CIMIT booth at Partners expo draws healthy interest

The CIMIT booth at the recent Health and Fitness Expo at the Hynes Convention Center (June 23-24) drew a steady line of visitors as it showcased some of its researchers’ technology as part of its theme of Emergency Response and Battlefield Medicine.

The event was sponsored by Partners HealthCare, and Channel 7 and CW56 television stations. Organizers said that close to 70,000 attended the free, two-day event.

CIMIT’s theme reflected the organization’s mission of developing better patient care for both civilian and military patients. Numerous organization associated with Partners had booths at the event.

Among CIMIT’s interactive presentations were devices exploring the technology of VIRGIL (a simulator for training medical personnel to deal with chest injuries); SITU, a smallpox inoculation training display; and FAIMS, a device designed to detect noxious elements in the air or illness in a given subject.

Videos that ran in the booth included presentations of CIMIT-supported researchers Dr. Martha Murray (knee reconstruction) and Drs. George Velmahos and Hasan Alam (response to early trauma).

CIMIT staffers who organized the well-attended exhibit were Beth Fischer and Tamara Nazzal. Volunteers included Elaine Richardson and Dyke Hendrickson of the communications team, and former CIMIT employee Ferol Vernon served as a technical advisor.