW/ - Biosimilars Canada is pleased to announce the unanimous re-election of Mr. Michel Robidoux, President and General Manager of Sandoz Canada, as Chair of the Biosimilars Canada Board.
Mr. Mike Woolcock, a Senior Vice President at Apobiologix, has been unanimously re-elected as Vice-Chair of the Biosimilars Canada Board.
The COVID-19 pandemic has burdened healthcare systems like never before and payers, employers, patients and healthcare providers are all looking for ways to create savings for sustainability. Biosimilars are an important solution. Biosimilars are safe, effective alternative versions of existing biologic medicines with scientifically comparable quality, safety and efficacy.
Mr. Robidoux noted that the full benefits of biosimilars cannot be realized unless drug plans adopt policies that support their expanded use, as the B.C. and Alberta public drug plans did with the implementation of successful biosimilar transitioning or "switching" policies in 2019.1,2 Under these policies patients who use a biologic drug to treat a chronic condition are transitioned or "switched" from an original biologic drug to a biosimilar biologic drug under the supervision of their treating physician.
This has enabled the provinces to provide expanded coverage of new innovative drugs for patients and to make other reinvestments in their healthcare systems, without impacting the equality of care or clinical outcomes for patients. Other provinces are working towards the implementation of biosimilar switching policies in 2021.
"Biosimilar medicines have an important role in supporting healthcare sustainability and patient care," said Mr. Robidoux. "The implementation of biosimilar switching policies could save the Canadian health care system hundreds of millions of dollars, and is the responsible choice for those who are seeking to optimize their drug budgets."
An October 2020 report by the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network (ODPRN)3 estimates that provincial drug plans could save up to $425.6 million annually by switching patients from three top-selling drugs in Canada – Humira adalimumab, Enbrel etanercept and Remicade infliximab – to biosimilar versions. A similar magnitude of savings would be available for employer-sponsored benefit plans.
Mr. Woolcock noted that there is extensive real-world experience with biosimilars in Canada, with more than 561,000 retail prescriptions filled annually. Biosimilars are also used extensively in the hospital and oncology markets. There have also been more than 178 clinical trials worldwide involving approximately 21,000 switched patients which confirm that switching from an originator biologic drug to a biosimilar biologic drug is not associated with any major efficacy, safety, or immunogenicity issues.4
"A Health Canada approval confirms that biosimilars are as safe and effective as originator biologics. Biosimilars are already providing considerable value to the Canadian healthcare system, and are poised to be a game-changer for drug budgets in much the same way that generic medicines were more than two decades ago," added Mr. Woolcock.
Michel Robidoux has been President and General Manager of Sandoz Canada since 2010. He has more than 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and medical equipment industries, and is also an active contributor to the Canadian pharmaceutical industry as a member of the Executive Committee member of the CGPA and a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Association of Pharmaceutical Supply Management (CAPDM). Mr. Robidoux holds a Bachelor degree in Business Administration from the Université du Québec in Montreal and has an A.S.C. (certified company administrator) designation from the Collège des administrateurs de sociétés of Université Laval.
Mike Woolcock is a Senior Vice President at Apobiologix, the biologics division of Apotex. Mr. Woolcock has extensive commercial and supply operations leadership experience and has worked globally on several international assignments. He has also held many roles in research and development in both pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Mr. Woolcock earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in biochemistry and genetics from La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia.
About Biosimilars Canada Biosimilars Canada is a national association representing the biosimilar medicines industry in Canada. Our member companies are at the forefront of the global development and marketing of biosimilar medicines. Biosimilars Canada provides leadership in educating Canadian stakeholders about the safety and efficacy of biosimilar medicines, and advocates for policies that support their timely approval, reimbursement, market acceptance and expanded use. Biosimilars Canada is a division of the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association. Visit us at www.biosimilarscanada.ca.
About Biosimilar Medicines5 A biosimilar biologic drug, or biosimilar, is a drug demonstrated to be highly similar to a biologic drug that was already authorized for sale. Health Canada evaluates all the information provided to confirm that the biosimilar and the reference biologic drug are similar and that there are no clinically meaningful differences in safety and efficacy between them. Health Canada's rigorous standards for authorization mean that you can have the same confidence in the quality, safety and efficacy of a biosimilar as any other biologic drug.
Let God Transform Your Brokenness into Something Beautiful
Seattle, WA, March 1, 2021 — The next time you experience failure, feel insecure or sense that you’re in over your head, embrace that moment — because it can be the turning point you need to learn and grow in wonderful new directions.
