The latest evolution of GE Healthcare's Signa HD x (high definition x) platform offers MR pulse sequences that overcome barriers to diagnostic scans in some difficult-to-image patients. The xt version, shown at the RSNA meeting, features two major innovations: 3D Cube and Ideal.

The hierarchy of ultrasound systems at Hitachi Medical Systems America has a new flagship. Particularly noteworthy on the HI Vision 900 is an elastographic capability that characterizes pathologies based on ultrasonic measurements of the relative stiffness of tissue.

The S-2000 ultrasound scanner, takes shape this week as a new commercial product at the high end of the Siemens Medical Systems’ ultrasound portfolio. The S-2000, cleared by the FDA in mid-October, does not replace the Sequoia, Siemens’ flagship since it acquired ultrasound pioneer Acuson six years ago. Instead, it complements the system, according to Siemens executives, by combining best-of-breed technologies from Sequoia with Siemens’ ultrasound platforms developed prior to the Acuson acquisition.

A new ultrasound system and an upgrade to an existing product from Esoate address interest in compact ultrasound.

Nearly all lung nodules were segmented successfully with a point-and-click approach from four out of five vendor programs. Even with this approach, however, intraobserver 3D volumetric measurement agreement was close to but not 100% repeatable.

Confirma is showing at the RSNA meeting its breast MR coil enhanced with interventional components. Launched at RSNA 2006 as a purely diagnostic device, the Access Breast Coil is now outfitted with a grid plate and stabilization plate, a configuration cleared in July by the FDA. The four-channel phased-array coil was also modified to improve patient comfort, reduce weight, and increase physician access to the patient. The version slated for the RSNA exhibit floor is certified for use on Siemens Avanto, Espree, and Symphony MR scanners.

Philips Medical Systems is showing this week its next-generation large-bore PET/CT at the RSNA meeting. The new hybrid, appearing as a work-in-progress, combines the Gemini TF (True Flight) PET/CT with time-of-flight technology and the Brilliance wide-bore CT. The PET/CT features an 85-cm diameter for both PET and CT. Included are simulation protocols, respiratory gating, and connectivity for data transfer in radiation oncology.

Customers in the market for 16-slice CT have a new choice with the introduction by Hitachi Medical Systems America of the Eclos CT. The 16-slice scanner is designed for ease of use and low-dose high-quality scanning with optional 3D reconstruction supplied by TeraRecon.

While stress and personality have a well-established relationship with one another, they were also found to have a strong relationship to computer literacy within the radiologist community. Radiologists with lower levels of occupational stress and certain personality types -- high levels of openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness -- were found to be associated with higher levels of computer literacy.

An enhanced version of the z.one convertible ultrasound system, z.one ultra, appeared this week from Zonare Medical Systems. The upgrade automatically adjusts gain and brightness and traces spectral Doppler waveform.

TeraRecon is trying to blur the line between advanced 3D workstations and thin-client 3D with the introduction of new processing capabilities at its booth on the RSNA exhibit floor.

Vital Images is showing at the RSNA meeting an enhanced Vitrea workstation. Upgrades include cardiovascular workflow enhancements.

A major issue facing researchers who develop computer-aided diagnosis systems for early detection of lung cancer is deciding what in a CT image truly represents a lung nodule. An effort sponsored by the National Cancer Institute could be the key to getting around this problem.

When faced with the tall task of interpreting a set of poor-quality images, radiologists may grumble in their dark rooms or lambaste their techs in person. Imagers may feel their complaints disappear into a black hole and that it isn’t worthwhile to file a formal quality control complaint.

A new study suggests that in CT colonography scanning, 3D interpretation with 2D confirmation is better at finding cancerous polyps in an asymptomatic population than other approaches. The study also validated earlier large and widely publicized CT colonography studies that relied on 2D interpretations and produced less than stellar results.

Providers can eliminate the use of gadolinium-based contrast by using new pulse sequences from Toshiba America Medical Systems. The angiography techniques rely on differences in the MR signal that distinguish blood and surrounding soft tissue.

Yet another new technology contender has emerged to help overcome the 2D flaws of mammography and save women from false positives, anxiety, and needless biopsies.

Multislice CT is a promising tool for autopsy, and it’s likely that scanners will eventually be installed in many of the major medical examiner’s offices around the country. Who will read these cases remains to be seen, however, according to researchers from the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Utilization rates of radiological examinations in pregnant women rose dramatically over the last decade, driven largely by CT studies of the head and CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA). In one of the first studies to evaluate rates of radiological examinations that expose pregnant women to ionizing radiation, the number of exams per patient population was found to have risen by 81% over the period, according to research presented at the RSNA meeting by Dr. Elizabeth Lazarus of Brown University.

American Medical Sales is showcasing at RSNA 2007 an all-in-one PACS product that combines display, processing, and storage. Listed at $8000, the new Image Vault hardware/software combo is designed for small imaging operations. It features a simplified user interface built into a touchscreen, fingerprint security key, and automated logoff.