Author: Charlotte Gill

3D printing

3D printers have been provoking a mixture of intense excitement and terrified aversion for a few years now, but 2014 seems to have been the year things really kicked off. A team of doctors in Beijing carried out the world’s first surgery using a 3D-printed vertebra, while researchers at Harvard and Sydney universities created the first human tissue able to survive on its own (by successfully printing working capillaries). That moves the industry one step closer to being able to use 3D printing technology to create human organs, according to the researchers.

The year also saw the creation of the smallest 3D printer yet – a pen developed by London startup LIX, which allows users to create objects in mid-air simply by drawing them. And in September the world’s first 3D printed car – known as the Strati – was created and put on show at the International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago. Local Motors engineer James Earle told Business Insider it could be a sign of things to come, paving the way for people to one day effectively design and create their own cars.

Wearable tech

Once limited to the parameters of the desk, computerised technology is now the latest fashion must-have and its potential applications are infinite. Smartwatches have stolen the show in 2014, with the announcement of Apple Watch (due for 2015) and the likes of Samsung, LG and Motorola all rolling out new offerings that enable users to check mobile notifications and communicate at the flick of a wrist.

Smart fabrics have meanwhile sparked widespread attention, with the likes of flexible photovoltaic fibre (developed by startups such as Solar Fiber) offering wearers the chance to harness kinetic energy generated by the body and transfer it to an energy grid – or even use it to charge a phone.

“Body-adapted”, almost invisible wearables – such as foot soles that send GPS directions by detecting vibrations – are set to shape the future of this rapidly growing industry.

Mind-reading technology

The year saw “the first human brain-to-brain interface” ever achieved, according to the PLoS One journal, with a team of researchers successfully communicating a message from somebody in India to a recipient over 4,000 miles away in France. Researchers from Harvard and Barcelona-based Starlab used an EEG device to read brain signals in the sender, which were then translated into binary code, sent via email and converted into flashes of light in the recipient’s mind using TMS (a type of magnetic stimulation). Those flashes corresponded to the binary code numbers (0s and 1s), which could then be translated back into the words (‘hola’ and ‘ciao’) first thought up by the sender.

Google is also exploiting the potential of EEG; earlier in the year the tech giant announced a ‘mind control’ attachment for use with its much-talked-about Google Glass, which (by connecting with an app which measures brain signals), will apparently enable users to take a picture simply by focusing on an object.

Supporters hail brain-invading tech as a potential breakthrough for those suffering from locked-in-syndrome and other similar conditions. Some believe that if it reaches a sophisticated enough stage, we could at some point in the future be able to email each other at the flicker of a thought.

Apple Pay

Apple launched its mobile payment system in the US in September to tie in with the newest Apple addict’s must-have – the iPhone 6 – bringing formerly niche mobile payment systems to a mainstream market. Allowing users to purchase products by simply waving their iPhone over the sensor and putting a finger on the Touch ID scanner, it could transform the way we shop for good.

The system uses Near Field Communication (NFC) technology installed in the phone (used in devices like key fobs) and claims to offer increased security by replacing card numbers with a device-only account number that’s encrypted and stored in a ‘secure’ chip in the phone. If it catches on like the rest of Apple’s paraphernalia, it could mark an important step towards a potentially cashless world in the future.

Humanoid robots

In July Honda launched the world’s fastest humanoid robot (its newest version of the ASIMO, which dates back several years). The latest human-shaped machine can recognise faces, open a bottle of water, hop on one foot and, with its flexible legs, run at a speed of 9kmh. Nestle meanwhile employed its first humanoid robot to sell coffee machines in Japanese home appliance stores – from their human-esque mouths the robots can even talk to people about their coffee preferences.

Screenless displays

Ranking among the year’s biggest emerging technologies according to the MIT, the screenless display is one to watch. From retina displays which project an image onto an individual’s retina to visual images (including holograms) that use a medium to deflect light, this sci-fi like technology could have important benefits in industries such as secure communications. In the case of the retina display, for example, sensitive information could be protected by ensuring that only the intended recipient is able to see it.

Internet of Things

2014 saw Apple announce HomeKit, a smart home system which opens the door to all devices being controlled from just one app – available on iOS 8 and above. Rival
Samsung meanwhile launched into the smart home stratosphere with its acquisition of SmartThings, and teamed up with other smart home system companies including Arm and Nest (recently acquired by Google) to create open networking protocol Thread – a rival to HomeKit.

