CT

Virtual colonoscopy finds anomalies outside the colon that require additional tests though they often present no risk to patients. These tests unnecessarily raise the overall cost of healthcare, making CT colonography more expensive than the traditional procedure, according to a study conducted by Dr. Richard S. Bloomfeld, an assistant professor of medicine at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

In a move calculated to open doors for CT as a cardiac screening tool, GE Healthcare will market a software upgrade for its LightSpeed VCT that will dramatically reduce the radiation dose patients receive during cardiac CT.

GE releases flagship ultrasound for ob/gynVI and Toshiba unveil SurePlaque DICOM router launchediCAD signs senior R&D exec

The imaging industry tallied another 27 FDA clearances in August, the most recent month for which detailed accounts are available. The month's clearances drive the running count for 2006 to 227. If vendors maintain this pace, they will likely beat last year's record 349, as the clearances in the final quarter of the calendar year are generally high.

Philips Medical Systems gained 510(k) clearance in August to market a nuclear medicine camera that promises to overshadow the company’s high-performance Forte gamma camera. Philips declined to be interviewed about the new system, but the FDA document provides a detailed description.

Virtual colonoscopy is as effective as optical colonoscopy when screening for colorectal cancer, according to a study scheduled for publication in the November issue of the journal Radiology.

Electron-beam CT is now officially established as a useful technique in identifying individuals with or at risk for coronary heart disease, according to a scientific statement published today in Circulation.

VirtualScopics lands $1.4M contractsPhilips expands wireless IT display

A standard protocol, from patient selection through image acquisition, produces a coronary CTA study with broad clinical applications.

CTA, MRA gain ground in cardiac diagnosesAmirsys adds anatomyMerge prepares RSNA mammography workstation

It should come as no shock that the word “nuclear” conjures negative reactions. This is why nuclear magnetic resonance imaging was abridged decades ago and may be why the Society of Nuclear Medicine lately prefers its acronym and a slogan steeped in molecular imaging.

Most CT equipment forces technologists to turn into contortionists when techs administer CT contrast. With one hand on the scanner console and the other on the power injector key pad, the tech attempts to trigger the scan and injection simultaneously. Most of the time it works, but the process could be a lot easier and more productive.

Report to address trends that threaten future development of isotopes and instrumentation

Hard though it is to believe, there is another issue facing outpatient imaging centers besides the Deficit Reduction Act, information technology, and turf wars. It’s the multimodality revolution, which encompasses plain film x-ray, ultrasound, and yes, even mammography.

Underlying the appeal of personalized medicine is the link between in vitro and in vivo testing. The hope is that laboratory studies run on samples of body fluids will spot the earliest signs of disease, providing physicians with guidance on what to look for and where with imaging modalities.

Developing computer-aided detection for lung and colon images has become a priority at Siemens Medical Solutions. The decision is a consequence of Siemens’ -- and other vendors’ -- success in CT.

When discussing the importance of understanding your competition, we used a tool known as the High 5. The High 5 provides a company with the best approach to servicing customers. By knowing the five key factors a customer would use to select between competitors, and providing the best response to each, a company puts itself in the win position.

CZT-based camera boosts preclinical imagingSiemens installs preclinical imagerMisys introduces IT systemPhilips joins consortium to fight heart diseaseSonoSite promotes VPDMS signs three-year deal with Amerinet

When it comes to interventional work, Toshiba wants to streamline procedures and capitalize on acquired data. One approach to realizing those goals is physical, the other is philosophical.

Advances in computing power will reshape medical imaging, allowing the merger of diagnostic and therapeutic methods, according to Diego Olego, chief technology officer for Philips Medical Systems. The result will be expanded diagnostic applications and increased precision in targeting pathology for therapy.

The Society of Nuclear Medicine has shed its full name in favor of its acronym and a new tagline: “SNM: Advancing Molecular Imaging and Therapy.” The modification comes amid rapid changes in technology, therapy, and imaging. Diagnostic Imaging asked SNM president Dr. Martin Sandler to talk about the transformation.

GE ultrasound sees double-digit growthToshiba scores order for 20-plus CTs

Imulux, a pioneer in optical coherence tomography, showcased its FDA-cleared technology, Niris, at the World Congress of Endourology in Cleveland last week. Unlike other optical imaging tools that focus on the breast or brain, Niris renders images of the prostate. The system achieves a spatial resolution of 0.01 mm, which is well beyond the reach of diagnostic ultrasound.

Two IT products designed by McKesson have found their way into Toshiba America Medical Systems’ CT portfolio. The CT-specific mini-PACS products support Toshiba’s flagship Aquilion scanner. One is a low-cost archive for cardiology and the other is a scaled-down radiology PACS.

Only yesterday, PET was the talk of the town, and outpatient centers were clamoring to get their hands on it. I remember that day vividly and can recall the resources needed to get an outpatient PET center off the ground.

The news keeps getting better on the regulatory front. The imaging industry in July added to its already extraordinary record of FDA clearances for 2006, boosting the year’s tally by 32 to 200 premarket notifications.

A new method that uses carbon nanotube x-rays to create CT images promises to make CT scanners work faster than traditional ones while using less peak power.

Toshiba updates CT softwareMedrad unveils 3T prostate coilUltraSPECT names sales director

As if CT colonography needed more good publicity, a multinational study of more than 20,000 procedures has found that the technique is safer than previously thought, with a serious complication rate of just .018%.