General Electric : The GE Brief – November 14, 2017

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'This is engineering by women, for women.'

- Laura Mendez, global product manager for Senographe Pristina, GE Healthcare

1. CANCER SCREENING FEAR FACTOR

Fearing test results can be a major deterrent to proper health care. But what about when patients fear the test itself?

Mammograms, though the most effective breast cancer screening tool for most women, are one example. 1 in 8 U.S. women develop breast cancer, yet studies also revealed that as many as 30% of women in the U.S., and 40% in Europe skip the mammogram. Some are afraid of the exam and get discouraged from getting screened.

So a group of engineers at GE Healthcare designed a mammography machine that 'mixes science with empathy' - the Senographe Pristina. The team used feedback directly from doctors, technicians and patients, and was largely female. Their scanner has subtle features designed to make the experience more pleasant - from smooth, round surfaces to arm rests and relaxing LED lights. Clinics with the Pristina are also taking cues from the device to improve the feel of the exam rooms themselves, with features like calming music and walls painted with warm colors.

Studies have shown that screening can reduce breast cancer mortality rates by 20%. Any improvements to making women feel at ease is crucial. The Pristina is a great example. What health care solution would you improve next?

2. THE DARK SIDE OF THE ECLIPSE

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As we increase our use of solar power, you might think an event like the solar eclipse would be detrimental to the energy grid. Not so much, actually - utility companies can easily forecast minor weather changes like a brief loss of the sun and adjust resources accordingly.

Less predictable: human behavior around the eclipse. No, we're not talking full moons and werewolves. It's situations like two years ago, when as many as10 million people in the U.K. turned on their TVs and kettles at the same time mid-eclipse. Why? It was so cloudy they had to watch the eclipse from their TVs. This mass movement was unpredictable, and it stressed the grid.

'Utilities know precisely what the moon and the sun are going to do, but they don't know what you and your friends will do,' says Kathleen O'Brien, researcher at GE Global Research.

The solution? Utilities are always monitoring the electric grid, so they can adjust fast by doing things like turning on more traditional power plants and asking factories to pause power-hungry industrial processes. The bottom line: They do the work so you don't go without power.

3. HAPPY NATIONAL AVIATION DAY!

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Happy (early) National Aviation Day! Aug. 19 commemorates the history of American aviation - and on the birthday of Orville Wright of the Wright brothers, no less.

GE started shaping the aviation industry soon after the dawn of flight, but made significant progress later on in high-powered jet travel - from creating the first American jet engine to building the world's largest jet engine. Planes get us to our vacation destinations, transport our online shopping orders, support our military and much more - and a plane powered by a GE engine takes off every two seconds somewhere in the world.

If you stop by air shows from Paris to Wisconsin, you can 'travel back in time' to almost any era in history and GE technology will be part of the story. Here are some more gems from GE's aviation history.

ASK GE

Alexander from Ohio asks,

Will 3D-printed parts hold up as good as a forging?

Answer:

Even though additive manufacturing is getting more attention and seems ubiquitous, it is still a relatively new technology and we expect the capabilities to expand as it matures. Out of machine, material properties are better than castings, and after heat treatments, 3D printing can achieve properties equivalent to or better than wrought parts.

- Mike Cloran, GE Additive

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Quote: GE Reports. Images: GE Healthcare, Getty Images, Rob Butler for GE Reports