First in a Decade for Canaveral

CAPE CANAVERAL’S RECENT ATLAS V LAUNCH of the Rainbow 1 Direct Broadcast Service (DBS) satellite is the first in nearly a decade. It’s also the first content provider to offer programming directly to consumers across the continental United States. New York-based Cablevision Systems Corp. and Lockheed Martin (www.lockheedmartin.com) teamed up for the launch. Cablevision Chairman Charles F. Dolan calls the Ku-band satellite the “world’s most powerful and technologically advanced spot beam satellite.” It will provide a wide variety of services, from broadband to fixed satellite to direct broadcast.

Teltronics and 9-1-1
Emergency 9-1-1 calls should get a boost as a new state law takes effect. And so should telecommunications companies such as Teltronics Inc., based in Sarasota. Under the law, new telephone equipment (commercial only) must have the capability during a 9-1-1 call to automatically transmit critical information, including physical address and the location in the building from which the call originates. The technology is not new to Teltronics (www.teltronics.com), which has sold about 900 such systems. “When someone dials 9-1-1 from a business, our system will tell the authorities the exact floor, room and station the call is being made from,” says Mike Dorety, vice president of business development for Florida. That’s especially helpful to emergency personnel who must navigate through campuses of large corporations, hospitals and universities. The Teltronics system also alerts security staff on the premises of an incident.

The law (Section 365.175, Florida Statutes) affects new system installations Jan. 1, 2004. Existing systems are not mandated. Adds Dorety: “This has the potential to save lives.”

Pasco’s Diagnostics
The latest in CT scan technology is showcased at the Florida Institute for Advanced Diagnostic Imaging in Port Richey. The medical facility (www.diag1.com) is one of a handful in the country selected as a beta site by Toshiba America Medical Systems for its newest CT scanner. The new equipment scans faster (16 images per second versus the standard four images per second) and produces images with fine anatomical detail. It captures pictures of moving organs like the heart and lungs, which appear blurry using traditional CT, and is used for diagnosing disease, including tumors, blood clots, hemorrhages and infection. According to Steven Strobbe, M.D., Florida Institute’s administrative physician, this new technology “could change the face of diagnostic imaging by replacing many currently invasive diagnostic procedures.”

Eye Tech
St. Michael’s Eye and Laser Institute in Largo is employing new technology to treat people suffering from glaucoma, the second leading cause of blindness in the nation. The Institute (www.stmichaelseye.com) is using the newest laser surgery – called endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation (ECP) – to treat this chronic condition. While there is no permanent cure for glaucoma, treatment can prevent vision loss if caught early enough. John Michaelos, M.D., the Institute’s head physician, calls ECP a “cutting-edge technology that benefits patients medically and financially.” One of the primary benefits of ECP is avoiding more aggressive invasive surgery, he says.

Tech FYI
The Renaissance Orlando Resort at Seaworld (www.renaissancehotels. com) has added wireless high-speed Internet access in its lobby, meeting rooms and public spaces … Peak 10 Inc. (www.peak-10.com), with offices in Tampa, Jacksonville and Charlotte, NC, will provide Web site and Internet services to the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars … The University of Central Florida (www.ucf.edu) has seen its research funds grow to $88.8 million in 2003, an 18-percent increase over the previous fiscal year and an increase by 143 percent over the past five years … CAE USA (www.cae.com), Tampa, has received a $10.3-million contract from the Air Force to provide training programs and personnel for the Predator, a remotely operated, unmanned aircraft.

Send tips, information and news releases related to technology to Melissa Wells at Maddux Report, P.O. Box 202, St. Petersburg, FL 33731. Or by email: mwells@maddux.com