日本では、せっかくメーカーが新製品を開発しても、許可がなかなかおりずに、その製品が先に欧米で使われることが多いとのことです。
Japanese patients and physicians have no choice but use many medical devices outdated in Western countries, thanks to an official approval process that moves at a snail's pace. (thanks to はこの例のように悪いことが原因でも使われます。頭から~のおかげでと思わないほうが無難です。)
The over two-year wait to get products approved for sale - about twice as long as in the U.S. - is mainly attributable to understaffing at the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency, which looks into the safety and efficacy of new medical devices, as well as a shortage of medical institutions that provide clinical tests.
テルモという日本の会社が、耐久制のある人工心臓を開発しました。この開発は、この会社の米国子会社で開発、販売されるようです。心臓移植が認められていない日本でこそ活用されるべき新製品だと思うのですが、2007年にヨーロッパで売り出されるそうです。
Terumo Corp., which recently developed a groundbreaking (革新的な)supplementary mechanical heart, expects to be able to release the device by spring 2007 in Europe. But it is not sure when the device will be able to go on sale in Japan, as domestic clinical testing is just now set to begin.
The use of a supplementary mechanical heart has been regarded as a brief, stop-gap measure that sufferers od serious heart disease can take until they can receive a heart transplant.
But, Terumo claims its high durable new product can be used for at least five years. Particulary in Japan, where it is difficult to receive a heart transplant, doctors and patients have hign hopes for the new device.
今、日本の製造機メーカーはロボットを使っていろいろな製品を製造するのはあたりまえとなっています。人間の手術もそのうち、ロボットが施すことになるのでしょう。脳外科手術専門のロボット開発の話も聞いています。ただ、時代の要請に合わせて、官僚主導の認可制度の合理化は必要ですね。