CompuMed shows OsteoView

CompuMed debuted its digital OsteoView 2000 bone densitometry scanner at the annual meeting of the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research held last week. OsteoView 2000 will allow diagnosis of both osteoporosis and arthritis, according to the Manhattan Beach, CA-based company.

The scanner leverages off a set of image processing and segmentation tools developed by CompuMed, as well as direct digital x-ray capture technology developed by Varian Associates and Xerox under a grant from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). CompuMed has received exclusive rights to the technology in the fields of appendicular bone mass measurement and automated arthritis detection, according to CompuMed. Clinical trials will begin in October for OsteoView 2000, and the company expects to receive Food and Drug Administration 510(k) clearance in 1998.