New tech to aid early detection of osteoporosis now available in UK

 
June 26, 2015 - PRLog -- Physiological Measurements Limited (PML) is delighted to announce that it has been selected as the UK distributor of the OsCare SonoTM, a device developed to assess the risk of osteoporosis without exposing patients to radiation.

The device, developed by Finnish company Oscare Medical Oy, uses low-frequency ultrasound to measure bone strength in the forearm, providing results within minutes that correlate with the T scores derived from traditional DEXA[ii] scanning.

It is estimated that 3 million people in the UK have osteoporosis[iii]. Fractures are often the first visible sign of osteoporosis meaning that the condition is frequently not diagnosed until it’s too late. The UK alone faces over 300,000 osteoporotic “fragility fractures” each year, costing the NHS in excess of £1.9 billion[iv]. More than one in three women and one in five men who are 50 years old today will experience osteoporotic fractures in their remaining lifetime.

About the OsCare SonoTM
The OsCare SonoTM is a compact, hand-held device designed for use in clinics and low-threshold locations, offering a convenient way of assessing skeletal bone health. The measurement is taken from the forearm over a few minutes using harmless ultrasound. The low 200 kHz frequency used by OsCare SonoTM allows the signals to penetrate deep into the radius bone enabling a good correlation with bone cortical thickness, mineral density and elasticity, all important parameters of bone strength. The OsCare SonoTM will enable primary care physicians to recognise patients at a higher risk for osteoporosis so that they may be referred for further examinations.

Jonathon Pither, CEO of Physiological Measurements Limited, comments "The OsCare SonoTM innovation matches perfectly with the NHS objective of reducing the need for hospital based diagnostic testing, improving access to early detection in a care setting closer to home. Knowing early that you have a higher risk of developing osteoporosis would reduce the number of fragility fractures experienced by people with this condition and cut costs of medical and social care significantly”.

Sales and Marketing Manager of Oscare Medical Oy, Mervi Turunen, said: "We are really happy to have found a respected and dedicated partner in Physiological Measurements Limited, who is well established in working in partnership with the NHS and the Clinical Commissioning Groups to provide diagnostic screening within community settings. We see great potential for the OsCare SonoTM in the United Kingdom.”

About Physiological Measurements Limited
Founded in 2005, Physiological Measurements Limited (PML) is an established and award winning provider of diagnostic investigations in hospital and community settings, as well as a provider of high tech medical products. PML provides patients with high quality investigations utilising the latest innovative technology and best practice.

About Oscare Medical Oy
Oscare Medical Oy was founded in 2007 to commercialise the results of a decade of research into bone health at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. Since 2013, Oscare Medical has been majority-owned by Nasdaq-OMX-listed Revenio Group Corp and is now part of the Revenio Health Tech segment. The Oscare SonoTM is CE-marked and available in multiple international markets. Oscare Medical is actively expanding its distribution partner network.

For more information, please contact:

Jonathon Pither, Physiological Measurements Limited, The Old Malt House,
Willow Street, Oswestry, SY11 1AJ, England
T: +44 (0)1691 676496
M: +44 (0)7971 836062
E: J.Pither@pml.tel
www.physiologicalmeasurements.com
Follow us on Twitter: @OscareMedicalUK & @Physiological_M

Mervi Turunen, Sales & Marketing Manager, Oscare Medical, Äyritie 22, FI-01510, Vantaa, Finland
M: +358 40 732 4904
E: mervi.turunen@oscaremedical.fi
www.oscaremedical.com

Osteoporosis means ‘porous bones’ and occurs when the mesh-like structure within bones become thin, causing bones to become fragile and break easily, often following a minor bump or fall. The condition is most prevalent in women aged over 50, but men can develop osteoporosis too. Although fragility fractures caused by osteoporosis can occur in different parts of the body, the wrists, hips and spine are most commonly affected.

[ii] A DEXA scan is a type of X-ray that measures bone mineral density. DEXA stands for "dual energy X-ray absorptiometry". This type of scan is also often known as DXA, or "dual X-ray absorptiometry". It's also sometimes referred to as a bone density scan or a bone densitometry scan. During a DEXA scan, X-rays will be passed through the body. Some radiation will be absorbed by the bone and soft tissue, and some will travel through the body. The DEXA scanner measures how much radiation passes through the bones, and this information, when compared with the comparative bone mineral density data of others of a similar age, gender and ethnicity, provides the bone mineral density measurement.

[iii] Source: NHS

[iv] Source: https://www.nos.org.uk/about-us/media-centre/facts-and-figures? (https://www.nos.org.uk/about-us/media-centre/facts-and-figures)

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Jonathon Pither
***@pml.tel
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Tags:Osteporosis, Diagnostic Screening, Ultrasound, Fragility Fracture
Industry:Health, Medical
Location:Shropshire - England
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