EyeCool Therapeutics has reached a new milestone in the development of its precision ocular cooling technology, following the publication of a new Category III Current Procedural Terminology code by the American Medical Association.The newly published code, 1115T, covers a procedure involving transconjunctival cooling directed towards the long ciliary nerves for ocular pain. The code was accepted by the AMA's CPT Editorial Panel during its September 2026 meeting and is scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2027.For EyeCool, the publication provides a standardised way to identify and track the procedure as clinical development continues. Category III CPT codes are used for emerging medical procedures and technologies, helping collect information about their use while clinical evidence develops.The company is developing ETX 4143, an investigational in office device designed to deliver controlled, localised cooling to the surface of the eye. EyeCool is evaluating the technology as a potential treatment for chronic ocular surface pain, a condition that can affect patients over an extended period and for which the company is pursuing a new treatment approach.Ruben F. Salinas, President and Chief Executive Officer of EyeCool Therapeutics, said the publication of a dedicated code represents an important step in the development of ocular cooling as a potential therapeutic category. He said the code will provide a standardised mechanism for identifying and tracking the procedure once it becomes effective.The coding development comes as EyeCool continues to build its clinical and scientific evidence base for precision ocular cooling. The company has reported published clinical studies involving ETX 4143 and is preparing for the next stage of its clinical development programme in the United States.The new CPT code does not mean that the procedure is automatically covered or reimbursed by health insurers. Category III codes do not establish insurance coverage or payment, and their inclusion in the CPT code set does not represent endorsement by the American Medical Association.The code also cannot be reported before its effective date of 1 January 2027. The publication of the code does not represent approval or clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration for EyeCool's investigational device.EyeCool Therapeutics is a clinical stage medical device company developing precision ocular cooling as a potential treatment approach for chronic ocular surface pain. Its lead investigational device, ETX 4143, is being evaluated in clinical development as the company works towards further studies in the United States.

AT-RACK, a UK developer and provider of secure data destruction and sanitisation solutions, is highlighting its Mobile Destruction System, known as MDS, to defence organisations, military operators and IT asset disposition providers supporting the defence sector.The Mobile Destruction System will be featured at the ITAD and E Waste Expo 2026, which forms part of the Circular Tech Expo taking place on 13 and 14 October at the Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre.The MDS is designed for highly mobile operations and provides a customisable platform for destroying sensitive data on site. The system can be adapted to different environments, types of storage media and operational requirements, allowing organisations to destroy data where it is held rather than transporting intact data bearing devices between locations.The system can be configured for both hard disk drive and solid state drive destruction, with options including degaussing and crushing. AT RACK also provides mobile shredding systems for organisations that require additional physical destruction capabilities across different types of digital media, as well as bespoke unit design.The company says the flexible design of the MDS can support a variety of defence environments, including fixed secure facilities, data centres, forward operating bases, NATO command structures and maritime environments, subject to specific operational requirements.For defence focused IT asset disposition providers, the system provides an additional mobile destruction service that can be deployed directly at customer locations. This approach can reduce potential chain of custody exposure by allowing sensitive media to be destroyed on site, while giving customers greater control over the destruction process.The MDS also incorporates customisable audit logging and traceability functions. These features are designed to help organisations create records of destruction activities and maintain verified information on the media that has been destroyed.Sam Adetoso, Head of Business Development at AT RACK, said the system was developed around the requirement for defence organisations to destroy data where it is located, rather than relying on the transportation of sensitive media to a fixed destruction facility.AT RACK is inviting defence organisations and specialist IT asset disposition providers to visit its stand at the exhibition to discuss media types, deployment requirements and operational needs. Visitors will also be able to request a demonstration of the Mobile Destruction System.AT RACK develops secure data destruction and sanitisation solutions for organisations operating across defence and security, data centres, financial services, healthcare, government and private sector environments. Its portfolio includes mobile, desktop and shredding systems designed to support secure, controlled and auditable destruction of sensitive data within customer environments.

