CHATTANOOGA ENGINEERS CLUB

NEXT MEETING ___________________________________________________

Monday, July 9, 12:00 noon

Cellar Restaurant at Union Square

Downtown, Chattanooga

Topic: Advances in Medical Technology for Chronic Diseases – Medtronic, Inc

The differences between the medical and engineering fields seem to be getting smaller, especially when it comes to the technology of life support and medical treatment systems. A case in point is Medtronic, Inc., a company that deals with implantable medical technology for chronic diseases. The company produces, among other devices, implantable cardiovertor defibrillators – the kind Vice President Dick Chaney recently received.

While defibrillators have been around for a number of years, what makes the more recent models newsworthy is their ability to detect and provide treatment for atrial flutter/ fibrillation or atrioventricular arrhythmias. The devices monitor a patient’s heart, beat by beat and, when needed, provide an electric shock to the top right or left side of the heart to correct the arrhythmia. They also record all other abnormalities, taking data snap shots and storing them as episodes into the device’s memory. A physician can later look at the data to determine what happened and what corrective steps may need to be taken.

Richard Smith, RN and Clinical Specialist of Medtronic’s Cardiac Arrhythmia Management Division, will describe how the company’s recently FDA-approved defibrillator works. He will also present some of his company’s new technology for the treatment of other chronic diseases, such as congestive heart failure. Richard plans to bring some of the devices to the meeting to provide us a “hands on” feel.

More information on the company’s activities can be found at http://www.medtronic.com/

FUTURE MONDAY MEETINGS ______________________________________

July 16: Relocating the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse - an Engineering Feat. Randy Knott, Law Engineering, Atlanta

July 23: Trends in Storm Water Management. Bill Payne, Cha. Dept. of Public Works

July 30: Field Trip - a tour the printing presses of the Chattanooga News Free Press.

August 13: The Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Storage Project

August 20: Water for the People. A global view of dealing with a vital but increasingly scarce resource

August 27: Recent Developments Medical Imaging Technology

September 3: No meeting, in observance of Labor Day

September 10: Genetic Engineering – Advances and Prospects

September 17: Efforts to meet the water requirements of the Sequatchie Valley

September 24: Sewage and Wastewater Treatment – New Requirements, New Technology

WHERE WE MEET ___________________________________________

All these meetings will be held at the Cellar Restaurant at Union Square Downtown, Chattanooga from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. Free parking is available for this occasion at the Days Inn Motel (on Carter St. and MLK Blvd) – courtesy of the Days Inn management. (If you park there, please leave a note on your dashboard indicating you are attending the Engineers Club).