Intel, IBM, BT and other giants have meanwhile joined together to form open protocol Hypercat – a consortium whose aim is to standardise all interfaces so that any hardware device could be operated from any mobile or tablet. The aim is for a future where everything is connected, and where users could command their entire home from one smartphone app – with LG’s recently announced HomeChat that could be done via text, and with S Voice and Siri locking the door is just a voice command away.

Over the past few decades, credit and debit cards have taken on an increasingly dominant role in consumer spending habits. Now contactless payment cards, and the likes of mobile payment systems such as Apple Pay, are threatening to remove the concept of cash entirely. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the Nordic countries; four fifths of all transactions in Sweden are already made without cash according to newspaper The Local, while leading financial confederation Finans Norge is advocating for Norway to become entirely cash-free by 2020.

Supporters cite increased security and reduced cash-handling costs as primary motivations for doing away with the dosh. But in potentially altering our perception of spending and transforming our shopping habits, cashless payments could be driving us ever closer to a society maimed by severe over-consumption.

A host of studies have suggested that people are inclined to spend more with credit cards than cash – an idea first floated by American professor Richard Feinberg in the 1980s and drawn on numerous times since; a recent study in 2014, led by researchers at Copenhagen Business School, for example, argued that consumers tend to separate consumption from payment when using debit cards. That may well be because, as researcher Dilip Soman argued in 2003, card payments lack the salience and transparency of their physical counterparts.

“The underlying assumption is that the tangibility of notes and coins creates awareness (conscious/unconscious) that something of value is being exchanged,” write Jashim Khan and Margaret Craig-Lees of AUT University in New Zealand, in their report ‘Mobile payments: their effect on purchase behaviour’. “Under and ETS payment condition, consumers may not, at that specific point, be mentally (or emotionally) ‘tuned in’ to the actual amount of money being spent.”
Literally handing over a material object certainly seems to have a fundamentally different psychological impact from simply waving a contactless card or mobile payment system over an all-enticing scanner – perhaps due to the ‘money illusion’ concept, according to which people tend to judge the value of an object (such as a coin) from its actual size, shape and colour.

In 2010, consumer psychologist Manoj Thomas indeed found that the “pain” felt when paying by cash was numbed with card payments. Thomas, who examined 1,000 households over the space of six months, even argued that consumers were more likely to buy unhealthy food when paying by card. “Specifically, paying in cash feels more painful than paying by credit or debit card. This pain of paying in cash can curb impulsive responses and thus reduce the purchase of such vice products,” the study concluded. Although arguing that card payments drive unhealthy food habits might be a little far-fetched, the overriding argument that paying with the plastic encourages impulsive spending is certainly viable.

Given those findings, it’s concerning that contactless cards and mobile payment systems – which make spending without actually flashing physical cash easier than ever – are rising at such a rapid rate. The mobile payments industry is set to be worth a staggering $142bn in the US by 2019 according to Forrester Research, while Apple Pay, which launched in October 2014, reported over 1m transactions in its first three days according to CEO Tim Cook [Mercury News reported]. If it’s anything like most new technologies, as the system catches on and gradually gains consumer trust its usage is likely to grow exponentially.

In the UK – Europe’s second biggest debit card spender – the number of contactless payments increased by over 150 percent in the six months to October 2014, according to Worldpay, hitting 16.69m. And that’s having a visible impact; “people are now using their card even for small purchases when they once would have used the change in their pockets,” head of Policy at The UK Cards Association Richard Koch said in a report. “Contactless cards have helped to accelerate this change in behaviour.”

According to a report by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), the average value of debit card transactions has indeed fallen, dropping 12 percent between 2009 and 2014 (from £31.45 to £27.58). And it’s driving a surge in card usage more generally; the number of overall card transactions increased by around 10 percent for the fourth straight month in September 2014, according to the UK Cards Association report – marking the biggest rate of growth seen in 10 years.
That rise in electronic payments doesn’t only mean encouraging consumers to spend more money by removing the guard that cash payments seem to put up; it also means making it easier than ever to track our every move. By making transactions substantially quicker and easier, contactless cards and mobile payments are slowly making cash obsolete and mirroring the demise of the once-lauded cheque.

