Technique and patient prep prove key in detecting colon polyps with virtual colonoscopy
December 1st 2003Virtual colonoscopy is gaining in clinical stature as a viable screening tool for colon cancer, with high sensitivity and specificity in detecting colonic polyps. But proper technique and good patient preparation are key to success, according to research presented Monday.
Vendor-neutral teaching file system makes the grade
December 1st 2003A vendor-neutral method for integrating case input from any PACS workstation into a teaching file system was presented during a scientific session on Monday."This method requires no vendor cooperation, effort, or software modification," said Dr. David Avrin, of the department of radiology informatics at the University of Utah.
Valid protocols contribute to good ER imaging decisions
December 1st 2003Running the numbers on clinical- and cost-effectiveness may appear to drain the excitement out of emergency room imaging. But simple, valid protocols that define how to apply diagnostic imaging to trauma cases are essential to obtaining the biggest clinical benefit from expensive CT technology, Dr. C. Craige Blackmore and Dr. M.G. Myriam Hunink said in their opening-session lectures on Sunday.
Siemens’ Clarify enhances vascular imaging
December 1st 2003Clarify, a vascular enhancement option for Siemens’ premium Antares ultrasound system, has been added to the StellarPlus Performance package. Clarify, which uses power Doppler blood flow data, minimizes noise to better visualize intricate networks of small blood vessels and reduce the steps needed to complete vascular studies.
IHE provides guidelines for RIS/PACS integration
December 1st 2003No longer separate entities, the technologies of imaging and informatics are irreversibly linked. It is impossible for even the most modality-focused attendee who enters the technical exhibitions in McCormick Place not to recognize this. "Integrated RIS/PACS" is the buzzword of the day, replacing the ubiquitous "enterprise solution" of so many past years.
R2 readies virtual colonoscopy CAD for FDA approval
December 1st 2003R2 Technology has unveiled at the RSNA meeting a robust version of computer-aided detection technology programmed to find colon polyps. The company plans to take this latest iteration of CAD, first shown at the 2002 RSNA meeting, to the FDA in next year.
Portable MR system aids diagnosis of rheumatic diseases
December 1st 2003GE Medical Systems Lunar introduced the Applause, a portable MR device, at the RSNA meeting. The system is optimized for diagnosing early signs of joint erosion due to rheumatoid arthritis and other forms of autoimmune rheumatoid diseases.
Vendors add zip to PET technology
November 30th 2003The clinical argument for speed may be up in the air, but the technological one appears settled. At this year's RSNA meeting, Siemens, CTI, and Philips are ready with systems that deliver faster scans or more rapid image reconstructions. The RSNA exhibit hall also plays host to PET/CT's past and future, as the work-in-progress 16-slice version of GE's Discovery LS appears as a commercial product and CPS talks up-and may even show off-its multihead R&D platform.
Technology aids clinical use of 16-slice scanners
November 30th 2003Since multidetector CT scanners began rolling off the production line five years ago, CT anigography has become a routine procedure, in many cases the procedure of choice, for screening patients for arterial disease. The reason is the ease with which it can be applied. Patients can undergo CTA without being admitted to the hospital and without invasive catheter placement. An added benefit is the extraordinarily low cost of a scan compared with the gold standard x-ray angiography.
Microsoft Healthcare Users Group and Microsoft Announce Annual Awards Call For Entries
November 19th 2003CHICAGO and REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Microsoft Healthcare Users Group (MS-HUG), a membership community in the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Users Group Alliance Program, and Microsoft Corp. today
CMS HIPAA Contingency Plan Crucial to Continuity of Care
November 17th 2003The HIPAA contingency plan devised by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) should allow the industry the additional time it needs to prepare for implementation of the Transaction and Code Sets regulation. But the plan is also crucial to
4Medica Appoints Michael E. Warthen as VP of Sales and Business Development
October 2nd 2003CULVER CITY, Calif., Oct. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- 4Medica -- the leading independent provider of systems to transmit medical laboratory test results, orders and related data via the Internet -- today announced the appointment of Michael E. Warthen as the
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Becomes First Children's Hospital To Win Davies Award
August 29th 2003MALVERN, Pa., Aug. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Reduced medical errors, improved clinical efficiency, and increased clinician and patient satisfaction helped Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) become the only winner of the 2003
Alternatives to WHIS-RAD units fall short
July 14th 2003Providing low-cost, high-quality x-ray units was the goal behind development of the WHO's basic radiology system. The WHIS-RAD isn't the only game in town, however. Several alternatives, along with their drawbacks, are discussed on the Park Ridge, IL,