CT

Nuclear medicine applications have boomed since PET studies secured reimbursement, and the use of hybrid modalities combining nuclear imaging with multislice CT scanning is growing. The potential for increasing radiation exposure for patients and medical workers requires beefing up radiation safety measures, according to two leading nuclear medicine experts who spoke at the 2007 National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements meeting.

Varian shares plungeBycast cuts deal with Big BlueMazor targets misplaced spinal screwsShands adds 16-slice CT

Quantitative Radiology is now part of AFP Imaging. Purchase of the Italian firm, which has installed about 500 conebeam CT scanners for dental applications over the past decade, is being framed as a coup by AFP chairman and cofounder David Vozick.

Physicians’ pursuit of the subtlest signs of cancer may be misplaced when it comes to colon cancer. Finding lesions 5 mm or smaller does not significantly reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer, according to study results scheduled for the June 1 issue of Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. The results, published online April 23, are good news for virtual colonoscopy.

The Society of Nuclear Medicine’s campaign to guide advanced molecular imaging techniques into clinical practice has passed the halfway point in its goal of collecting $5 million to fund the effort.

N1177, an experimental contrast agent plucked from a foundering company, has researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine high on its potential for use in coronary CT angiography. The agent’s propensity to accumulate in coronary plaque rich in macrophages shows promise for identifying patients at high risk of heart attack and stroke. CT angiograms then highlight this plaque, which is especially vulnerable to rupture, putting its bearers at increased cardiovascular risk.

Thailand, Malaysia, and other countries have received United Nations aid to implement and upgrade their PET and nuclear medicine capabilities. The nuclear medicine section of the International Atomic Energy Agency, a UN affiliate organization, provides the assistance as part of its mandate to foster peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology.

Toshiba unveils Virtual Explorer at ACCAgfa releases nuc cardiology ITGE releases cardiac workstationToshiba showcases echo packageAgfa wins German IT contractCoActiv recruits new regional sales manager

Several weeks of clinical tests at Johns Hopkins Medicine have confirmed expectations for Toshiba’s 256-slice CT, establishing the prototype’s ability to measure subtle changes in blood flow and minute blockages in the heart and brain.

Toshiba and Siemens each rolled out a new CT at the European Congress of Radiology last week. Both launches are designed to target stragglers in the marketplace still operating outdated single-, dual- and quadslice systems.

Stereotaxis sets stock saleTeraRecon introduces dental CT

Correct diagnosis of tumor character and stage is fundamental to lung-cancer therapy planning, but evaluating indeterminate solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) continues to challenge radiologists. In addition, it is vital to determine as soon as possible whether patients are likely to respond to treatment.

Canada okays CR mammoSiemens reaches CT milestoneResearch firm projects contrast media to pull in $15B by 2010Del Global imaging sales rise

In the past, a person with chest pain entering the emergency department at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania could spend up to six hours there before being discharged.

We continue to be both amazed and intrigued by the hype showered on cardiac CT angiography and the corresponding lack of hype given to peripheral vascular CTA. No doubt, 64-slice cardiac or coronary CTA is potentially a revolutionizing technology, but PV-CTA has already revolutionized the comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of peripheral vascular disease.

This spring, the first sites in the world will begin using Philips Medical Systems' newly minted BrightView family of gamma cameras. The compact dual-head product, unveiled at the 2006 RSNA meeting, shines at the high end of the company's nuclear medicine portfolio in performance and versatility.

Multiplanar SPECT/CT lymphoscintigraphy provides better sentinel node detection in patients diagnosed with breast cancer than planar imaging alone, according to a study in the February issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. The technique shows particular promise for overweight patients.

The last time medicine had a new “ray” was back when radioactivity was king, spawning nuclear medicine and grade-B sci-fi flicks. Before the gamma ray was the x-ray . . . and that goes way back.

The last time medicine had a new “ray” was back when radioactivity was king, spawning nuclear medicine and grade-B sci-fi flicks. Before the gamma ray was the x-ray . . . and that goes way back.

Siemens opens biomarker R&D centerStructuRad adopts ‘pay per report’ pricingCardiac CT conference opens this week

Coke Super Bowl ad winsHologic exec amends stock trading planToshiba cuts multiyear CT dealMR agent lights up mouse heart

Expanded coverage for PET drove demand for procedures in 2006, helping push unit sales, which also benefited from local pressures on providers to keep up with the competition. Demand for upgrading the installed base to PET/CT from dedicated PET could bolster sales in the near term, just as the popularity of the modality continues to rise.

Italian computer-aided detection and imaging device company iM3D is slated to begin selling its CADColon iM3D system in this country this quarter. The company, which introduced itself to the U.S. radiology community in 2005 under the moniker iMED Medical Imaging Lab, is already selling CADColon in Europe and is awaiting approval from the FDA for marketing in the U.S. It plans to sell the product directly to customers but is also exploring relationships with imaging vendors interested in building its CAD algorithm into their workstations, said Alessandro Zuccato, head of sales.

Although MR colonography is proving to be an effective method of colorectal screening, patients are no more likely to accept it than optical colonoscopy. In addition, limited bowel prep protocols for CT colonography are proving comparable to full cathartic prep.

Contrast-enhanced lymphosonography finds more sentinel lymph nodes than can established nuclear medicine techniques, according to preliminary animal studies focusing on melanoma.

Researchers at Emory University have demonstrated the uptake of a new radiotracer known as FACBC in both primary and metastatic prostate cancer on initial staging, as well as in recurrent cancer within the prostate bed, lymph nodes, and bone. They reported their findings in the January issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

Software designed by researchers at the University of Chicago helps detect interval changes in successive nuclear medicine bone scans and can reduce interpretation time by up to 32%, according to research presented in an educational exhibit at the RSNA meeting.

A small outcomes study presented at the RSNA meeting has shown that multislice cardiac CT can be applied in specific ways to eliminate unnecessary cardiac catheterizations for coronary artery disease.

Appeals court favors SonoSite in patent fightGM-I bids to acquire molecular imaging firmPhilips sends CT ‘everywhere’Toshiba unveils enhanced Aplio

CT advances have knocked the imaging community back on its heels. The simplistic question of who will control coronary CT angiography has given way to far more perplexing ones about how and when this technology should be used.