CT

A standard protocol, from patient selection through image acquisition, produces a coronary CTA study with broad clinical applications.

CTA, MRA gain ground in cardiac diagnosesAmirsys adds anatomyMerge prepares RSNA mammography workstation

It should come as no shock that the word “nuclear” conjures negative reactions. This is why nuclear magnetic resonance imaging was abridged decades ago and may be why the Society of Nuclear Medicine lately prefers its acronym and a slogan steeped in molecular imaging.

Most CT equipment forces technologists to turn into contortionists when techs administer CT contrast. With one hand on the scanner console and the other on the power injector key pad, the tech attempts to trigger the scan and injection simultaneously. Most of the time it works, but the process could be a lot easier and more productive.

Report to address trends that threaten future development of isotopes and instrumentation

Hard though it is to believe, there is another issue facing outpatient imaging centers besides the Deficit Reduction Act, information technology, and turf wars. It’s the multimodality revolution, which encompasses plain film x-ray, ultrasound, and yes, even mammography.

Underlying the appeal of personalized medicine is the link between in vitro and in vivo testing. The hope is that laboratory studies run on samples of body fluids will spot the earliest signs of disease, providing physicians with guidance on what to look for and where with imaging modalities.

Developing computer-aided detection for lung and colon images has become a priority at Siemens Medical Solutions. The decision is a consequence of Siemens’ -- and other vendors’ -- success in CT.

When discussing the importance of understanding your competition, we used a tool known as the High 5. The High 5 provides a company with the best approach to servicing customers. By knowing the five key factors a customer would use to select between competitors, and providing the best response to each, a company puts itself in the win position.

CZT-based camera boosts preclinical imagingSiemens installs preclinical imagerMisys introduces IT systemPhilips joins consortium to fight heart diseaseSonoSite promotes VPDMS signs three-year deal with Amerinet

When it comes to interventional work, Toshiba wants to streamline procedures and capitalize on acquired data. One approach to realizing those goals is physical, the other is philosophical.

Advances in computing power will reshape medical imaging, allowing the merger of diagnostic and therapeutic methods, according to Diego Olego, chief technology officer for Philips Medical Systems. The result will be expanded diagnostic applications and increased precision in targeting pathology for therapy.

The Society of Nuclear Medicine has shed its full name in favor of its acronym and a new tagline: “SNM: Advancing Molecular Imaging and Therapy.” The modification comes amid rapid changes in technology, therapy, and imaging. Diagnostic Imaging asked SNM president Dr. Martin Sandler to talk about the transformation.

GE ultrasound sees double-digit growthToshiba scores order for 20-plus CTs

Imulux, a pioneer in optical coherence tomography, showcased its FDA-cleared technology, Niris, at the World Congress of Endourology in Cleveland last week. Unlike other optical imaging tools that focus on the breast or brain, Niris renders images of the prostate. The system achieves a spatial resolution of 0.01 mm, which is well beyond the reach of diagnostic ultrasound.

Two IT products designed by McKesson have found their way into Toshiba America Medical Systems’ CT portfolio. The CT-specific mini-PACS products support Toshiba’s flagship Aquilion scanner. One is a low-cost archive for cardiology and the other is a scaled-down radiology PACS.

Only yesterday, PET was the talk of the town, and outpatient centers were clamoring to get their hands on it. I remember that day vividly and can recall the resources needed to get an outpatient PET center off the ground.

The news keeps getting better on the regulatory front. The imaging industry in July added to its already extraordinary record of FDA clearances for 2006, boosting the year’s tally by 32 to 200 premarket notifications.

A new method that uses carbon nanotube x-rays to create CT images promises to make CT scanners work faster than traditional ones while using less peak power.

Toshiba updates CT softwareMedrad unveils 3T prostate coilUltraSPECT names sales director

As if CT colonography needed more good publicity, a multinational study of more than 20,000 procedures has found that the technique is safer than previously thought, with a serious complication rate of just .018%.

The heart and kidneys appear in their true surroundings in this fusion of science and art composed by scientist turned photojournalist Andrew Tsiaras.

An image illustrating perfusion SPECT/CT's importance for assessing low-risk patients with suspected myocardial infarction was selected as image of the year at the 2006 Society of Nuclear Medicine meeting in San Diego.

Two top meetings showcase MI progress, while investment in basic sciences soars

A breast CT scanner dedicated to diagnostic applications could be on the market by the end of this year. The clinical test unit, unveiled today at the University of Rochester Medical Center, NY, has already scanned several patients and will soon begin a 60-patient study to compare its images with those obtained using conventional mammography systems.

The truce over cardiac CT between cardiologists and radiologists showed signs of strain last week at the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography meeting in Washington, DC, when several radiologists charged that the endorsement of clinical guidelines by the society favored cardiologists.

Sixteen-slice CT angiography can rule out -- but cannot conclusively identify -- heart disease in patients, according to results to be published in tomorrow’s issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. The results establish a baseline for expectations regarding higher performance CTs, as their faster scan times could provide even better results.

Cardiac applications drive nuclear medicineCedara to distribute DICOM converterToshiba names VP of salesGE reorganizes ultrasound unit

Berlex initiated a nationwide recall July 20 to retrieve a single lot of Ultravist after particulate matter associated with crystallization was found in vials of the intravenous x-ray and CT contrast medium.