If they do succeed in replacing cash – a mission almost complete in parts of Scandinavia – it could mean consumer habits undergo an irreversible transition. By avoiding the sense of physical loss associated with handing over material, tangible objects, electronic payments could fuel a culture of haphazard spending and further drive the type of over-consumption already characterising some economies. Whether the supposed safety benefits emphasised by the likes of Apple Pay and contactless card supporters are worth that sacrifice deserves to be seriously questioned.

There is a growing global realisation that the increasing quantity of municipal solid waste (MSW) produced each year constitutes not only a challenge but also a significant opportunity. The energy content of MSW is high – ranging from 9,000 megajoules (MJ) per tonne at the lower end, up to 16,000MJ at the higher end for prepared RDF. If this energy is captured efficiently and in an environmentally friendly manner, the need for landfills would be significantly reduced, while also allowing for the substantial generation of renewable power. By 2022, the projected 2.9 billion tonnes of global MSW could provide approximately one million GWh of electricity per year: enough to power nearly 300 million households.

Realising this goal requires advanced technologies that combine innovations in thermal conversion, and chemical and environmental engineering into processes that are tailored for the optimal transformation of waste into energy. There are many significant technological challenges that must be overcome to successfully develop a process that can achieve high efficiency, low emissions and near total transformation of waste into energy.

Plasco Energy Group, based in Canada, has invested over CAD400m, and built on research efforts that began in the mid-1970s, to develop an advanced thermal conversion technology that can make this vision a reality. The Plasco Conversion System (PCS) is an advanced plasma-assisted gasification process that efficiently converts up to 95 percent of post-recycled MSW into high-quality syngas and other co-products, with emissions of dioxins and furans that are below the limit of quantification. The syngas can be used to power internal combustion engines for energy generation, or as a chemical feedstock for further refinement into transportation biofuels or other applications.

Advanced conversion technology
The path to developing an advanced waste-to-energy technology is lengthy and requires a significant investment of capital to test and refine the process at a near commercial scale. The development of the PCS began in 1974, when Plasco’s predecessor RCL Plasma partnered with various industry leaders to explore the use of plasma for the destruction of hazardous waste. RCL began applying plasma gasification to waste remediation in the 1980s and commissioned a five tonnes per day pilot plant to support ongoing R&D. Subsequent collaboration with the National Research Council of Canada helped to further develop and validate the concept.

In the late 1990s, RCL partnered with one of the largest waste managers in Spain (Hera Holding) to move the pilot plant to Spain for continuous process improvement and refinement. This R&D led to the achievement of proof of concept of a plasma-assisted gasification process in 2006, in which plasma was only used where it had the greatest impact on producing a clean syngas, rather than simply applying plasma directly to the MSW for gasification. The upgraded pilot plant was used to refine the design and operational parameters for a larger pilot facility that was closer to a commercial scale.

Plasco was founded in 2005 after the amalgamation of RCL and its majority-owned sister company, Plasco Energy Corporation. It commissioned an 85 tonnes per day pilot facility at the City of Ottawa’s Trail Road landfill site in 2008. From 2008 to 2011, Plasco designed and tested the core unit operations of the PCS in separate purpose-built vessels with positive results. Extensive technology development revealed that separating the key stages of conversion (gasification, melting and refining) enabled each stage to take place in customised vessels tailored to their unique requirements.

In order to reduce mechanical complexity, improve process efficiency and reduce the footprint of the plant, Plasco combined all core unit operations into an Integrated Conversion and Refining System (ICARS), which was installed in 2011. From 2012 to date, technology development work has been focused on final process optimisation, and cost reductions driven by an iterative process in collaboration with Black & Veatch (a global leading engineering consulting, construction and operations company). Black & Veatch conducted a technical review of the demonstration technology, and in 2014 concluded that the technology was ready for commercialisation.

Plasco’s process gasifies waste in a low-oxygen and low-temperature environment using only recycled process heat, and then refines the resulting syngas and vitrifies solid residue through the optimised application of plasma. Gasification does not combust waste, but rather heats the feedstock with a controlled amount of oxygen. Plasco’s system requires significantly less syngas cleaning and conditioning than other technologies because the low-oxygen environment prevents the formation of dioxins and furans and reduces the total volume of gas to be processed.

