Philips Medical Systems has formally rolled out Gyroscan CV, the vendor’s cardiovascular MRI system. Initially highlighted at the 1998 RSNA meeting (SCAN Special Report 1/99), Gyroscan CV employs a 1.5-tesla open magnet design and features

Firm also plans for new ownership, recapitalizationImaging services provider Alliance Imaging is diversifying its portfolio. The Anaheim, CA-based company has purchased Acclaim Medical, a Southern California-based mobile PET services provider.

Company plans increased investment in HCISAfter a six-month search, Picker International has named a new CEO. The multimodality vendor has tapped longtime healthcare executive Fred Parks as its new leader.Parks most recently served as president

Medical imaging and PACS monitor manufacturer Barco Display Systems this month signed a purchase agreement with ultrasound developer Acuson to supply the Mountain View, CA-based company with more than 10,000 custom high-resolution color displays for

SonoCT combines data from multiple angles simultaneouslyUltrasound images are inherently filled with artifacts that compromise image quality. A new technology, to be unveiled this week by ATL Ultrasound, promises to clean up these artifacts,

Agfa continues to solidify the integration of Sterling Diagnostic Imaging assets into its PACS and conventional imaging businesses (SCAN 1/20/99). Most recently, the PACS and film giant revamped its sales organization, separating the Impax digital

Siemens Medical Systems has signed a 10-year agreement potentially worth $10 million with Scripps, a regional healthcare system in San Diego, CA. The contract stipulates that Siemens will provide Scripps with consulting services to improve its work

Digital light box developer SmartLight has reduced the price of its products by up to 40%, thanks to a significant decrease in the firm’s production costs, according to the Hackensack, NJ-based company. As a result, SmartLight’s entry-level SL

Siemens Medical Systems has entered into a five-year purchasing agreement with regional group purchasing organization Shared Services Healthcare. Under the agreement, Iselin, NJ-based Siemens becomes the sole medical device provider to Atlanta-based SSH.

MRI developer Fonar has announced that it has resolved its pending patent infringement litigation with Elscint. Terms of the agreement were not released.The deal adds another to the list of companies that have settled MRI patent disputes with Fonar.

Cares Built’s Clarity 7000 under review at FDAA technology used for military and space applications may be the next trend in digital x-ray, if a few imaging vendors have their way. Although the majority of manufacturers have chosen to work

Revised document streamlines application processAfter more than two years of revision, the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) has published final guidance for the submission of 510(k) applications

Consolidation continues in the speech recognition sector. Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products has completed its acquisition of the Healthcare Solutions Group of fellow speech recognition firm Fonix, which has now exited the healthcare market. The deal

GE Medical Systems has made its first commercial installation of Senographe 2000D, the company’s full-field digital mammography system. The unit received the CE Mark for European regulatory clearance this spring (SCAN 3/17/99), and on Sept. 2

Vendors begin preparations for looming “slice war”For much of 1999, the only company commercially shipping multislice CT systems has been GE Medical Systems. But the Milwaukee, WI-based company no longer has a monopoly on the

Firms vie for position in OCT and fluorescenceLight-based imaging technologies are beginning to make progress on the long path to commercialization. Systems employing one such approach, optical coherence tomography (OCT), have already been

Swissray adds Hitatchi Medical as partner for digital x-ray, PACSHitatchi will market ddR Multi-System in parts of U.S.In its continuing bid to boost its market presence, digital radiography developer Swissray International last month

Samsung finalizes Raypax beta siteKorean PACS firm Samsung has announced that Palo Alto Medical Clinic has agreed to be the beta site for the company’s Raypax PACS product. The clinic will be Samsung’s first U.S. installation of Raypax

The Big Picture:Web technology proliferates in PACSBy Erik L. Ridley, EditorThe use of the World Wide Web in the PACS realm continues to expand, and many vendors are devoting increasing resources to bringing these capabilities to their product

Dynamic Healthcare lands PACS/RIS dealsHIS and PACS firm Dynamic Healthcare Technologies has landed several orders for its RIS and PACS products. The Lake Mary, FL-based company has sold its Dynamic PACSPlus system to Marquette General Hospital