The fight in radiology ultrasound was already bloody when GE MedicalSystems threw a sucker punch at competitors during the RadiologicalSociety of North America conference this month. GE unveiled atechnically sophisticated works-in-progress scanner that

Anyone who doubted the future of digital mammography must be thinkingtwice after this year's Radiological Society of North Americameeting. Digital systems were featured prominently on the exhibitfloor. Fischer Imaging and Lorad displayed

Elscint's small position in the U.S. MRI market has proven a blessingin disguise for the Israeli multimodality medical imaging vendor.While MRI suppliers with a larger stake in the U.S. reel froma dramatic drop in system sales (SCAN 11/3/93), Elscint's

Despite the onset of health-care reform, there is still room inmedical imaging for good old-fashioned technological innovation.This year's Radiological Society of North America meeting is acase in point, particularly in MRI. Industry leaders Siemens

There may be a cure for MRI sales depression: Take two aspirinsand expand applications. With routine MRI procedure volume saggingin the U.S., vendors are scurrying to move the modality into newrealms, such as interventional MRI. Cutting-edge

Shimadzu Medical Systems is beefing up its 1-tesla MRI lineupwith two new scanners to be unveiled at the Radiological Societyof North America meeting this month. The new systems spearheada renaming of the Japanese vendor's MRI product line, accordingto

Toshiba America Medical Systems is planning a full-court pressat this month's Radiological Society of North America meeting.In an effort to secure a greater U.S. market share, the Japanesevendor is introducing a range of new products, many of which

The development of picture archiving and communications systemsfor ultrasound has been marked by a conflict between competingdigital imaging standards. While many vendors are lining up behindACR-NEMA's digital imaging and communications in medicine

Sales of medical imaging systems in Europe will finish the yeareither flat or down slightly from 1992 on account of general economicsluggishness and the desire of government authorities to restraingrowing health-care budgets. Signs are, however, that the

Genesys has reached an out-of-court settlement in its lawsuitagainst IBM relating to work on a picture archiving and communicationssystem installation at a Florida hospital. Genesys had chargedIBM with breach of contract and attempted theft of trade

Computer-aided diagnosis of mammography exams was moved one stepcloser to commercial reality with the signing last month of alicensing agreement between the University of Chicago and R2 Technology.The California start-up company is raising financial

Loral Aerospace is one of the heaviest hitters in the picturearchiving and communications market, but the company has yet tostep up to the plate and demonstrate its ability at a major radiologymeeting. That's about to change. Loral plans to show its

Although somewhat slow out of the starting gate, spiral CT haspicked up speed commercially this year. The technology was a hottopic at the European Congress of Radiology conference in Viennalast month and is sure to be featured prominently at the

Cracks are appearing in the relationship between picture archivingand communications systems partners IBM and Genesys. IBM lastmonth fired the Orlando, FL, company from an IBM PACS job at aFlorida hospital. Genesys this month countered with a

The Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of MRI contrastagent Magnevist for whole-body applications, making the productthe first agent to be cleared for use outside the central nervoussystem. The FDA's action will improve Magnevist's

GE Medical Systems will consolidate its worldwide nuclear medicinebusiness near Milwaukee headquarters by the middle of next yearas a further step in its streamlining of global operations andexpenses. GE has initiated a transfer of nuclear

Any vendor--particularly a small one--hoping to break into theMRI market during these depressed times needs to find a more cost-effectiveMR mousetrap and a secure niche in which to sell it. Bone densitometrysupplier Lunar will use a North American MRI

Siemens will carry out a radical restructuring of its U.S. operationsnext month. Structural changes will coincide with the hiring ofa new president for Siemens Medical Systems in Iselin, NJ, accordingto Werner Maly, group president of the worldwide

Mobile imaging services provider Alliance Imaging last week announceda restructuring plan to modernize its fleet of MRI scanners. TheOrange, CA, company plans to put 21 magnets out to pasture andreplace many with new 1-tesla scanners, according to

Philips Medical Systems took a pioneering step last week withthe introduction of a direct-sensor computed radiography system.The selenium-based ThoraVision digital chest system is the firstnon-phosphor CR system offered by a major multimodality