The syngas is used to fuel high-efficiency internal combustion engines. A steam turbine generator is powered by exhaust heat from the engines and recycled process heat for combined cycle power generation. A deliberately small unit capacity that can convert 200 tonnes per day (scalable to match community requirements), results in a minimal plant footprint and enables local waste management and power generation. Low emissions and the absence of a tall industrial smokestack both streamline public approval » and environmental permitting processes. The cost and emissions associated with transportation to large regional treatment centres is eliminated by Plasco’s distributed solution, which also realises lower energy losses by generating electricity inside power grids.

Process efficiency
Process efficiency is the key driver of both the financial and environmental benefits of a waste-to-energy conversion technology. Generating significant net electricity per tonne of MSW leads to improved financial returns, and also increases the reductions of greenhouse gas emissions realised by displacing power generated from fossil fuels.

There are a number of unique features of the PCS that contribute to class-leading efficiency. First, the process separates and customises chambers for each stage of conversion, optimising the environment for each stage. Second, proprietary equipment maintains ultra-low process oxygen levels, enabling gasification (and subsequent plasma refining) to take place at low temperatures, which in turn lowers process energy requirement. This unique approach enables the entire primary gasification of waste to be powered only by recycled process heat. Third, an ultra-low oxygen environment also minimises the development of highly toxic compounds, which reduces the energy required for downstream syngas conditioning.

Plasco made a strategic design choice to use plasma for refining and melting solid residue rather than for the primary gasification of waste. This targeted approach of using plasma to refine the syngas focuses plasma where its active species can crack long-chain hydrocarbons, rather than using it directly to provide heat to gasify waste.

Unlike other plasma gasification processes, which heat waste directly with plasma (a highly inefficient heat source), the PCS does not require the addition of coke or other fuels to the MSW to be economically viable. The need for syngas conditioning is further reduced because Plasco positioned the Gas Quality Control Suite prior to combustion, reducing the volume of gas to be cleaned.

These innovations enable the PCS to generate more net energy per tonne of MSW than other thermal processes.

Environment and feedstock
Low emissions, high efficiency and the ability to divert up to 95 percent of waste from landfills are the primary drivers of the environmental benefits of Plasco’s conversion technology. The Ottawa PCS reduces the generation of CO2 equivalents by 924kg per MWh of net energy generated. These reductions are realised by diverting waste from landfills, which generate greenhouse gases through the release of methane during the decomposition of waste.

Scheduled to begin operation in 2017, Plasco’s first commercial plant in Ottawa, Canada will reduce emissions of CO2e by 67,400 tonnes per annum.

One of the challenges to emerging advanced waste-to-energy technologies is that many require municipalities to implement costly waste sorting facilities to provide the highly controlled feedstock that they require. Plasco’s proprietary control system ensures high-quality syngas is consistently produced, even from a constantly changing waste stream. The technology offers unique feedstock flexibility, with the ability to process a wide variety and mixture of carbon-based waste streams, including black bag municipal waste and higher energy refuse-derived fuels, without any pre-processing required by municipalities.

Where water usage is an issue, plants can be configured for dry cooling, reclaiming water in the waste to a quality suitable for surface discharge or industrial applications. Alternately, plants can be designed for wet cooling with zero liquid discharge.

Plasco’s future
Ray Floyd recently joined Plasco Energy Group as President and CEO, bringing more than 30 years of experience with energy industry leaders Exxon Mobil and Suncor Energy. Floyd has led some of the world’s largest and most complex energy operations, and has an international reputation as a thought leader in Operational Excellence. Floyd says: “What attracted me to Plasco was the opportunity to work in a different part of the industry that I had not previously experienced. This became even more compelling given the quality of our key investor group, including ARES Management, Quantum Group (George Soros) and successful Canadian investor WestFace Capital, who are positioned to support an innovative disruptive technology platform.”

Plasco is continuously working to improve its technology by utilising the latest developments in plasma technology and related fields. Plasco’s team is developing an optimised method of refining syngas, which would further reduce the temperature of the process, improving overall efficiency. Plasco is also increasing the automation of several features of the process to further reduce the labour required. Both of these developments will be implemented at the Ottawa commercial facility.

Floyd says: “There is an overwhelming global need for a clean and economic solution to the issue of municipal waste management, and answering that global need is Plasco’s mission.”

Even though shopping is a routine activity, the ways we make our purchases differ. Some goods are bought on the spot without hesitation, while others require a thorough selection process. Buying clothes is a commonplace activity, but for many people, it’s a tricky process that takes a lot of time and effort.

