CT

Radiology and nuclear medicine are the focal points of proposed Medicare reforms that would bundle reimbursement in 2008 for seven categories of ancillary services covered by the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System.

The American College of Cardiology-backed Task Force on Clinical Competence will extend a certification deadline by two years, enabling more physicians to qualify to perform and interpret cardiac CT.

InSite One enhances archiveMedrad CT injector detects contrast poolingDetails emerge about SonoSite convertible notesFonar reports surge in MR salesInSight readies for emergence from bankruptcy

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are partnering with Michigan hospitals to examine whether coronary CT angiography, under certain circumstances, can be used as a complement or replacement for cardiac catheterization.

Current PET/CT scanners wrongly indicate coronary disease in up to 40% of patients, according to a study published this month in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

Waiting period expires for Hologic/CytycTeraRecon notches settlement in 3D litigationConfirma appoints new CFOZonare snags ultrasound orderFDA clears CT software for lung and liver

MR and CT can be the key to explaining sudden hearing loss. Explanations are most commonly associated with a benign tumor of the acoustic nerve, commonly called an acoustic neuroma but more appropriately described as a vestibular schwannoma. But radiologists may have to look elsewhere to find the answer in patients with a genetic disorder called von Hippel-Lindau disease. Again, however, MR may hold the key.

Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center have developed a shareware nuclear medicine PACS software package that includes a display for fused PET/CT studies. It is freely available on the Internet, according to a web-exclusive article in the June issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

Siemens Medical Solutions is installing its dual-source CT in new, uncharted territory -- hospital departments the company has never before approached -- and is finding a welcome reception for the clinically versatile platform.

When the Mayo Clinic’s nuclear medicine PACS grew in complexity to the point that a monitoring program was needed to ensure that technical issues did not degrade performance, nothing satisfactory could be found on the commercial market.

FDG-PET/CT can accurately tell which lung cancer patients will have a successful response to chemotherapy, and therefore a longer survival, and which will not, according to a study in the May issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Findings may have important implications for patient management.

Barco has put an interactive twist on the fusion of PET and CT data sets. The company demonstrated software at the Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine meeting (June 7 to 10) that allows the user to blend data from CT and PET data sets to varying degrees, creating images that show more or less anatomic and functional data, at the user’s discretion.

NeuroLogica extends CT role in sportsSwissray adds board members

Siemens highlights cardiovascular assessmentAurora expands breast MR operation to AsiaIBA launches headquarters in Beijing Gamma Medica-Ideas unveils high-performance CT

CAD-powered CT colonography enters EuropePhilips notches CT milestoneMultislice CT looks into the pastMR system expands options for breast biopsyHansen robotic catheter system ships to U.S. site

Research published in the June issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine suggests that radiolabeled recombinant tissue plasminogen activator can perform double duty for evaluations of deep vein thrombosis: It can diagnose the presence of DVT and distinguish between new and old thrombi. Peer-reviewed reports in the May medical literature reflect the growing value of medical imaging for diagnosing, assessing, and guiding the treatment of cardiovascular disease.

GE highlights CT advances at Stanford conference Toshiba streamlines bone subtractionFranklin & Seidelmann adds $25M to coffers

Amid a stir created by competitors about high definition at the Society of Nuclear Medicine meeting, Philips Medical Systems quietly promoted what may be the ultimate answer to improved image quality: its proprietary time-of-flight PET/CT. Clinical data supporting the benefit of this approach are now being generated by the company’s Gemini TF (TruFlight, commercially launched in 2006).

After more than a year of toggling with a rebranding process, the Society of Nuclear Medicine is no more. Along with a new face, the SNM acronym and the tagline "Advancing Molecular Imaging and Therapy" are the society's brand name from now on.

Researchers from Germany and the U.S. released findings from the first study showing images of the human brain acquired simultaneously by the two modalities of a hybrid PET/MR scanner. They released the data at the 2007 Society of Nuclear Medicine meeting being held in Washington, DC.

FDG-PET can predict which patients with gastric or gastroesophageal cancer will benefit more from treatment and can thus assist decision-makers regarding the appropriate management of these patients, according to two studies presented Sunday at the 2007 Society of Nuclear Medicine meeting.

Using PET with carbon-11-labeled monoamine oxidase A inhibitor clorgyline, researchers from the Brookhaven National Laboratory have found an association between MAO-A brain activity and violent behavior. Their study was selected as Image of the Year at the 2007 Society of Nuclear Medicine meeting in Washington, DC.

Diagnostic imaging rests squarely within the sights of regulators, so don't be surprised if significant rule changes relating to imaging services may be in the offing. One likely target relates to how interpretation services, including those provided via teleradiology, can be performed and billed.

University Hospital Zurich is well known for its work in PET/CT. The hospital installed one of the world's first PET/CT systems in March 2001 and currently operates two PET/CT scanners. Now radiologists and nuclear medicine physicians from around the world are being offered the chance to improve their dual-modality reading skills at this pioneering institution.

The Society of Nuclear Medicine anticipates highlights galore at its upcoming 54th annual meeting in Washington, DC. But no other topic will receive more attention this year than the continuing integration of molecular imaging into the day-to-day doings of nuclear medicine specialists. Congress even declared the week of June 3 as Molecular Imaging Week to raise awareness on the emerging field.