GE Medical and IBM have opted not to go to market with their combinedIntegrated Diagnostics picture archiving and communications systemstechnology--at least not this year. The two major medical imaging and computer firms will continueto collaborate on
Elscint is waging an aggressive campaign to increase its shareof the U.S. mammography market. The Israeli medical imaging vendorintends to introduce a high-end mammography unit in the thirdquarter of the year. Elscint will market the system--priced
While three-dimensional ultrasound is not yet as fast as two-dimensionalimaging, reconstructed 3-D images may provide diagnostic informationthat standard scanning techniques cannot provide, according toRalph Ranalli, product manager for Philips
Olicon Imaging Systems of Louisville, KY, has had more successin the teleradiology market than its former parent, Raytel. Progressin the business, however, has attracted some unwanted attention,especially from competitors who are trying to make the best
Tomographic Technologies (TomTec) of Munich has established aU.S. subsidiary to help commercialize its innovative cine three-dimensional(or 4-D, with time as the fourth dimension) ultrasound scannerfor cardiac applications. The German company, formed by
Results of a state quality-assurance inspection of mammographyfacilities in Michigan have left some manufacturers indignantand others exultant. But the findings have led to an increasein the number of mammography units in the state that now passnational
Upgrades to the Toshiba 0.064-tesla Access MRI system have improvedimage quality to the point where the system can compete head-to-headwith high-field scanners, according to Dr. Peter Rothschild, radiologistand director of Open MRI, a Hayward, CA,
Interspec reported this month that its radiology ultrasound R&Dand marketing agreement with Siemens is off. The Ambler, PA, cardiacultrasound supplier had been working with the large German multimodalityimaging vendor to develop a radiology
OEM software sales are a growing business for Cemax. The firmillustrated this fact in January by hiring a former Toshiba CTproduct manager as vice president of sales and marketing. Oran E. Muduroglu filled a slot that had been handled by presidentTerry
Philips Medical Systems North America took steps last month tocut costs and reduce redundant positions at its Philips Ultrasoundunit. The Dutch medical imaging vendor is careful to picture thesecuts as tactical and not as a reflection of reduced focus on
Fischer Imaging filed suit against competitor Lorad last weekalleging that the latter's StereoGuide stereotactic breast biopsysystem violates a patent covering features of its Mammotest stereotacticbiopsy system. Lorad received Food and Drug
An industry of protest has grown up around the five-year-old GEboycott over the company's involvement in nuclear weapons production.Infact, the Boston-based support group for the boycott, receivednationwide publicity last month when its film on GE,
Mobile MRI is a fast-maturing market. More systems are on theroad today than ever, and they are chasing smaller hospital accounts.Since many MRI units were purchased in the heyday of mobile industrygrowth during the late 1980s, they are beginning to
A high-tech arms race is escalating in the scanner service industry--tothe benefit of equipment users. Mediq Engineering and MaintenanceServices launched a remote scanner diagnostics product last monththat competes head-on with GE's InSite remote
American Health Services took advantage of low interest ratesto restructure its equipment financing relationship with GE MedicalSystems this month. The imaging services firms converted 16 GEMRI units from operating leases to owned systems.GE provided AHS
Philips Medical Systems liked what it saw when it began cooperatingwith Hewlett-Packard in the cardiac catheterization field lastyear. The two firms agreed to integrate HP patient monitoringequipment with Philips' cardiac cath imaging line in November.A
Diasonics managed to increase income from continuing operations15% in fiscal 1991 (end-December) despite ultrasound price competitionand softening imaging demand in Europe, according to Rod Young,president and CEO.Income for the year was $18.9 million,
Radiologists may lose their image if they depend on a picturearchiving and communication system (PACS) without adequate patientdatabase controls, according to Dr. Richard Turkanis, presidentand CEO of Radiology Management Systems (Radman). Radman, a
Philips Ultrasound should have its ultrasound blood-quantificationproduct, CVI-Q, on the market by the third quarter of this year.While there is general expectation that CVI-Q will provide newand valuable diagnostic information, a successful launch
Picker International's acquisition last week of Dynamic DigitalDisplay will provide the major medical imaging vendor a leg upin the fast-emerging field of volumetric CT imaging. DDD, previously an independent supplier of medical
Toshiba's medical imaging effort in the U.S. has made considerablestrides over the past several years. But the major multimodalityimaging vendor has been plagued with personnel problems in itsU.S. operations that constitute a Japanese manager's
Remote scanner diagnostics allow GE to offer its imaging customersservices beyond maintenance troubleshooting. Implementation ofits InSite remote diagnostics program has also improved user educationand training, said John R. Haddock, vice president and
ADAC Laboratories claimed at the RSNA meeting last month to havegrown from the third-largest supplier of SPECT cameras in theU.S. to first place in 1991. According to ADAC's analysis of theU.S. SPECT market, the top camera suppliers after itself are
Gendex of Des Plaines, IL, completed its acquisition of the Philipsdental x-ray business in Europe last month, but broke off negotiationsto acquire Transworld X-ray of Charlotte, NC. The dental and medicalx-ray supplier had been interested in Transworld
IBM brought together two strange bedfellows at the RadiologicalSociety of North America conference last month. Most of IBM'sexhibit was devoted to picture archiving and communication systemproducts under development by the GE/IBM Integrated
Next Computers has set its sights on medical imaging. The RedwoodCity, CA, computer vendor made an industry debut last month atthe Radiological Society of North America technical exhibit, whereit displayed systems at the Resonex, Metecon and Lumisys
Two different approaches to the nuclear SPECT camera market wereon display at the RSNA meeting last month. There was some debateat the show over the benefits of dedicated versus general-purposenuclear cameras. GE offered a fixed-detector dual-head SPECT
Although potential expenditures for the U.S. military's medicaldiagnostic imaging support (MDIS) project may appear massive,the goal is to save money over the long run. The Department of Defense, unlike most civilian hospitals,can make the necessary
GE Medical Systems showed details of a new dual-head single-photonemission computed tomography camera dedicated to cardiology imagingapplications at the American Heart Association meeting last month.The vendor will have the fixed-detector unit, dubbed
Siemens formed a new ultrasound company as a final step in themerger of its existing ultrasound operations with that of QuantumMedical Systems. Siemens Quantum will seek to provide the productand market focus of a dedicated ultrasound vendor, said