One of the key principles of retail selling is that one-time sales aren’t enough – you need to convert your potential buyers into returning ones. An excellent customer experience is one of the main things that secures a second visit from a customer, and is usually achieved through providing an attentive consultant to help find or select an item, additional information about a product, convenient ways to pay, and as short a time spent in lines as possible.

Basically, it comes down to two main components: full information about an item (including not only its full description, but also its exact location in a store, availability, variety of sizes/colours, reviews and buyer feedback); and the time spent finding it, trying it and buying it. These objectives are often achieved through cutting-edge technologies that help customers receive maximum value while saving their time and effort.

Radio-frequency identification
To improve profit, retailers work on building customer loyalty, using cross-selling to increase sales, and optimising their existing logistic processes. Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is a widely used technology when it comes to solving logistics issues. Its usage cuts down the time spent on stock inventories and receipt-issuing: what used to consume countless hours for several store employees can now be done by a single person and in much less time. With the process efficiency increased, staff can dedicate more time to helping customers.

But how can retailers use the RFID technology to innovate the shopping experience? By its nature, RFID identifies objects and their location, which allows retrieving context-bound information about a customer’s current interest. For example, when a customer picks an item from a smart shelf, ads and information about this specific item are automatically displayed on the closest screen.

If the RFID label can identify any merchandise in the store, a good idea is to identify returning customers through their discount cards. The card could contain personal information about sizes and history of purchases, which would be a great help in generating advice and suggestions during the next shopping session.

Smart fitting room
A customer wants to justify their choice and eliminate eternal ‘to buy or not to buy’ doubts. E-commerce allows customers to compare products, watch video reviews, read comments from other customers, and share their own feedback. However, a desire to try on an item is always there: will it fit? How would I look in this dress? Should I buy this shirt in blue or black? Today’s technologies provide an opportunity to quickly answer these questions by using e-commerce benefits.

For example, a smart fitting room system could be a place where customers not only try the selected items on, but also browse the related merchandise, receive advice, or create a complete look. What is important about the smart fitting room is it’s directly connected to the customer’s current interests.

Another important benefit is the ability to request certain items without leaving a fitting room. Knowing what else they want to try, a customer may inform a store assistant about their decision to try on another item by simply pressing a ‘try on’ button. A system touch screen located near the mirror would always be in the customer’s sight and waiting to be pressed.

An app allows the customer to browse all the items available in a store without leaving the fitting room. Having selected one of the items, a customer will receive detailed information about it with an option to request the item in different sizes or colours. At the bottom of the screen, there are matching items available at the same store that would complete a look. When a new item is requested, a customer may review the request and either cancel it or go back to the item’s details.

A new item request is immediately sent to the system and the store employees receive a notification on their PDAs. The message provides details on the item requested and the location of the customer’s fitting room. A PDA application can help find the item through an RFID label. When a store employee brings the item requested to the smart fitting room, the RFID will recognise the request as completed and will automatically remove it from the active requests list. The request could be also cancelled by a customer or a store employee, if need be.

A smart fitting room could greatly enhance a customer’s shopping experience. Its key benefits for retailers include presenting merchandise not as a separate item, but as a key to a personal look, which leads to cross-sales. It also increases customer loyalty: a customer feels a store cares about their convenience and helps in the selection of merchandise. The system could also provide the basis for statistical and business analysis to help a retailer better understand their customers’ interests and fine-tune their market and buying strategy.

An almost 10-year long lawsuit has finally drawn to a close after an eight-member jury in Oakland ruled unanimously that a 2006 Apple software update did not amount to anti-competitive behaviour. The case was brought against the company after an update to the iTunes store in 2006 meant that only the company’s signature iPods could play music downloaded from the platform.

As many as eight million iPod consumers and 500 resellers lodged a class action suit against Apple

The update was removed in 2009, although the case continued for years as dissatisfied customers sought millions in damages. As many as eight million iPod consumers and 500 resellers lodged a class action suit against Apple, and the plaintiffs were seeking $350m in damages, which could have inflated to $1bn in the event of the company being found guilty of violating US antitrust laws.