British short drama Ma Prison has received recognition at the August 2026 competition hosted by Indie Short Fest in Los Angeles, including a nomination for Best Drama Short and two acting honours for members of its principal cast.Written and directed by Kitty Harper, Ma Prison received the Best Drama Short nomination, with the achievement recorded on a certificate presented to the film and its filmmaker.The film also received recognition in the festival's technical categories. Susannah May was presented with an Outstanding Achievement Award for Supporting Actress for her performance in Ma Prison, while Sophie Bullock received an Honorable Mention for Young Actress.Ma Prison follows Millie, played by Sophie Bullock, a young girl dealing with the recent death of her mother while experiencing harsh treatment from her French teacher, Ms Benoit, played by Susannah May. When the two are kept together after school, Millie begins to uncover a deeper reason behind her teacher's behaviour.The short explores themes of grief, empathy and anger, while examining the emotional burdens and personal barriers that people can carry with them. The story uses the relationship between a child and her teacher to explore how difficult experiences can influence behaviour and relationships.Kitty Harper took on several creative roles on the production, serving as writer, director, editor and composer. The film was produced by Kevin McDonagh and Natalie Bark through The Movie Cauldron and I Ain't No Herb Jackson Studios, with Herb Jackson Jr. serving as executive producer. Paul Wren also appears in the film as Millie's father.Ma Prison was filmed on location in Birmingham, England, giving the production a strong connection to the city where the story was brought to life.The recognition at Indie Short Fest adds to the film's festival run. Previous achievements have included selection at the Birmingham Film Festival, nominations at the 2026 Midlands Movies Awards and several honours at the Mindfield Film Festival in Albuquerque.The latest awards and nomination has given the British short and its cast additional prominence, while highlighting the work of the filmmakers behind Ma Prison as the film continues its festival journey.

Commonwealth Retina served as a presenting sponsor of the 2026 Merrimack Health Charity Golf Classic, an annual fundraising event supporting healthcare services and patients across the Merrimack Valley in Massachusetts.The event brought together community members, business leaders, healthcare professionals and supporters of Merrimack Health, with more than 50 sponsors participating. The event raised over 280,000 dollars, providing funding to support healthcare programs and services for patients and families throughout the region.The practice is opening its first location in Andover, Massachusetts, extending access to retinal and macular care for patients across the Merrimack Valley, greater Boston and southern New Hampshire.For Commonwealth Retina, participation in the charity golf classic forms part of its wider commitment to supporting the communities where it provides care. The practice has stated that community involvement is an important part of establishing its new Andover location and building connections with local healthcare organisations and residents.Commonwealth Retina specialises in compassionate and personalised care for patients with common and complex retinal conditions. The practice is led by physicians Heema Kaul and Tomasz Stryjewski, who bring extensive experience in the diagnosis and treatment of retinal conditions.The new Andover practice is intended to make specialised retinal care more accessible to patients in the surrounding communities. The clinical team focuses on helping patients understand their retinal conditions and treatment options, while providing specialised care aimed at protecting and preserving vision.The Merrimack Health Charity Golf Classic also demonstrates the role of partnerships between healthcare organisations, businesses and community supporters in raising funds for regional healthcare services. With more than 280,000 dollars raised during the 2026 event, Merrimack Health will be able to direct additional resources towards care and services for patients and families throughout the Merrimack Valley.

EyeCool Therapeutics, a clinical stage medical device company developing precision ocular cooling for chronic ocular surface pain, has appointed internationally recognised ophthalmologist Richard L. Lindstrom, MD, to its Board of Directors.Dr. Lindstrom is a board certified ophthalmologist, surgeon, researcher, educator and medical technology innovator whose career has focused on corneal, cataract, refractive and anterior segment ophthalmology. He founded Minnesota Eye Consultants and is an attending surgeon emeritus at the organisation. He also serves as Adjunct Professor Emeritus in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Minnesota.Throughout his career, Dr. Lindstrom has been involved in the clinical development, evaluation and adoption of ophthalmic technologies. He has also held leadership, advisory and board positions across the ophthalmology sector, bringing experience spanning clinical care, research, education and medical technology.His appointment comes as EyeCool advances ETX 4143, an investigational in office cooling device being developed for chronic ocular surface pain. The company has completed clinical work in Australia and is preparing to begin its clinical program in the United States.EyeCool has said that findings from its Australian clinical program support the scientific rationale for precision ocular cooling as a potential treatment approach for chronic ocular surface pain. The company is now focused on preparations for further clinical development in the United States.Dr. Lindstrom has expressed support for the technology following his review of results from the Australian program. His role on the Board is expected to provide additional clinical, scientific and commercialisation experience as EyeCool moves towards its next stage of development.EyeCool Therapeutics President and Chief Executive Officer Ruben F. Salinas, PhD, said the appointment adds significant experience in anterior segment ophthalmology to the company. The company also views Dr. Lindstrom's involvement as support for its efforts to develop precision ocular cooling as a potential therapeutic category for patients with chronic ocular surface pain.