“We’re going to fail. The truth is, that’s exactly where God wants us to be so that He can grow us,” writes Christine Soule in her inspirational story, Broken and Beautiful. “The key is discovering who you are in Christ — your true identify. And that’s especially significant if you, like me, have a past of brokenness.”
Soule’s life was a jumbled pile of broken pieces. Her father was married seven times; her mother four times. Between her parents’ divorce when she was 5 years old and the day she allowed the power and presence of God into her heart, she watched her sister have an affair with her adoptive father; met 15 siblings she never knew at her biological father’s funeral; turned to drugs and alcohol; got pregnant at 17; had twins less than two years later; and became a victim of human trafficking. She had to break the cycle for the sake of her children. With nowhere else to turn, she dropped to her knees and prayed. And that’s when everything changed.
Broken and Beautiful is Soule’s remarkable story of how God took the pieces of her broken, astonishingly dysfunctional life and transformed it all into a breathtaking mosaic of joy and purpose.
“The places where you feel hopeless are exactly what He wants to redeem and fill with beauty, dignity and strength. He has a plan for your pain. A wonderful intention for your failures. A purpose for your hardest, darkest stories,” Soule writes.
Told with honesty and surprising touches of humor, Soule shares her journey from drug-addicted stripper to exuberant Jesus lover with a passion for helping others embrace God’s love. Broken and Beautiful is a raw, authentic story of hope, from a place of experience.
Author Christine Soule lives with the love of her life, Mitch Soule, in Seattle. They have five kids and three wonderful grandchildren. She is the founder and CEO of Providence Heights (www.providenceheights.org), a nonprofit created to house women and children in need and to provide counseling, education and jobs.
LOS ANGELES - Airvet, the #1-rated telehealth software application in the U.S. for both veterinarians and pet parents according to nearly 5,000 reviews in the Apple App Store, has officially expanded to Canada, the company announced Monday.
The U.S.-based, connective care company is a comprehensive web-based platform, which enables veterinary professionals to streamline their workflows, while enhancing their connection and communication with clients.
“It’s really a one-stop-shop, when it comes to appointment setting, client communications, curb-side check-in, live-video visits, doctor’s notes or dictations, and so much more,” said Brandon Werber, CEO and founder of Airvet. “With my father being a veterinarian, I saw first-hand the challenges he was facing day-in and day-out, so we worked together to create a digital solution, which streamlines back-office tasks, while making veterinary medicine accessible for anyone with a connected device.”
While Airvet was developed and operational before COVID-19, the pandemic increased demand for telehealth options in the veterinary space.
Besides providing curbside check-in and assistqance with scheduling, Airvet offers hospitals the ability to streamline surgical communications like sending message and photo updates before, during and after surgeries. Additionally, lab results are easy to share and discuss directly with clients, along with daytime and after-hours triage options.
Airvet also features video and audio calls, text, and photo/video uploads, with the ability for practices to accept no-hassle digital payments. Hospitals have access to a desktop and tablet portal where they can collaborate in real-time with their entire team.
“In the end, Airvet gives more time back to veterinarians and their teams, which means more time to focus on better care for the animals they serve, while enhancing communication between their practices and pet parents,” said Dr. Jeff Werber, Airvet’s co-founder and chief veterinary officer. “We are thrilled to introduce our fully functional, connected care solution to Canada, which will undoubtedly assist Canadian practices with running a more productive practice.”
About Airvet
Headquartered in Los Angeles, Airvet is the leading veterinary telemedicine/telehealth platform in the country. With more than 4,200 veterinarians and nearly 5,000 5-star reviews on the App Store, Airvet’s cloud-based technology offers a unique telemedicine and workflow efficiency platform that enables veterinarians and their teams to connect with clients via live video, audio and chat. Airvet also includes a robust built-in triage and support community of thousands of veterinarians available 24/7 to pet parents across the country. The app is available on both the App Store and Google Play.
Savor Ecuadorian Cuisine To Your ‘Hearts’ Content With Bold New Ecuadora™ Brand From Plant-Based Pioneer Edward & Sons™; New Organic, Vegan & Gluten-Free Line Includes Two Delectable Hearts Of Palm Pastas
Initial Low-Cal Offerings Include Grain & Sodium-Free Lasagne & Linguine Plus Low Sodium Hearts of Palm
Edward & Sons Trading Company™ (edwardandsons.com), a vegetarian company and pioneer in the plant-based foods industry that first introduced Miso-Cup® instant soup and gluten-free Brown Rice Snaps® in the 1970s, welcomes a new member to the company’s family of brands: Ecuadora™ – a bold new line created to enable American consumers to savor authentic Ecuadorian cuisine right in the comfort of their own homes.
