Medical Innovations Summit

With the ardent health care debate headlining the news, physicians and researchers, pharmaceutical and medical device company executives, and venture capitalists, are coming together in Cleveland to discuss the role of innovation, the benefits to health care, and what the future holds. The 7th annual Medical Innovations Summit, hosted by the Cleveland Clinic, October 5-7, is spotlighting cancer and the latest diagnostic and treatment developments. An estimated 1,000 registrants from around the globe will assemble in a multimedia conference center to view live, oncology-related surgeries on multiple viewing screens and to listen to the experts give presentations and lead roundtable discussions.

Of particular interest, there will be a presentation about the Proton Beam form of Radiation Therapy where machines use radioactive materials to penetrate a targeted location from outside the body. Personal genetic testing companies will be on hand to exhibit their information and products for consumers to learn if they are prone to cancer or other major diseases. There is great interest in a new brain tumor procedure, called AutoLITT, where a small laser probe inserted into the brain can now reach localized areas previously impossible to reach. Using cutting edge technology, this probe can burn out specific malignant tumor tissue.

Describing the upcoming 3-day conference, Cleveland Clinic Innovations (the commercial arm of the Cleveland Clinic) Director Chris Coburn said, "We will hear from the titans of the pharmaceutical and research industry – CEOs from Novartis, AstraZeneca, Schering-Plough, Merck, and Life Technologies, and FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg will also be presenting. These major players, the decision makers, are coming together to talk about the new technologies, the issues, and how to accelerate bringing these innovations to market."

Dr. Derek Raghavan, MD, PhD, Director of the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, said, "With this gathering of leaders from the medical, business, and academic sectors, this is a unique opportunity to fuse a consensus where cancer is going, and to decide where to invest funding in support of innovation and research."

There will be a panel discussion about the fascinating new field of genotyping, determining the genetic makeup of an individual. As the result of research, genes can now be identified that are associated with certain diseases. Companies have the capability to map people's genomic composition. Even though these companies are marketing their services directly to consumers at an affordable rate, the question remains what role does that information have and how useful is this information in clinical application? Another panel discussion will concentrate on the new biologic and chemotherapeutic agents and how they have changed patient outcomes.

Early Tuesday morning, a live robotic-assisted surgery, partial and single port complete kidney removal, will be videotaped using the four-armed daVinci robot guided by a surgeon. There will be another live surgery Wednesday morning showing how an aggressive brain tumor will be treated using a novel hyperthermia device within a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner.

To top off the conference, after a rigorous selection process, the Top 10 Medical Innovations for 2010 will be announced. This Medical Innovations Summit promises to be packed full of exciting medical information and products to improve positive outcomes for patients. As an added bonus, the Summit is great for Northeast Ohio's economic health as well. With strong health care resources right here in our own backyard, attendees get the opportunity to see Cleveland as a fertile ground for medical and technology-related companies to grow their business. For more information, visit http://www.clevelandclinic.org/innovations/summit/default.htm.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Susan Schaul, who says the act of writing is like assembling a jigsaw puzzle. The challenge lies in getting the pieces to fit together and make sense.

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