More than a decade has passed since the two companies began their courtship. Finally, they have tied the knot. Beginning Oct. 19, telephone operators at Marconi Medical Systems began answering calls as Philips Medical Systems—formerly Marconi. The

It’s not a reorganization, according to executives at GE Medical Systems. It’s more like a new strategy or vision for guiding the company’s $8 billion healthcare business. The core of this strategy is to create three dedicated

Atlanta-based PACS vendor Algotec Systems has cut a deal to distribute Agfa’s full line of computed radiography (CR) products, digitizers, cassettes, and preview and autoprocessing software in the U.S. The products complement Algotec’s own

Scottish 3-D software maker Voxar is planning to introduce a dedicated virtual colonoscopy product and the latest release of its Plug n View 3D software at the upcoming RSNA meeting. Plug n View 3D version 3.2 will feature enhanced speed and ease of

The number of device submissions that met FDA muster slumped in September, but clearances included several systems likely to be highlights at the upcoming RSNA meeting. The clearances were spread almost evenly across seven categories. Image management,

Edwin A. Lodgek has been tapped as general manager, senior vice president, and member of the board of directors at Toshiba America Medical Systems. Lodgek comes to Toshiba from Marconi Medical Systems where he was vice president, North America. As

Ophthalmology can join radiology and cardiology in the digital world, following the recent announcement of a PACS-ophthalmology solution from Agfa. The system essentially digitizes the retinal, or fundus, cameras used as diagnostic tools by

Radiology's response to the Sept. 11 World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks was not limited to radiologists themselves.As has been reported, many radiologists were on the front line of emergency response Sept. 11, diagnosing the injuries of hundreds

Instead of transforming PACS, application service provider offerings are, in many cases, themselves being transformed. They are being retooled and sometimes revamped to meet niche needs. Some influential vendors are focusing ASP efforts on providing

Crunch time may be a good time for Advan International. The Fremont, CA, company believes the medical industry will soon come under increased pressure to turn a profit, allocate more space in hospitals for equipment, and cope with government regulation

Palmtop computers represent the ultimate in mobility. GE Medical Systems and Siemens Medical Solutions have taken a stab at turning their potential into reality.GE is developing the eNTEGRA PE. The work-in-progress displays medical images and patient

On Oct. 9, GE Medical Systems unveiled a duo of superpremium radiology ultrasound scanners, the Logiq 9 and Logiq 7, and a workstation called LogiqWorks. The two new scanners, which are slated to begin shipping in November, have taken the number one and

Netherlands-based PACS vendor Rogan Medical Systems has landed the Academic Hospital Groningen as a client. The hospital, one of the largest and most modern in the country, will soon install Rogan’s HyperPACS software as the foundation for its

Merge Technologies has released its next-generation MergePort, which integrates information from hospital and radiology information systems with diagnostic imaging technologies. MergePort acts as the interpreter between multiple HIS/RIS and PACS/imaging

Higher field open scanning reached a milestone in late September, when GE Medical Systems made its 75th Signa OpenSpeed magnet at the company’s manufacturing facility in Florence, SC. GE will soon expand capacity at the plant to meet increasing

Prompted in equal parts by research, regulation, and public relations, medical imaging vendors are responding to concerns about radiation risk by patients and staff. Some companies have launched new exposure control products or incorporated lower dose

Coincidence Technologies is now part of GE Medical Systems, and Kretztechnik is within a hair of joining it. Belgium-based Coincidence Technologies brings to GE technology for efficient manufacture of the PET radiopharmaceutical fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)

The National Cancer Institute has become the hub of an unusual imaging network linking several top U.S. pediatric hospitals in support of an ambitious multiyear pediatric cancer trial. The objective of the trial is to learn more about the natural

DICOM (digital imaging and communications in medicine) is the industry standard for moving digital images between computers. Some experts warn that DICOM alone, however, is insufficient for enabling highly scalable interoperability between networks that

PACS architectures come in two flavors only: centralized with a central cache and controller, or distributed with a distributed cache and central controller. Each has its advantages, but it is their inherent disadvantages that have prompted a proposal