The announcement was made today by Joel Dee, founder and CEO of Edward & Sons™, which has been at the forefront of the vegan and vegetarian movement for close to 45 years. Ecuadora™ joins the company’s family of brands, including Edward & Sons™, Let’s Do Gluten Free®, Let’s Do Organic®, More Than Fair®, Native Forest®, Nature Factor®, Road’s End Organics® and organic gluten free specialty sauces under the Premier Japan® and The Wizard's® brand names.
Although each Edward & Sons™ brand has its own unique identity, they all share the company’s longstanding commitment to Convenience Without Compromise® – a promise that’s more attuned to the needs of today’s health, cost and convenience-conscious consumers than ever before.
A Taste of Ecuador Without Leaving Home
Created to offer home cooks a passport to the many culinary wonders of picturesque Ecuador (which straddles the equator on South America’s west coast), the new Ecuadora™ brand debuts with three certified organic, low-calorie, plant-based specialties. The two new pastas have zero sodium while the Hearts of Palm contain only 25 mg of sodium per 14 ounce can. All are free of cholesterol and trans fats.
Land formerly used to raise cattle in the stunning countryside of Ecuador has been converted into certified organic farmland where indigenous palms, known locally as chontaduro, are cultivated for their “hearts,” which are the basis of the three new Ecuadora™ products introduced today:
Organic Hearts of Palm (Palmitos Organicos) – Prized by professional and neophyte cooks alike, Organic Hearts of Palm are a delicious addition to any meal and a welcome way for home cooks to vary their dishes in these challenging stay-at-home times. They are naturally low in calories and carbohydrates, making them especially sought after by those who follow Paleo and Keto diets. Simply slice and toss them into your favorite salads or sauté them with oil, onions and garlic to create a savory side dish. Ecuadora™ Hearts of Palm can also be blended with roasted red pepper and mayonnaise for a tasty alternative to hummus or just enjoyed as a yummy low-calorie snack directly from the can. Ecuadora™ Hearts of Palm are USDA Organic, gluten-free, vegan and Kosher.
Ingredients: Organic Hearts of Palm, Water, Citric Acid, Salt.
Organic Grain-Free Hearts of Palm Lasagne Sheets – Ecuadora™ has cleverly crafted organic hearts of palm into low calorie, low-carb, grain and gluten-free pasta. As such, they are ideally suited to numerous popular diets currently followed by millions of discerning consumers.
Packed only in water, organic palm pasta – which is also vegan and Kosher – retains a naturally creamy color and texture that deliciously resembles its grain-based traditional counterparts.
Ecuadora™ Organic Hearts of Palm Lasagne requires no boiling – simply remove it from the can, then layer it with ricotta, tomato sauce, spinach or mushrooms and shredded cheese, then cover and bake at 350°F for 30-45 minutes for a piping hot entrée bursting with wholesome flavor.
Ingredients: Organic Hearts of Palm and Water.
Organic Grain-Free Hearts of Palm Linguine Noodles – Like the new Lasagne, Ecuadora™ Hearts of Palm Linguine offers a tantalizingly fresh, natural and versatile alternative to mainstream pasta for those following a restricted diet or for anyone who’s ready to lower their calorie intake without lowering their flavor expectations. Simply heat Ecuadora™ Linguine with your favorite tomato sauce and serve with a sprinkle of parmesan, or serve it warm with olive oil and garlic for “pasta aglio e olio.” The new Linguine is likewise USDA Organic, grain and gluten-free, vegan and Kosher.
Ingredients: Organic Hearts of Palm and Water.
Available online at https://store.edwardandsons.com/collections/new-products and soon in health food stores and mainstream supermarkets nationwide, the two new Ecuadora™ pasta products are sold at a MSRP of $4.79, with the new Hearts of Palm available for $4.99. All three new products are sold in 14-ounce cans.
Passport To Natural Splendor
Ecuador’s varied landscape encompasses the Amazon jungle, the Andean highlands and the wildlife haven of the Galápagos Islands. The country is universally known for its staggering biodiversity, including the many thousands of species of plants and animals that thrive in its lush tropical climate.