The original complaint was filed in 2005, in relation to digital rights controls implemented through 2006 to 2009, which meant competing digital music players were incompatible with the iTunes software. However, Apple asserted that the decision was a legitimate product improvement, meant to enhance security and bring a greater number of customers to the fold. “We created iPod and iTunes to give our customers the world’s best way to listen to music”, said the company in a statement. “Every time we’ve updated those products—and every Apple product over the years—we’ve done it to make the user experience even better.”

The view taken by the jurors was that the software marked an improvement on its previous iteration and represented a more user-friendly experience, meaning that the company has been found not guilty of the charges, irrespective of any effects the changes might have had on competitors. The conclusion of the case means that Apple can finally put allegations of anti-competitive behaviour behind them, and that the firm need no longer drag up evidence from years passed, which included emails sent by Steve Jobs.

Cardiovascular disease continues to be the world’s leading cause of death according to the World Health Organization. This has troubled the medical community and industry for decades. In an effort to improve the chances of survival, research investment has been focused on new technologies, diagnostic tools and therapies.

In 1977, Dr Andreas Grüntzig began a revolution in the treatment of coronary artery disease. He constructed the first balloon angioplasty device, which enabled a procedure known as ‘percutaneous coronary intervention’ (PCI). In this procedure, a balloon is inserted into the patient’s coronary artery and is inflated to clear a blockage: a stent is then placed to keep the artery open and help restore blood flow. PCI is now a routine part of treating coronary heart disease.

However, there are technical limitations to this procedure. “The intervention is performed under X-ray imaging guidance, which unfortunately presents geometrical limitations as it provides a two-dimensional picture of 3D coronary vessels”, says Egon Wülfert, Clinical Director EMEAI of Volcano Corporation, experts in the field of medical imaging and therapy.

Another problem is failures can lead to very serious problems: “The downside is that stent failures are associated with various negative clinical consequences, such as stent thrombosis”, says Wülfert. “Results from the largest prospective registry to date support the evidence that the use of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), an imaging technology that is complementary to X-ray guidance in stent placements, could significantly influence clinical practice and were associated with a change in procedure strategy nearly three-fourths of the time for the benefits of the patients through better outcomes [Am J Cardiol 2014 Apr 15;113(8):1338-47].”

Helping hand
In light of this, Volcano has been developing its own technologies that may help alleviate some of these shortcomings. “Volcano is dedicated to developing diagnostic tools to enhance precision-guided therapy to overcome the shortcomings of the X-ray (angiogram) image and provide a holistic picture of the vessel that requires treatment”, explains Wülfert. “This has mainly been done through two complementary approaches: the fractional flow reserve (FFR) and intravascular imaging ultrasound modalities.”

These techniques are allowing the interventional medical community to obtain more detailed information than traditional angiogram images can provide. Wülfert explains: “In case the angiogram is showing unclear resolution, or haziness of a particular lesion in a single vessel or multiple coronary vessels, the FFR procedure can be used like a stress test applied directly on the catheterisation table. The miniaturised pressure sensor is mounted on a standard 0.014-inch wire and can be placed easily distal to the interrogated lesion. The measurement is performed under maximum hyperaemia to replicate an exercise stress test conducted through an injection of a vasodilator agent. There is a clear, validated, cut-off value, which indicates when the lesion should be treated or deferred.”

The IVUS technique gives physicians an incredibly detailed insight into plaque build-up in coronary arteries that was impossible to achieve with traditional methods. “The IVUS modality is camera-mounted on a catheter support with a diameter of less than 1.5mm. It provides a precise anatomical perspective from inside the coronary artery, with a 360° view. In addition to the traditional, high-resolution, grey-scale IVUS image, the virtual histology feature provides colour-coded information to characterise the nature of the plaque; it is thus possible to recognise a stable plaque or a risk of plaque rupture.”

Slow take up
Wülfert says the advantages of these techniques for physicians are many, but neither has seen the sort of adoption within the medical profession that will transform the industry: “The FFR is a surrogate for a stress test and is routinely used to confirm the appropriateness of the treatment of choice. IVUS is complementary as it provides anatomical information to guide the stent implantation through accurate vessel measurement.

Despite the large documentation of clinical evidence and known benefits of these two diagnostic tools, their adoption remains limited, with around six percent penetration on average in European countries.

