NEWS
UK GOVERNMENT BANS ELECTRONIC DISPOSABLE VAPES TO PROTECT CHILDREN ' S HEALTH
Disposable vapes will be banned in the UK as part of ambitious government plans to tackle the rise in youth vaping and protect children ’ s health . The law involves both a ban on disposable vapes which have driven alarming rise in youth vaping and new powers to restrict vape flavours , introduce plain packaging and change how vapes are displayed in shops so they don ’ t appeal to children
Recent figures show the number of children using vapes in the past three years has tripled .
Use among younger children is also rising , with 9 % of 11-to 15-year-olds now using vapes .
The long-term health impacts of vaping are unknown , and the nicotine contained within them can be highly addictive , with withdrawal sometimes causing anxiety , trouble concentrating and headaches .
The UK Gov website states : “ While vaping can play a role in helping adult smokers to quit , children should never vape .”
SURGEONS USE HOLOCARE ’ S MIXED REALITY PLATFORM TO VISUALISE A PATIENT ’ S LIVER
Norwegian HealthTech startup HoloCare scales its commercial footprint across Europe , following UKCA and CE certification . The mixed reality and AI-powered platform will initially launch in five hospitals to support pre-surgical planning .
HoloCare ’ s software creates interactive 3D holograms of an individual patient ’ s organ , allowing surgeons to precisely plan and personalise surgeries to the patient ’ s unique anatomy . This better spatial understanding could support surgeons to carry out operations more efficiently and accurately – helping improve wait times , improve patient surgery outcomes and improve clinician well-being .
The technology will initially be available to improve the quality of planning for complex liver surgery ( liver resections ).
Professor Bjørn Edwin , Section Manager and Professor at the Intervention Centre , Oslo University Hospital where he specialises in liver and pancreas surgeries , has been using HoloCare ’ s software as part of the clinical research study . Edwin said : “ As a surgeon specialising in minimally invasive surgery , HoloCare ’ s software has transformed the way I approach operations . I ’ m able to zoom in on the intricacies of a patient ’ s anatomy , to plan exactly how I will approach a surgery in the most efficient ( and least invasive ) way . I ’ ve worked closely with HoloCare ’ s team to really test the
technology to its limits and have seen really promising results so far .”
The company ’ s newly CE Marked ( Class 2b ) technology – which means the company has been assessed to meet high safety , health , and environmental protection requirements , and can now trade in the European Economic Area ( EEA ) – is launching at five European hospitals , including Oslo University Hospital , Norway and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust , UK .
The company plans to launch in a further 10 European hospitals in 2024 .
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