Commenting on the introduction of the new Ecuadora™ brand, Edward & Sons’ founder and CEO Joel Dee said, “Ecuador boasts a rich culinary heritage based on locally grown fruits, vegetables and spices. Restaurant-deprived families are eager to incorporate new tastes and recipes into their meal plans, so the timing seems perfect to introduce our new Ecuadora™ brand to the marketplace. We’re heartened by the very positive initial responses to our three debut Ecuadora™ products and look forward to expanding the brand with more wonderful regional specialties in the years ahead.”
In addition to Ecuadora™, Edward & Sons Trading Company™ brands include Edward & Sons™, Let’s Do Gluten Free®, Let’s Do Organic®, More Than Fair®, Native Forest®, Nature Factor®, Road’s End Organics® and organic gluten free specialty sauces under the Premier Japan® and The Wizard's® brands.
Tips for Young Adults to Break the Cycle of Repeating Behavior from Parents Divorce
Ginger Gentile's documentary Erasing Family showcases how families repeat the cycle of traumatized behavior learned during parents’ divorceWashington, DC- The Director of Erasing Family, Ginger Gentile is helping to reunite and heal families following divorce and contentious custody battles. Erasing Family highlights the ways in which many individuals are unable to break learned cycles of damaging behavior from their parents’ divorce years later. As a child of a high-conflict divorce, Ms. Gentile has firsthand experience with the damaging effects of divorce on a young adult’s development personally and professionally. She is urging young adults to follow these steps to help break the cycle and introduce healthy and productive relationships.
Children of divorce often have trouble setting boundaries. Learn how to be friendly yet firm when people overstep.
Until you heal the source of your trauma, you cannot move forward. If you haven't talked with one parent in a long time, reach out to see if you can learn about their perspective and put yourself in their shoes.
Recognize the patterns in your behavior. If you are constantly seeking out relationships and workplace environments that are filled with hostility, take a moment to recognize that this may be a subconscious attempt to recreate the environment you experienced during your parents’ divorce.
Look for work environments that incorporate training programs on how to diffuse conflict in a productive way.
Value communication in your personal relationships. It is important to talk about the behaviors that you do not want to repeat in your romantic relationships that you witnessed during the breakdown of your parent’s marriage.
She argues that there are many important steps parents and children can take to heal following divorce, “Many people do not consider how harmful divorce can be for children’s development. Kids learn so much from analyzing the relationship between their parents. It is incredibly important following a contentious divorce to put your child first. We need to focus on healing the trauma the child experienced during the divorce so that they are not cynical and unable to maintain healthy relationships in the future.”Erasing Family is currently available to stream for free on Tubi, YouTube and to rent on Vimeo, iTunes, and Amazon.
Feeling Forwards: Learn How to Harness the Infinite Energy of Your Emotions
"Feeling Forwards helps you find the power within to overcome unbelievable challenges and take a quantum leap forwards." — TONY ROBBINS
New York, NY, February 26, 2021 — Everything you need to transform your life is already within you, asserts bestselling author and personal reinvention coach Elizabeth Gould. Her empowering new book, Feeling Forwards: How to Become the Person Who Has the Life You Want, can help you say farewell to negative habits, release painful beliefs and tap into your full potential by harnessing the infinite energy generated by your emotions.
“Feeling Forwards is a thinking and feeling revolution. It’s not about writing to-do lists or visualizing every step toward a goal,” Elizabeth says. “Feeling Forwards is about living life as the complete person you’ve forgotten you already are and not as the person who’s just waiting to shine.”
The first half of Feeling Forwards is a fascinating deep-dive into the science proving the true power of our emotions, enabling them to travel forward and backward in time, influence pre-programmed computer outcomes, reverse aging, impact crime rates, fast-track personal reinvention and much more. After understanding the effects that our emotions can truly have on our lives, Elizabeth offers practical applications of the strategies in Feeling Forwardsusing real-life examples of those who’ve successfully integrated the principles into their lives.
Woven throughout are Elizabeth’s candid, personal stories of embracing these principles to thrive through several life-threatening events and dramatic personal upheavals.
The result is a refreshingly relatable, actionable guide to help you create the life you genuinely want to live. Feeling Forwards teaches you how to become the person who has the life you want … today. As Elizabeth reveals, “Today is the past of your future.”
About the Author
A bestselling author and founding member of Randi Zuckerberg’s global leadership school at the Zuckerberg Institute, Elizabeth Gould experiences the joy of working with people around the world to unlock their potential. She has spent decades interviewing thousands of successful professionals to understand how they behave to achieve what they want. Her work is endorsed by world-renowned life and business strategist, Tony Robbins. Feeling Forwards is her third book.
