Ultrasound

Digesting the mediocre performance by Philips Medical in the third quarter, financial analysts peppered Pierre-Jean Sivignon, chief financial officer of Koninklijke Philips Electronics, with questions about the company’s plans for the upcoming RSNA. They were looking for reasons to believe the CFO’s assertions that Philips’ financials would soon improve.

The worst effects from the Deficit Reduction Act may be over, according to GE Chairman and CEO Jeffrey R. Immelt. But Pierre-Jean Sivignon, chief financial officer of Koninklijke Philips Electronics, has some reservations.

Strategic moves and executive spin shaped the week.Features: RadNet’s purchase of Liberty Pacific MRI clears the way for strategic and tactical operations-DI SCAN describes how. GE’s Immelt and Philips’ Sivignon spin DRA and logistical problems. Sivignon dodges questions about new products. Siemens launches industry’s lowest priced MRI. The prize behind door number 1.5T (Where’s Monty Hall when you need him?).

SonoSite launches dedicated ICU product IV ultrasound study setCytyc to buy back notesTopSpin Medical taps clinical affairs VP

Simple gray scale and color Doppler sonography can show differences between compensated liver cirrhosis and chronic viral hepatitis in patients with liver problems. Certain color Doppler indices can even help narrow down the stage of chronic viral hepatitis, reducing the need for biopsies.

SonoSite unveiled its second hand-carried ultrasound unit in as many weeks. This one, like the one that came out Oct. 1, is focused on point-of-care ultrasound. Unlike the M-Turbo, however, which can handle a broad range of bedside applications, the S-FAST (Focused Assessment with Ultrasound for Trauma) was designed specifically for emergency medicine.

A surprise acquisition appeared at week’s end, as ultrasound saw both opportunity and threat. Features: GE acquires Web-based RIS/PACS vendor Dynamic Imaging; company execs give the inside story behind why and how. SonoSite launched its second point-of-care ultrasound system in as many weeks. The MR market in the U.S. is weathering the DRA rather well-here’s why. How to make sales at the RSNA (and look like you’re not really trying).

Europe expands Exablate clinical reachConvertible ultrasound shines at ASAToshiba fleet turns greenLCDs head for RSNAHigh-speed imager suits tight spaces

The Cardiac Diagnostic Laboratory at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis has stopped using Definity, the echocardiographic contrast agent marketed by Bristol-Myers Squibb, according to an Oct. 11 memo obtained by Diagnostic Imaging.

SonoSite unveils handcarried ultrasound for nerve blocksBarnes-Jewish drops DefinityDRA stings GE, PhilipsSymbia adds low-cost cameraDictaphone plans RSNA releaseDigirad counsel steps down

Patient-controlled sedation and analgesia with a combination of propofol and fentanyl worked just as well as the standard gastroenterologist-administered midazolam and pethidine for upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopic ultrasound exams. Patients and endoscopists were equally satisfied with each method.

FDA advises black box warning for ultrasound contrast agents

Hidden NSF cases appearDel Medical sales boom in 4QWeb tool calculates hand-carried ROIFDA clears low-dose x-rayACRIN Trial looks at cervical cancer UltraRAD recruits new exec

Point-of-care medicine took a step forward Oct. 1 with the release of SonoSite’s latest hand-carried ultrasound system. M-Turbo, so named because of its speed, offers improved image clarity and ease of use. This is achieved, according to the company, through a 16-fold increase in processing power that allows the running of several algorithms that reduce artifacts, boost spatial resolution, and match imaging parameters to exam type.

It was a tumultuous week, marked by displaced products and industry execs. Features: The MR market shows signs of a rebound; DI SCAN explains why CT is struggling. Nuance acquired Commissure and spread its corporate focus from transcription to decision making. MicroMaxx dropped a peg in the SonoSite portfolio as M-Turbo was added to the mix, signaling a renewed emphasis by the company on point-of-care ultrasound. Ultrasound shapes and contours its way into “aesthetic medicine.”

Doppler sonography and 3D power Doppler angiography can distinguish between endometrial cancer and hyperplasia, according to researchers in Spain. The standard measurement of endometrial thickness alone, however, did not significantly differentiate between the two conditions.

SonoSite unveils emergency scanner SonoSite expands Indian operationsSiemens’ CAD set to shine at RSNAHopkins doc joins software boardMedtronic acquires Biophan patents

The commercial prospects of Definity and Optison, the only two ultrasound contrast media approved for clinical use in the U.S., may be damaged if the FDA moves ahead with plans to require black box warnings for the two echocardiography agents.

Siemens launches pocket rocketMercury snags 3D clientCanon USA reaches digital radiography milestoneVI renews Medicsight alliance

Point-of-care medicine took a step forward Oct. 1 with the release of SonoSite’s latest hand-carried ultrasound system. M-Turbo, so named because of its speed, offers improved image clarity and ease of use. This is achieved, according to the company, through a 16-fold increase in processing power that allows the running of several algorithms that reduce artifacts, boost spatial resolution, and match imaging parameters to exam type.

Researchers in Austria showed duplex ultrasound measurements of the carotid artery could demonstrate the progression of stenosis and predict which patients would suffer serious cardiovascular complications.

Increasing volumes of work and demanding schedules, exacerbated by staff shortages and the pressures of working in a target-driven environment, contribute to the increased prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among sonographers, according to leaders in the field.

Breast ultrasound significantly increases detection of cancers in high-risk women but takes a big toll on the rate of benign biopsies, according to the initial results of a screening trial sponsored by the American College of Radiology Imaging Network and the Avon Foundation.

For nearly a decade, radiologists have used breast ultrasound as an adjunct to x-ray mammography to avoid unnecessary biopsies in equivocal cancer cases. Now ultrasound innovations that increase image resolution while decreasing operator dependence are reflected in a study published in the July issue of Radiology.

Three-D ultrasound designed for cardiac imaging may be just what interventionalists need to improve the administration of nerve blocks, according to researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida.

The number of image-guided percutaneous interventions being performed, including tissue biopsies, fluid aspiration, and catheter insertions, has increased markedly. The rising popularity of these procedures is due to their less invasive nature and lower risk compared with surgery, their high diagnostic accuracy, and the substantial cost savings they provide.

Brigham and Women's Hospital researchers in Boston have shown that MR-guided focused ultrasound surgery reduces the painful symptoms of uterine leiomyomas for at least a year after treatment. Better technique and growing experience with the minimally invasive procedure have improved its effectiveness and safety while helping physicians with patient selection.

Doppler ultrasound breast tumor exams conducted prior to chemotherapy can reliably predict the outcome of treatment, according to research conducted in India. Most breast cancer is treated with chemotherapy prior to surgery. The traditional way to assess the success of this chemotherapy is to study tissue samples collected at surgery. In this study, researchers developed a scoring method using Doppler ultrasound to predict chemotherapy success.

Both ultrasound alone and ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy of lymph nodes are reliable ways to stage invasive lobular carcinoma, a form of breast cancer occurring in only 10% to 15% of cases. Although preoperative assessment can be quite challenging with this cancer, research from the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston found ultrasound to be as effective for staging invasive lobular carcinoma as it is for the more common invasive ductal carcinoma.

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