Data security firm AT-RACK is set to exhibit at the ITAD and E Waste Expo 2026 on 13th and 14th October at the Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre in the UK.The event forms part of the Circular Tech Expo and brings together organisations working across IT asset disposition, IT asset management, e waste management, secure data destruction and the wider technology lifecycle. The audience is expected to include IT asset disposition providers, enterprise technology users, data centres, government organisations, regulated sector customers and technology suppliers.AT-RACK will present a range of mobile and compact data destruction systems designed for secure on site use. The systems are intended to provide traceable and audit ready processes for organisations managing the retirement of sensitive IT equipment.The company will showcase three main products. The first is the Mobile Destruction System, known as MDS, which combines degaussing with physical hard drive destruction. The system supports a range of storage media, including hard disk drives and solid state drives, allowing organisations to erase and physically destroy data on site. The second product is the Shredding Destruction System, or SDS. This mobile data shredder is designed to process a wide range of digital media, including solid state drives, flash drives, optical discs, smartphones, NVMe drives and LTO tapes. The system allows data bearing devices to be physically destroyed within the customer's own environment. The third product is the Desktop Data Destruction System, known as DDS. This compact, desk mountable system is designed for the on site destruction of both hard disk drives and solid state drives. Its smaller format is intended for organisations that require secure data destruction capabilities while working within limited premises or workspace.Across the three systems, AT-RACK places emphasis on traceability, auditability and compliance. The equipment is designed to help organisations maintain records showing how sensitive storage media has been retired and destroyed. Such documentation can be particularly important for organisations operating under data protection, cyber security and regulatory requirements.AT-RACK's participation in the ITAD and E Waste Expo reflects the company's focus on organisations seeking to manage data security during the retirement and disposal of IT assets. Secure destruction can form part of wider processes for reducing the risk associated with sensitive information remaining on end of life equipment.The 2026 exhibition will also represent AT-RACK's return to the exhibition floor following a period of investment in product development and sales enablement. The company is expected to use the event to demonstrate its equipment and engage with organisations involved in secure IT asset retirement, data destruction and the wider circular technology sector.

In a significant achievement for independent British cinema, the short drama Ma Prison garnered multiple awards at the 9th Annual Mindfield Film Festival this August at the Guild Cinema in Albuquerque, New Mexico.The event recognised the film with two of its most prestigious Diamond Awards, naming it Best Narrative Short and awarding Susannah May with Best Supporting Actress. Further accolades included a Gold Award for Sophie Bullock as Best Actress and a Bronze Award for Best Original Score, composed by the film’s creator, Kitty Harper.The narrative of Ma Prison centres on Millie, portrayed by Bullock, a young girl grappling with the loss of her mother while facing the austerity of her French teacher, Ms. Benoit, played by May. The plot unfolds as the two characters find themselves trapped together after school, leading Millie to uncover the underlying truth behind her teacher’s conduct. Through this encounter, the film examines themes of grief, empathy, and anger, serving as a study of the metaphorical prisons individuals inhabit.Kitty Harper served as the primary creative force behind the project, undertaking the roles of writer, director, editor, and composer. The production was a collaboration between The Movie Cauldron and I Ain’t No Herb Jackson Studios, produced by Kevin McDonagh and Natalie Bark, with Herb Jackson Jr. acting as executive producer. Shot on location in Birmingham, England, the film also features Paul Wren in the role of Millie’s father.Following the ceremony in New Mexico, Harper expressed gratitude for the international recognition, noting the significance of being featured alongside a diverse group of gifted artists. These recent victories build upon the film’s established momentum, which includes an official selection at the Birmingham Film Festival and various nominations at the Midlands Movies Awards.The Mindfield Film Festival in Albuquerque continues to position itself as a prominent venue for alternative and independent cinema, hosting bi-monthly competitions and an annual live showcase. The full roster of the 2026 live festival winners has been made available via the festival’s official website.