Faith and Tenacity Continue to Drive 91-Year-Old Founder of Boston Area Homeless Shelter
Boston, MA, February 26, 2021 — Sylvia Anthony firmly believes that life is a gift from God, and she’s been using her gift to impact more than a thousand homeless women and children through her nonprofit, Sylvia’s Haven, which she launched in 1987. At 91 years young, Sylvia remains steadfastly involved with Sylvia’s Haven, and hopes to inspire others to overcome life’s challenges and pursue their passions.
“When we do the right thing with the right motives, there is no limit to how far we can go with the help of God,” she writes in her poignant memoir, Till the End of Time. “My advice to you is never give up, whatever comes your way; it is all worth it.”
Sylvia had endured a difficult childhood that included an abusive father and a disinterested mother. Sylvia married young and remained in an abusive marriage until a divorce that left her alone to support her three children. Through her ambition and strength of character, Sylvia persevered, building a life for herself and her kids. After raising her children, Sylvia remarried — still, there was a void. She felt a calling to help young women, and her husband, Rick, encouraged her to follow her heart. Initially designed for homeless pregnant women, her shelter opened on January 25, 1987. Sadly, her husband lost his battle with cancer on March 30 of the same year, telling Sylvia before he died to “go get the girls.” And she’s been giving new hope to young, homeless women ever since.
Hers has been a lifetime woven with tragedy and triumph, but at Sylvia’s core burns a powerful source of courage and tenacity. She shares her remarkable story in Till the End of Time, which chronicles her early days as an unwanted child, born at the onset of the Great Depression; through her turbulent first marriage, which blessed her with three children; to finding love and discovering her divine purpose later in life. The book includes a chapter with testimonials from women who have been helped by Sylvia’s Haven, underscoring the impact of her unwavering dedication to others. Till the End of Time is the ultimate love story, woven with heartwarming memories, inspirational anecdotes and life lessons that will inspire readers to share their own God-given gifts with others.
Author Sylvia Anthony was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame on June 15, 2020. Invited to their museum in Seneca Falls, New York, she drove more than 350 miles for the appointment! Shortly thereafter, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Marquis Who's Who.
A woman of faith, courage, tenacity and love, Sylvia firmly believes that the “golden years” are a time to get busy. As the founder and president of Sylvia’s Haven, a shelter for women and children near Boston, she has helped transform over 1,100 lives in the past three decades. Sylvia refers to her organization as her “magnificent obsession.” Life hasn’t always been easy for Sylvia, but she believes that God not only gives her courage during times of hardship, but also keeps her healthy so that she may realize her dream to open up Sylvia’s Haven locations in all 50 states.
Till the End of Time rose to No.1 in four different categories when it was launched on Amazon and has received 5-star reviews.
TOKYO, Feb 26, 2021 - (JCN Newswire) - Fujitsu Laboratories, Ltd. in collaboration with researchers at the University of Toronto (U of T ) today announced the development of a technology for dramatically streamlining the creation of radiation treat the Digital Annealer, which rapidly solves combinatorial optimization problems.
Fig. 1 Overview of Gamma Knife TherapyFig. 2 Plan Flow with Conventional Method vs. New technology
Gamma Knife radiation therapies are used to treat illnesses including brain tumors and arteriovenous malformations. The process of creating treatment plans using conventional methods is often laborious and time-consuming, and doctors must spend time making painstaking and detailed adjustments to determine how much radiation should be administered to a target while minimizing dose to surrounding tissue. With the newly developed technology, however, medical professionals can create treatment plans in roughly one minute, maintaining the same level of accuracy as conventional methods, while simultaneously calculating a huge number of possible combination patterns of where and how much dose to deliver with the Digital Annealer.
By easing the burden on medical professionals in creating fast and accurate treatment plans, the new technology frees them to devote more time and energy to ensuring patients receive the most effective and humane care possible. Going forward, Fujitsu Laboratories and U of T researchers will continue to test the effectiveness of this technology based on additional patient data, and ultimately develop technologies that actively contribute to improvement of medical science and society at large.
Background
Gamma Knife surgery is used to treat brain tumors and other conditions because of its relative non-invasiveness and highly precise method of delivery of radiation. By using 192 different sources of gamma radiation aimed at different points, the dose to the affected area can be maximized while the dose to the surrounding healthy organs is kept very low. Parameters including position, shape, and dose of radiation must be considered to achieve optimal dosage to the affected area. However, the number of potential combination patterns is enormous, and in current medical practice, doctors generate treatment plans by manually repeating parameter adjustments based on their previous experience. This process can take about 1.5 to 3 hours to generate a plan that meets the patient's individual needs, placing a heavy burden on medical professionals.
