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Trilogy Tidings
January 2009
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in this issue

     Happy New Year to us all!  May we survive and thrive in these turbulent times.  Come to think of it, most of us have survived turbulent times before, so don't sweat it.  It will all work out.  Patience and effective leadership are the watchwords of the day.  So what else is new?
 
     Potpourri this month, from our "healthcare crisis" to some intriguing new technologies worthy of note.  Funny how technologies often rescue us from ourselves from time to time; I think our collective inventiveness is one of humankind's awesome strengths.
 
     Spend five or ten minutes with me.  Read on.
 

Best wishes,
Joe

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The U.S. Healthcare Crisis: What's the Answer? 
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Healthcare CrisisI know you've read and thought about this issue to no end.  And now you have it figured out, right?  Well, maybe you haven't.  Although it's an exception to my fundamental political philosophy, for the last few years I have been a single-payer guy.  After scanning a new book I'm not so sure.  The entire book, by Sally Pipes of the Pacific Research Institute and including a foreword by Steve Forbes, is accessible at the aforementioned link.
 
     I found this book posted on the Medpolitics web site, which seems to be a vehicle for physicians concerned about their future economic well-being to vent and suggest alternatives to a single-payer solution.  Nevertheless, the web site and this particular Pipes book are worth your attention.  Mr. Forbes says: "For anyone interested in getting to the core of America's health care troubles, this is the perfect book.  And for health care policy makers, it should be required reading."  The author addresses ten central themes in the healthcare debate and, in my view, handles each directly and effectively.  The book will either reinforce your views on these issues or change your mind on some.

Thoughts to share?
Super-Cheap Analytical Systems
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MicrofluidicsGeorge Whitesides and company at Harvard have done it again.  They claim to have invented microfluidics chips, created from "paper and sticky tape", that can be produced for about $0.03 per piece.  While they tout potential applications in the developing world, a potential revolution in analytical systems right here in the U.S. is a tantalizing possibility.  Check out the article in The Scientist.
 
 
Shark Skin Antibacterials 
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Anti-infectiveHere's another approach to creating anti-infective surfaces for devices that touch people, e.g. medical devices and hospital equipment.  Sharklet Technologies (Alachua, FL), after studying shark skin, has come up with a new way to control infections on artificial surfaces.  The method does not rely upon chemical surface treatment but derives from the shape and microscopic pattern of the surface itself.  The company says that its surface topography is comprised of "billions of tiny raised bars arranged in a specific diamond pattern", a topography that can be literally embedded onto the surfaces of medical devices.  Does this mean that any material's surface can be so configured?  Who knows?  But see the technology's description here.
 
Remove the Zinc, Remove the Bugs 
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AntimicrobialSo-called hospital acquired infections, especially certain staph infections like MRSA, are serious, scary threats to public health.  Researchers at the University of Cincinnati have found that the presence of zinc is crucial to the formation of infection-causing biofilms.  Chelation (removal) of the zinc using the agent DTPA prevents biofilms from forming, hence it inhibits the attachment of several important Staphylococcus strains.  Bingo -- MRSA threat greatly reduced.  The lead researcher, Prof. Andrew Herr, imagines practical applications of this treatment including coatings for implanted medical devices or rinses that a surgeon could use to clear the area around an implant.  Check out the report in Science Daily.
 
What does Trilogy do? 
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     Trilogy Associates facilitates business growth and renewal through commercialization of new products, providing the following services:
  • Opportunity assessment
  • Business planning and enterprise growth strategies
  • New-product conceptualization, commercialization and marketing
  • Market research and competitive assessment
  • Business development and partnering
  • Market and technological due diligence
  • Assessment of the therapeutic and diagnostic potential of novel technologies
  • Design of efficient and effective development strategies for early-stage biomedical products
  • Business and technical writing/publishing

     Inquiries to establish whether and how we might support your business initiatives are always welcome.  Contact us.

Resources from our Archives 
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     Check out our Reading Room to view my published articles, presentations and white papers on a variety of topics.  Let me know if you find one or more of these useful, and feel free to share them with others with appropriate attribution.
 
     And, if you're considering engaging our services but wish to increase your comfort level before taking that first step, check out our FAQs to learn about the mechanics of working with Trilogy.
 
Contact Information
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ContactInfoJoseph J. Kalinowski, Principal
919.533.6285
LinkedIn Profile: www.linkedin.com/in/trilogy
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