CT

The crash of the radioisotope supply last winter gets a close look in this month's cover story. It details the politics and policy issues that closed down the Chalk River reactor in Ontario for nearly a month, leaving North American nuclear medicine physicians without a reliable supply of technetium-99.

Knowledgeable Canadians considered the molybdenum-99 crisis of 2007 a national disgrace. A squabble between the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and Atomic Energy Canada, the federal corporation that owns and operates nuclear research facilities at Chalk River, ON, forced the National Research Universal reactor there to shut down. That action triggered a crisis that cut off production of molybdenum-99, the isotope that produces technetium-99m for thousands of health facilities across Canada and the U.S.

Linear accelerator speeds toward PET radioisotope productionFujifilm Europe mints digital lightbox for CDsCT gets milk

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is now accepting public comments on national coverage for CT colonography. Comments will be accepted through June 18, 2008, at the CMS web site.

GE’s Centricity RIS gets smartBrit Systems unveils PACS bundles, remote reading servicesCandelis debuts archive applianceNEC introduces 30-inch medical LCD monitorPhilips presents IT ecosystemSiemens showcases TrueD

Atomic Energy Canada has halted development work on twin reactors at Chalk River, ON. They were the planned successors for an aging research nuclear reactor that is the source of molybdenum-99 isotope used in 19 million nuclear medicine imaging procedures annually.

Persistent ground-glass nodules in the lungs are worth a closer look, as they are highly associated with malignancy. Dr. Anne Leung offered an overview of how these lesions present on CT imaging at the 2008 Stanford International Symposium on Multidetector-Row CT in Las Vegas.

McKesson acquires web-based PACS reference providerPhilips steps up Brilliance iCT deliveriesSiemens showcases dual-energy software, applicationsMITA seeks to block new international regulationInSite One readies disaster recovery bundleRamSoft integrates RIS/PACs, unveils new portalNuance spotlights enhancements at SIIM meetingAgfa passes RIS milestone Sandy joins Fovia

GE unveils new CT at MDCT meetingMerge makes less, sells business unitsEmageon revenue falls sharplyiCAD recruits new board member

Aquilion steps out in Vegas NightHawk profits down, plans stock buybackThin-client firm readies 3D for SIIM meetingVolcano revenues riseMRS firm releases mammography software

Truly flat or depressed colorectal polyps pose a diagnostic dilemma and are always worth a closer look. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association may have overstated the case, however, by concluding that these polyps were quite common and carried an increased cancer risk, according to CT colonography experts.

Academic radiologists who helped invent CT colonography are urging their community-based colleagues to gear up for a possible jump in public demand for CTC following the American Cancer Society's decision in March to add the procedure to its list of preferred colon cancer screening options.

A preliminary study indicates that first-pass and delayed-enhancement myocardial CT correlate well with measures of infarction size gathered with equivalent cardiac MR procedures.

Healthcare buoys PhilipsCarestream updates molecular imaging softwareHologic sells CT CAD assetsIntelerad sets SIIM slate

As profits fall, GE cuts outlookSedecal, Suinsa plan mergerChina approves Medicsight colon CADBayer, Amerinet extend contrast deal

German researchers have demonstrated the value of PET and SPECT imaging for monitoring the ability of circulating progenitor cells injected in the coronary arteries to preserve the integrity of myocardial tissue following recanalization.

Quest prepares 12-Bit mammo display Connect Imaging releases CRm fixAbbott analyzer enters Medrad portfolio

Philips partners with Chinese hospitalSiemens signs Cleveland Clinic to cardiovascular systems dealCarestream supplies digitizer to Siemens

Toshiba upgrades CT productivity at ACCMerge battles for survivalHologic shares split

We hope one of the things that distinguishes us from other medical imaging media is our sense of fun. The practice and science of radiology can be scintillating reading (especially when it relates to nuclear medicine), but it can require intense mental concentration as well.

Good results require thorough patient preparation, dual positioning during imaging, and experienced readers

FDA clears applications for Toshiba scannersTomTec expands into cardiology PACSCVCTA Education introduces dose reduction training

The molecular imaging community will lend a hand to help rebuild New Orleans during a special event June 13 before the start of the 2008 Society of Nuclear Medicine meeting.

The American Cancer Society’s green light for CT colonography as a preferred modality for colon cancer screening is a major victory for proponents, but they are not resting on their laurels. Imaging and gastroenterology experts must gear up for widespread dissemination of the procedure, according to Drs. Judy Yee and Beth McFarland.

CMS backs down on CCTANew GE Voluson debuts at AIUM08Intelerad hits milestoneZonare lands West Virginia contract

Congress stands up for CCTASiemens readies CT apps for market

ACR recommends CT colonographyOrthopedic miniPACS debutsMerge enters teleradiologyVisage prepares to showcase ThinnovationMatrox bundles boards with Eizo displays

Siemens pairs with National JewishTotal Site Solutions plans HIMSS exhibitCovidien settles dispute with MedradMedrad reaches milestoneVolcano shares rise on record 4Q results

Imaging center installs dual-source CTFDA clears next-generation radiotherapyDeJarnette prepares data sharing key for HIMSSInSite One shuffles sales leadership

Research results promise to combine speed of CT and prognostic power of MR imaging in a single package