While the physician is preparing the treatment plan, the patient may also need to wait, frequently with a frame fixed to their head to limit movement, which may cause some physical discomfort. It is also necessary to secure medical personnel to help to prepare patients for treatment and make sure the frame remains in place.
Recent years have witnessed the emergence of new tools to help ease this process--for instance, software that automates the generation of treatment plans. In the field, however, it often remains the case that the generated plan still requires clinicians to manually modify and adjust the plans.
Since 2017, Fujitsu and U of T have been collaborating in a strategic partnership centered on research relating to quantum computing. With this latest initiative, the parties have collaborated in the development of technology to help apply the use of the Digital Annealer for the generation of treatment plans for Gamma Knife therapies. Researchers at U of T and its medical institutions studied and developed methods to translate the Gamma Knife optimization to combinatorial optimization, a format understandable by the Digital Annealer technology developed by Fujitsu.
About the Newly Developed Technology
U of T researchers, through their methods and the use of Digital Annealer technology by Fujitsu, has developed the following technology to generate treatment plans at high speed while maintaining the same accuracy as treatment plans created by experienced doctors.
1. Using the physical properties of the human body (Dose Profile), the shot shape during gamma irradiation is modeled.
In the past, shots (Concentrated area of gamma rays) formed by multiple gamma rays were assumed to be perfectly spherical during the shot position determination process. However, it has been found that the sphere is not necessarily perfect due to the influence of moisture in the human body. The newly developed technology determines the position of shots utilizing shot shapes reflecting the physical characteristics of gamma rays in the human body. This can contribute to the generation of more accurate treatment plans.
2. Optimization of radiation parameters using the Digital Annealer
In the past, during shot position determination process, multiple gamma ray radiation positions (Position of the shot) were determined sequentially; the position of the first shot was determined and the position of the second shot was determined after that so as to include the remaining part of the affected tissue as much as possible. However, this may not result to the optimal number of shots or positions. By contrast, the Digital Annealer allows users to search for the positions of all shots simultaneously at the beginning, resulting in a more accurate overall optimized treatment plan. It is also possible to obtain an optimized solution for the parameters of the radiation shape, enabling the rapid generation of a treatment plan that optimizes dosage for each patient.
In a study of 49 cases of auditory nerve tumors, U of T researchers compared the newly developed technology against the conventional method. Referring to an index of radiation delivery accuracy, it was found that the developed technology was as accurate as manual planning. Additionally, while it took 1.5 to 3 hours to manually generate a plan, it was possible to reduce this to about 2 minutes with the newly developed technology. By supporting plan generation with the newly developed technology, the time required for Gamma Knife treatment, as well as the burden on patients and medical professionals can be drastically reduced. Reduction of personnel costs for hospitals can also be expected.
Future Plans
Going forward, Fujitsu Laboratories and U of T researchers will continue to verify the effectiveness of this technology based on data from more patients, and will continue to develop technologies that offer the potential to contribute to medical science and society at large. Future potential projects include shortening the time required for Gamma Knife treatment processes themselves rather than the treatment plans, or applying this technology to other radiotherapy methods.
(1) Gamma Knife therapy A noninvasive stereotactic radiation device that delivers gamma rays to the affected area. It is used mainly to treat the head, including brain tumors and cerebrovascular malformations. GAMMA KNIFE is a trademark or registered trademark of ELEKTA AB (PUBL) in the United States and other countries.
About Fujitsu Laboratories
Founded in 1968 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujitsu Limited, Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. is one of the premier research centers in the world. With a global network of laboratories in Japan, China, the United States and Europe, the organization conducts a wide range of basic and applied research in the areas of Next-generation Services, Computer Servers, Networks, Electronic Devices and Advanced Materials. For more information, please see: http://www.fujitsu.com/jp/group/labs/en/.
About the University of Toronto
Founded in 1827, the University of Toronto has evolved into Canada's leading institution of learning, discovery and knowledge creation. We are proud to be one of the world's top research-intensive universities, driven to invent and innovate. The university offers 700 programs of study at its three campuses in the Greater Toronto Area and has full affiliations with nine teaching and research hospitals. For more information, visit utoronto.ca.
Fig. 1 Overview of Gamma Knife Therapy
Fig. 2 Plan Flow with Conventional Method vs. New technology