CT

Philips Medical Systems debuted a new flagship gamma camera on the RSNA exhibit floor: BrightView SPECT, a compact nuclear medicine camera that can be scaled to fit different needs and budgets.

Noncathartic bowel preparation is not an obstacle to accurate CT colonography (CTC). Preparations such as fecal tagging, electronic cleansing, and the use of stool-subtraction algorithms produce results comparable to those obtained with conventional bowel-cleansing preparations, according to studies presented at the 2006 RSNA meeting.

Although MR colonography (MRC) is proving to be an effective method of colorectal screening, patients are no more likely to accept it than optical colonoscopy, according to two studies presented at the RSNA meeting.

Noncathartic bowel preparation is not an obstacle to accurate CT colonography (CTC). Preparations such as fecal tagging, electronic cleansing, and the use of stool-subtraction algorithms produce results comparable to those obtained with conventional bowel-cleansing preparations, according to studies presented at the RSNA meeting on Monday.

IT specialist ScImage debuted a multidepartment PACS, Version 3.0 PicomEnterprise, at the 2006 RSNA meeting. The PACS uses a single database, which allows exams to be scheduled, tracked, reported, archived, and distributed across radiology, cardiology, nuclear medicine, and orthopedics using one Web-based log-on.

The assumption that CT colonography is the logical choice for pairing with optical colonoscopy to stage colorectal cancer took a hit at the RSNA meeting today. A prospective study from Europe shows that whole-body FDG-PET/CT is significantly more accurate than CT colonography for staging colorectal tumors.

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GE Healthcare will sign today an agreement with the Cleveland Clinic and outpatient provider AmSurg to explore how CT colonography might evolve into an accepted screening tool for colon cancer. The agreement calls for GE to provide equipment, engineering, and support; eRadiology, the teleradiology group within the Cleveland Clinic radiology division, will provide clinical expertise; and AmSurg will provide the outpatient facilities for conducting CTC exams.

Nuclear medicine technologists enjoy their jobs and find their salaries near the top of the scale for professions with similar educational requirements. They are concerned, however, about changes being wrought by new imaging technology and practice patterns, according to a survey sponsored by the Society of Nuclear Medicine Technologists Section.

The Society of Nuclear Medicine wants healthcare providers to inform patients undergoing nuclear medicine treatment or testing that they may set off security alarms at high-risk locations with the radioactive materials in their bodies.

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The imaging industry tallied another 34 FDA clearances in September, pushing the running count for the year to 261. Image management led all categories with 14 devices, followed by x-ray with 10, radiotherapy with four, ultrasound and CT each with two, and nuclear medicine with one. A surgical microscope accessory that is used to view intraoperative cerebral blood flow fits none of the traditional categories.

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Siemens Medical Solutions will spotlight a new kind of medical display at the upcoming RSNA meeting, one that creates volumetric images that appear to hang in space beyond the flat screen of the monitor. Unlike similar systems that have popped up in the past, however, this display will not require the user to wear glasses.

Approach addresses pitfalls that have held back widespread use of SPECT/CT for myocardial ischemia

Breast scintigraphy with technetium-99m NC100692 is safe and effective and could be used to monitor cancer treatment response, according to a study published in the September issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine

Optimal small bowel evaluation includes use of neutral contrast, 3D processing, and use of dose-reduction techniques

There is often confusion between doing the right things and doing things right. Perhaps the best way to explain the difference is with an example.

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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.

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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.