“The FAME I (2009) [N Engl J Med 2009 Jan 15;360(3):213-24] and FAME II (2012) [N Engl J Med 2012 Sep 13;367(11):991-1001] studies have shown FFR-guided procedures provide superior clinical results, and are also cost-effective compared to angiogram guidance alone [Circulation 2013 Sep 17;128(12):1335-40]. Based on these two strong studies, the European Society of Cardiology has upgraded FFR as a technique in its clinical practice guidelines to the highest possible recommendation level to evaluate intermediate lesion and IVUS is recommended to guide the stent implantation.” Uptake has also increased in the US, where the procedures are being used to mitigate the risk of over-stenting.

Cost savings
Both FFR and IVUS offer attractive cost savings, says Wülfert: “At first glance there is an immediate additional cost for the FFR and IVUS devices, but if you take into consideration the mid and long term, most of the comparison studies show a clear clinical benefit and cost reduction in favour of FFR and IVUS. This is mainly due to the reduced need for re-intervention and risk of stent failure compared to the angiogram-only strategy.”

The ability to avoid such invasive surgery is attractive as it dramatically reduces the risks placed on a patient. “For a patient presenting three-vessel disease, FFR is associated with less stent implantation and may potentially save the patient from open-heart bypass surgery, which can impact irremediably on their quality of life.”

Getting healthcare systems to actually pay for the method is another matter. While some countries in Europe are willing to pay for IVUS and FFR devices, the lack of a unified healthcare system within the EU means some people are unable to access the treatment. “Some countries offer various methods and levels of reimbursement as they have recognised these benefits for the patient and the healthcare system. There is, unfortunately, no homogenous reimbursement policy across all the European countries, but we are seeing a slow but positive trend, with more consideration given to adopting a specific reimbursement for FFR and IVUS.”

Looking ahead
Wülfert says Volcano is determined to keep innovating, while at the same time partnering with physicians who rigorously assess their products: “Volcano has a proven history of innovation through partnership with physicians to develop new tools to facilitate therapy guidance and make image interpretation simpler. The company offers the broadest physiology and imaging portfolio, designed to be used for daily clinical practice and research studies.”

Volcano has recently launched a new product that combines angiogram recordings with IVUS images: SyncVision, an online image processing workstation for coronary vessels that allows physicians to simultaneously navigate on both an angiogram and an IVUS image in a single correlated view. SyncVision is designed to combine the functionality of the angiographic road map with the precision of the intra-vessel IVUS image and simplify the procedure for interventionalists.

Moreover, Volcano also developed a new index known as the iFR (instant wave Free Ratio) Modality: an innovative technique designed to measure heart performance. It has been studied in more than 4,000 patients, cleared by the FDA, and installed in over 700 hospitals worldwide and 275 in Europe. “iFR avoids the use of a vasodilator agent, which simplifies the method of assessing the heart and facilitates a larger adoption of physiology assessment”, Wülfert explains. All this research is being done while making sure every new product is clinically trialled multiple times by a number of expert physicians.

With heart disease proving such a huge medical burden all over the world, it is encouraging that companies such as Volcano continue to innovate and make breakthroughs in the treatment of coronary heart disease. Ultimately, their work will help to improve the lives of patients around the world.

Chinese giant Alibaba set the standard for the world’s emerging e-commerce scene with its record-breaking IPO in 2014, making the financial potential of this burgeoning industry glaringly clear. As smartphone uptake continues to surge, we’re likely to see e-commerce further establish its rapid growth in Asia and Latin America, while rising in markets where it’s only recently started taking off.

Asia Pacific
Asia Pacific, the fastest-growing e-commerce region in the world, is set to continue its retail revolution as smartphone uptake carries on surging. While China lays claim to the world’s largest e-commerce market – estimated to reach a value of $540bn in 2015, according to China Briefing – India is the one to watch according to Gartner. The IT research firm predicts a staggering 70 percent growth (from $3.5bn to $6bn) in the country’s digital commerce over the year. That’s being driven by a booming mobile market, which grew 84 percent in the second quarter of 2014, according to the IDC.

Major Indian local players such as Snapdeal and Flipkart – which raised $1bn in funding in 2014 – are proving themselves worthy competitors of global giants such as Amazon and Alibaba, both of which entered the market fairly recently. According to Gartner, e-businesses will be investing in big data, digital marketing and web analytics over the coming year as the burgeoning market expands.

We’re likely to see e-commerce further establish its rapid growth in Asia and Latin America, while rising in markets where it’s only recently started taking off

But despite the progress, India’s e-commerce is still in relatively early stages, with profitability held back by logistics, low levels of internet access and the fact that paying on delivery is common, according to Gartner; that makes things more costly for businesses.

