With more than 600 LightSpeed QX/i units installed, GE Medical Systems has the largest installed base of super-premium CT scanners. The company achieved this position largely because it was the first to mass-produce a quad-slice scanner. A nagging

By Robert BruceEven as R2 Technology's ImageChecker CAD mammography system seems to be catching on with radiologists and patients, the company is starting clinical trials on a CT lung cancer detection system it believes will be even more successful.GE

By Robert BruceRoyal Philips Electronics announced last week that it has agreed to acquire ADAC Laboratories for $426 million, or $18.50 a share of ADAC's outstanding common stock. The offer is subject to regulatory approval. It is good until Dec. 12 and

By Robert BruceMarconi Medical Systems will introduce the first 16-slice CT scanner‹expandable to 32 slices and beyond‹but the new version of the Mx8000 won't be ready to ship for a year and a half.The company is introducing the 16-slice scanner now

Since the workstation interface is the primary site of interaction between the radiologist and PACS, perhaps no factor is more important in radiologist acceptance. A slow, cumbersome interface can cause frustration, require additional time, and

Who coined the term PACS? The question surfaces in conversations between denizens of medicine during lulls in RSNA sessions. The concept of PACS as a digital image communication and display system, though not the name itself, goes back to 1979. Heinz

Mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships by the big six—Agfa, GE, Kodak, Marconi, Philips, and Siemens—have changed the face of PACS. The landscape is also changing because infusions of cash have reached a few independents, while others struggle to keep

Picis pushes standardization with vital signs 'warehouse'Data-capture expertise at heart of national nonprofitWith all the hoopla in healthcare around standards and interoperability, systems and software vendors have been emphasizing

Inphact snags contract to supply PACS to the VHAInphact, a provider of Internet-based radiology services, has signed an agreement with the VHA alliance to provide PACS products and services to its more than 2000 member hospitals. Through the

Toshiba selects Vital Images to add 3-D software to CTToshiba America Medical Systems has signed a contract with Vital Images to offer Vital Images' Vitrea software with Toshiba's CT products. The Vitrea tool, with 2-D and 3-D visualization,

Motion Media videophone used in Scottish TM projectMotion Media Technology, a developer of videotelephony products, is one of four companies in a consortium delivering home telecare services to elderly residents in West Lothian, Scotland, as

PACS/RIS vendors drive integration of voice recognition for radiologistsAccuracy issues take backseat to workflow pressuresVoice recognition has found an unlikely ally in its efforts to make inroads in medicine: PACS. Every major imaging

PACS should provide a more intelligent retrieval mechanism -- one based on image and video content -- according to some experts. While PACS already allow physicians to search traditional SQL-based image databases using textual keys such as patient

Voice recognition has found an unlikely ally: PACS. Every major imaging and PACS vendor now offers, or is on the verge of launching, digital dictation capabilities integrated with their radiology workstations. Some even go a step further and voice-enable

A new computer package gives Siemens Medical Systems multislice CT scanners the ability to retrospectively visualize the heart and coronary arteries from data obtained during an ECG-gated study. Other capabilities, such as coronary calcium scoring, are

Varian Medical Systems and GE Medical Systems have joined forces in a venture that combines functional and anatomical imaging with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to more effectively and efficiently plan therapy, according to company

Company shows big growth in PET and gamma cameras Based in large part on substantial sales growth for its PET and gamma camera products, Siemens Medical Systems has laid claim to the top market share spot worldwide in nuclear medicine.Siemens

GE's Logiq 500 Pro ultrasound system now has automatic optimization in the spectral Doppler mode. This technology was first offered on the Logiq 700 Expert series.The company's i12L transducer, which combines high resolution with improved ergonomics and

Use of PACS in the hospital emergency department improves diagnostic performance by the emergency staff, according to a study published in the May Journal of Accident and Emergency Medicine (2000;17[3]:180-184). The study found a significant decrease

Finding a way to share data with the other electronic information systems in an enterprise is one of the greatest challenges of installing PACS. A custom interface may be necessary to achieve the desired data integration. The purpose of integration is