CT

An hour after the RSNA show floor opened, employees of Philips Medical Systems lifted the earth-toned drape that obscured the company’s answer to Toshiba’s flat-panel CT. The 256-slice system was as much a surprise as Toshiba’s 320-element system, as each company exceeded expectations in an industry marked this year by superlatives.

The first in a new generation of CT scanners will be on the market in summer 2008. Aquilion One from Toshiba America Medical Systems debuted at RSNA accompanied by dynamic studies of the brain and heart that demonstrated unprecedented clinical results. Preliminary results indicate that the system can detect subtle changes in blood flow or blockages as small as 1.5 mm in diameter.

Fifteen years ago, a strike at the Chalk River Laboratories nuclear reactor in Ottawa, the main source of raw material for technetium-99m, was averted hours before the walkout was to take effect. Three years later, in 1995, a fuel rod got stuck. Fortunately, repairs caused only a four-day shutdown.

In the Dec. 4 issue of DI SCAN, the article about the Toshiba America Medical Systems’ Aquilion One contained three errors. First, the detector, described incorrectly as a “flat panel,” is an “area detector for dynamic volume CT,” according to Doug Ryan, senior director of the Toshiba CT business unit. Second, although the scanner’s speed of rotation was correctly identified as 350 msec at one point in the article, in a quote attributed to Ryan, it was stated as 250 msec. Third, Aquilion One can perform an arteriogram (not an angiogram), venogram, DSA, and perfusion in a single exam -- not in a single pass. Such an exam requires a series of rotations.

VistaTrak, a product previewed by Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals at the RSNA meeting, offers hospitals a unique way to manage their use of contrast media and improve efficiency, reduce costs, and safeguard patients.

Siemens Medical Solutions unveils a new CT platform this week at the RSNA meeting that company executives claim will put an end to the slice wars vendors have been fighting since the first multislice scanners were commercialized eight years ago.

Research studies published in November and December demonstrate there are no one-stop radiologic shops for the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease. Each modality is endowed with specific strengths that recommend it as the instrument of choice in specific clinical situations.

Fifteen years ago, a strike at the Chalk River Laboratories nuclear reactor in Ottawa, the main source of raw material for technetium-99m, was averted hours before the walkout was to take effect. Three years later, in 1995, a fuel rod got stuck. Fortunately, repairs caused only a four-day shutdown.

Canadian authorities order reactor start-upEmergency legislation issued by the Canadian government late Dec. 12 has ordered the restart of a nuclear reactor critical to the supply of technetium-99m. The Chalk River Laboratories reactor in Ottawa will require about a week before returning to full production of the medical isotope.

Physicians around the globe breathed a sigh of relief as the Canadian nuclear reactor responsible for producing a majority of the world’s medical radioisotopes was ordered to begin production again.

GE sculpts portable systems for emergency medicine, anesthesiaDejarnette readies multi-CT version of dyseCTMerge updates eFilm WorkstationAlara launches new computed radiography systemNuclear medicine trial addresses breast cancerEmageon taps new COO

Reactor shutdown drastically cuts supply of technetiumVolcano bids for optical imaging firmToshiba reaches production milestoneMedQuest adopts Amicas platform

Task force promotes CT scanner-injector interfaceToshiba highlights Aquilion works-in-progressCereTom goes HollywoodInSightec raises $30 million

Task force promotes CT scanner-injector interfaceMedrad displays injector advancesToshiba highlights Aquilion works-in-progressOrthocrat updates TraumaCadNeurologica reaches CT milestone

Philips frames R&D at RSNA 2007Toshiba showcases interventional systemVisage, Medicsight partner on CT colonographySiemens launches digital mammo screening unit

Vital Images widens Toshiba allianceGE promotes Centricity OneViewPhilips offers 20/20 view of futureThinking Systems upgrades portfolioTeraRecon appoints new president

Radioactive microsphere therapy is gaining in popularity among specialists who deal with both primary and metastatic solid tumors in the liver. During the past two years, sessions dedicated to this therapeutic approach have been held in meetings of all major related specialties: interventional radiology, radiology, radiation oncology, surgical oncology, hepatobiliary surgery, nuclear medicine, and medical oncology.

Dr. Abass Alavi, a professor of radiology at the University of Pennsylvania, is the first nuclear medicine physician to receive the University of Bologna's prestigious laurea honoris causa. Alavi received the honorary doctorate in medicine and surgery for his contribution to the development of the radiotracer FDG.

As sure as the sun fades in the west, reimbursements for medical imaging set over time, a natural consequence of familiarity and increased demand, followed inevitably by increased productivity. But in 2006, the expected increase in demand did not happen in nuclear medicine.

Siemens robot revolutionizes interventional imagingToshiba spotlights contrast-free MRAZonare showcases z.one ultraHitachi releases 16-slice CTItalian vendor updates open MR

Spectrum Dynamics unveiled at the RSNA meeting the commercial version of its D-SPECT Cardiac gamma camera, which promises to cut the time typically needed to do a SPECT heart scan by 75% or more. Time savings come from solid-state cadmium-zinc-telluride detectors and proprietary image reconstruction techniques, according to the company.

Toshiba unveils 320-element CTPhilips offers 256-slice CTGE claims CT scans rival MR soft tissueSiemens debuts adaptive CT scanningSiemens shows wide-bore 3T, low-cost 1.5TNovel gamma camera enters marketQStar launches PACS appliance

Siemens’ Definition AS ends slice wars, says execA new CT platform appeared today in the Siemens Medical Solutions portfolio that executives at the German company hope will put an end to the industry’s slice wars.Euro firm slates digital radiography line for RSNA 2007VR dives into radiology referenceNasdaq puts Merge on notice again

Vendors geared up for their biggest week of the year, jockeying for position with news about offerings, and hinting at what is yet to come. Digital mammography market to nearly double this year in U.S. Flat panels deliver more dose than image intensifiers R&D seeks stroke therapy with ultrasound microbubbles Commentary: The bumpy road to molecular imaging

CereTom checks twins after surgeryCarestream preps RIS/PACS upgrades for RSNA

Week in review:Heart disease and cancer news dominated.Feature stories: Acusphere preps novel ultrasound agent for FDA submission Cardiac IT morphs to handle images and patient data PET scans may clear path for noninvasive lung cancer treatment Contrast agent illuminates breast cancer with near-infrared light Commentary: Truth versus the frontal parietal network

Late percutaneous coronary interventions do little goodIf you’re going to open a blocked coronary, do it quick or don’t bother, at least if you’re trying to have a long-lasting effect. Percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) using stents and balloons won’t make any difference in preventing second heart attacks, death, or development of heart failure if performed three or more days after a heart attack, according to research presented this week at the American Heart Association meeting.Toshiba launches faCTor64 studyGerman firm unveils dose shieldACR schedules ‘face’ time

As the end of the year closes in, vendors find themselves trailing far behind the previous year in the number of devices cleared by the FDA for marketing in the U.S.

In a word, RSNA.

In the wake of the RSNA meeting, DI SCAN takes a closer look at the news underlying the announcements along with other noteworthy items.Siemens unveils interventional robotHitachi hopes to jumpstart demand for open MRiCAD sets course to build CAD salesCommentary: Implementing technology in stages