The latter is largely down to cultural attitude, and achieving a shift in that is arguably one of the biggest challenges facing Indian e-tailers. One of its main hindrances, Ajit Singh of e-commerce platform Zepo argues in an article for Indian news site Trak, is a tendency to want to see and feel products before making purchases.

One area where that’s less important is groceries, he argues. Currently only accounting for a small part of Indian e-commerce, Pragya Singh of retail consulting firm Technopak believes that’s likely to prove a big area for growth in 2015. “Urban India’s increasing shortage of time is fuelling the growth of online grocery,” she said in a Forbes India report.

Opportunity for e-grocery development seems clear from the success seen in the sector over the past year, with online store BigBasket raising $32m from funding in 2014, for example. The majority of the country’s e-grocers serve specific cities, catering for a market characterised by localised preferences – once again that’s a cultural factor that e-commerce businesses will need to build sustainable, effective models around if they are to effectively navigate the rapidly growing market in 2015.

Latin America
With the fastest-growing rate of internet penetration in the world according to Internet Retailer, Latin America is set to see continued substantial e-commerce growth over the coming year and beyond – aided by a young demographic. Brazil is leading the way, with a rate of growth second only to China. “Online retail sales growth [in Brazil] far outpaced that of the U.S. last year, even as overall economic growth rates slowed down,” said Jack Love, Internet Retailer chairman in a press release. The country was responsible for 44.5 percent of total sales from Latin America’s top 500 e-commerce companies. That’s boosting US e-tail giant Amazon, which earned $475m from online sales in Latin America in 2013 and counted Brazil as its fastest growing foreign market that year (registering a rate of growth 3.7 times that of China and seven times that of North America).

But Mexico could form a strong contender for Brazil in 2015; the country’s e-commerce sector is projected to grow 15 percent over the year according to eMarketer, and it already lays claim to having the fifth fastest growing e-commerce market in the world.

Middle East
E-commerce is seeing strong rates of growth in the Middle East, with online sales on track to reach $15bn by the end of 2015 – up from $9bn in 2012 – according to Gulf Business.

Leading the market is Souq; founded in 2006 and dubbed “an Alibaba in the making” by CNBC, the company raised $75m in 2014, bringing its value to $500m. That’s arguably a sign of things to come as investors benefit from the digital market in a region where it could be especially useful, according to founder of Jordanian retailer MarkaVIP, Ahmed Alkhatib. “We may do better as an e-commerce company if security becomes an issue,” he told CNBC. “They can shop online without going out.”

But obstacles still need to be overcome in the region. Iyad Kamal, COO of logistics firm Aramex, argued at the ArabNet exhibition that more competition is needed in the market if e-commerce there is to thrive in 2015. “We cannot have an e-commerce industry with five, 10 or 20 companies. We need to have thousands of e-commerce retailers starting with the region and we need to promote them,” he said, Gulf Business reports.

As with India, the country’s e-commerce is being held back by the cash-on-delivery system – and once again, that business model is built on cultural factors that it’s likely to take some time to change.

Africa
E-commerce is relatively new on the scene in West Africa, where potential for development is significant according to Sumesh Rahavendra, Head of Marketing for DHL Express sub-Sahara Africa. “Although global e-retailer Amazon celebrated its 20th anniversary in July, e-commerce companies in Africa are only now beginning to mark and /or accelerate their presence in the marketplace,” he said in a recent report.

That means 2015 could be a very exciting year for the likes of Nigeria-based Jumia, Africa’s biggest e-commerce platform. The site recorded 1.5m visits on Black Friday – marking a ten-fold increase from the previous year. It now boasts 700,000 weekly visitors, has mushroomed from three to 1,000 employees since its founding in 2012 (by German company Rocket Internet) and expanded into Ghana and Cameroon in 2014. It’s been growing at a monthly rate of 20 percent, according to Reuters; all of that seems a promising sign of things to come over the next year.

In-house logistics networks are and will continue to prove a benefit to African e-commerce businesses, according to a report by travel technology firm Amadeus – as are cash-on-delivery systems – partly behind the success of Jumia, the report notes. Shopping habits differ from one area to another across the continent, meaning e-commerce businesses need to provide localised offerings – including in terms of payment models – if they’re to succeed in 2015.