As digital transformation accelerates across Africa, the continent faces a critical challenge in how to permanently dispose of sensitive information and the increase in cyber threats. Companies such as Verity Systems are currently expanding their strategic presence in the region, aiming to provide the infrastructure necessary to mitigate data breach risks as data centres and digital services proliferate. The shift comes at a time of increasing regulatory pressure, with organisations now needing to align with stringent frameworks such as South Africa’s POPIA and the Botswana Data Protection Act.The technical approach by Verity Systems focuses on the physical elimination of data through a range of specialised tools, including high-pulse degaussers and precision shredders capable of reducing SSDs to micro-particles. However, the broader objective extends beyond the hardware itself. By implementing a system of complete auditability, with serial number tracking and formal certification—the aim is to move away from standalone equipment towards a verified security lifecycle.Recognising the logistical hurdles of deploying high-tech hardware in developing markets, Verity Systems’ strategy includes regional technical assistance and integrated training for local engineers. By offering these support ecosystems alongside their destruction technology, the focus is on establishing a sustainable standard of data sovereignty, ensuring that as African enterprises grow, their security protocols evolve to meet global standards of compliance and reliability.With African economies set to expand rapidly in the next decade, technology shifts and personal data will play an even bigger role in corporate governance. Countries in the region including Botswana and Nigeria are among those adapting fast to these new technologies. 

With businesses undergoing a substantial digital transformation, cybersecurity has evolved from a back-office IT concern into a cornerstone of national and corporate security across Europe. As the continent grapples with an increasingly complex threat landscape—ranging from sophisticated state-sponsored cyber-attacks to the stringent requirements of GDPR—the focus has shifted beyond just protecting live networks to the critical, often overlooked issue of data at the end-of-life stage. The challenge for European firms is no longer just about how they store data, but how they ensure it ceases to exist once it is no longer needed.Entering this space is At-Rack, an innovative UK-based technology and data destruction startup aiming to build essential security capabilities for firms across the continent. At-Rack is addressing a systemic vulnerability in the cybersecurity chain: the “chain of custody” risk. For too long, organisations have relied on transporting sensitive hardware to third-party sites for destruction, creating a window of exposure where data can be intercepted or lost. By introducing its flagship Mobile Destruction System to the wider European market, At-Rack is aiming to enable businesses to shift their security posture from outsourced trust to in-house control.The capability At-Rack is bringing to European firms is rooted in the philosophy of “destruction at the source.” By enabling data centres, government agencies, and financial institutions to destroy hard drives directly at the server rack, the startup is effectively eliminating the transportation risk. This is not merely a convenience but a strategic upgrade in compliance. At-Rack’s approach reflects a broader trend of European technological autonomy and data sovereignty. As a UK startup expanding its footprint, At-Rack is providing a solution that caters to both OPEX and CAPEX budgetary needs, making enterprise-grade security accessible to a broader range of organisations. Ultimately, the company is doing more than selling hardware; it is helping European firms fortify their overall cybersecurity architecture. By closing the loop on the data lifecycle, the startup is ensuring that the final step of data management is as secure as the first, helping the European business ecosystem build a more resilient and sovereign digital future.

Aevolum Cinema Presents returns to The Leatherhead Theatre on the 30th September with Cornered, the latest evening in its touring programme celebrating a new wave of independent short filmmaking.Thousands of award winning short films are made around the world every year. Many are recognised by BAFTA and Oscar qualifying festival juries, yet after their festival runs, they quietly disappear. They are not on Netflix, they are rarely shown in cinemas, and they are seldom broadcast elsewhere.Aevolum Cinema Presents was created to help close that gap. The touring short film programme brings award winning independent films to local audiences across the UK, screening them in historic theatres, country house hotels and acclaimed arts centres. The aim is simple, to bring these films into real rooms and connect them with real audiences.The Leatherhead Theatre hosted the programme's premiere on 30 June 2026, with the opening evening, The Choices That Shape Us. The September return introduces a new theme and four new films to the same stage.Cornered brings together four festival winning shorts from a new generation of independent filmmakers, each working with complete creative freedom and without a commercial brief. The programme features Pay Back by Steve Ramsden from the UK, which has won three international awards, including Best Thriller at Venice Shorts and Best Thriller Short at the LA Indie Short Fest.Also screening is Ma Prison by Kitty Harper from the UK, a five time award winner including Best Short Film at the Mindfield Film Festival in Albuquerque and Best Score at the Midlands Movies Awards. Five and a Half by Heidi Nyburg from the USA has received eight international awards, including Best Director at the Big Sur International Short Film Screening Series. Completing the programme is Domino Springs by Dan Hertzog from the USA, which has received 52 international awards across 26 festivals.Together, the four films have been recognised across three continents. Without programmes such as Aevolum Cinema Presents, these films might otherwise never reach audiences in the UK beyond the festival circuit.There is a growing group of talented independent filmmakers creating bold and uncompromising work, often without financial backing and while facing major challenges in getting their films made. Aevolum founder Natalie Bark says the company exists to give these filmmakers a platform and to bring films already recognised by festival juries around the world into venues where audiences can discover them.