Ultrasound

Contrast-enhanced sonography could be just as good as CT to detect solid organ injuries in patients with blunt abdominal trauma, even in the absence of free intraperitoneal fluid. Data from Italian researchers suggest that CE ultrasound could reduce the need for abdominal CT in emergency radiology.

If the future of ultrasound is integration, the industry drew a step closer this week with the global launch of Boston Scientific Lab’s intravascular ultrasound system. The product, billed as the first of its kind, can be installed directly into a cardiac cath lab or radiology suite, allowing doctors to incorporate IVUS technology into their daily workflow, visualizing the heart as well as coronary and peripheral vasculature.

Philips Medical sales riseMercury signs global PACS partnersSiemens claims top U/S radiology position, cites Klein

Radiological device vendors reached a record high for midyear clearances by the FDA in June, scoring 34 premarket notifications, raising this year’s tally to 168. The industry has come close to this midyear high only once since DI SCAN began tracking FDA clearances in 2004, when 159 devices were favorably reviewed.

MS Word upgrades low-cost structured reportingContextVision signs Japanese vendorSiemens achieves open MR milestone

A cardiology task force is recommending that two tests, CT for coronary artery calcium and ultrasound for carotid intima-media thickness and plaque assessment, be used to screen asymptomatic patients for heart attack risk.

Think back to when you were little, really little, and everything was big. Remember reaching up to the sink and wondering how you’d ever wash your hands? It is one of those defining visions that surfaces every now and then in my mind: looking up at this big box with the sink atop it. Then, as time went on, the sink got smaller, and I remember wondering, “How is it doing that?” Ultrasound appears headed on a similar path.

CE-sonography helps trauma assessmentFDG-PET guidelines appear in publicationPlanmed submits FFDM application

The California State Assembly has passed a bill that would restrict sales of ultrasound machines to medical professionals. The move follows public safety concerns raised by actor Tom Cruise's purchase of ultrasound equipment to perform exams on his pregnant fiancee in November 2005.

Ultrasound elastography is being proposed as a way to guide and monitor ablation therapy. Researchers say elastography could help ultrasound overcome limitations in this setting, and increase its visibility among other imaging modalities used for guidance.

Using radiology residents to make up for the shortage of qualified sonographers could undermine medical education and compromise patient care, though some professors consider the nightshift duties essential learning experience. The findings of a Stanford University survey suggest teaching hospitals should reinforce training for residents if they are to perform after-hours ultrasound scanning.

Prostate imaging can be a lonely, thankless line of work for radiologists. Specialists are scarce, and urologists have the upper hand. Cancer screening is controversial, and imaging research has yielded a mixed bag of results. Nevertheless, prostate guru Dr. Ethan Halpern is bullish about the future.

GE teams with Asian dairy companyUltrasound firm targets emboliFonar wins temporary Nasdaq reprieveUltrasound ablation reaches Poland

Stress echocardiography can accurately predict the onset of cardiovascular disease in patients waiting for kidney transplants, according to a study presented in June at the American Society of Echocardiography meeting.

ExAblate 2000 to enter Australia, TaiwanEmageon signs MidMichigan HealthUltrasonix recruits senior execs

FDA reviewers cleared 34 radiological devices in May, the highest number for this month since 2000, when DI SCAN began tracking clearances. The stellar performance puts the industry on track for a record year.

Echocardiography has unearthed links among morbid pediatric obesity, sleep disorders, and potentially fatal -- often hidden -- pulmonary hypertension, according to a study presented in June at the American Society of Echocardiography meeting.

Biotech firm teams with GE HealthcareGE unveils ASP version of CentricityMicroMaxx enters race circuit

An intraperitoneal injection of dextrose prior to radiofrequency ablation of peripheral liver tumors reduces postprocedural pain and the need for painkillers, according to two studies in the May issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology. The technique could make treatment available to a larger pool of patients by rendering RFA safer in anatomically challenging areas.

Bayer gains control of ScheringIDC begins ships new DR, appoints execsSonoSite selects new VPsAdvanced Magnetics moves to Nasdaq

The World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (WFUMB) plans to build upon its most successful international congress to date by making the meeting a biennial event.

All women of reproductive age with suspected appendicitis should be routinely imaged with ultrasound, CT, or both methods if clinically necessary prior to surgery, a radiologist said at the Stanford MDCT conference on Thursday.

ContextVision reaches milestoneFDA clears Barco cardiac analysisDynamic Imaging taps new executiveMedrad plans to expand production of sterile disposables

GE equipment performs CT helical shuttle, dual-energy scansUltrasound for iPodsEclipsys to acquire lab software companyGE releases CardIQ Fusion

GE Healthcare upgrades echo systemKonica extends mobile stitchingFDA clears Medrad pumpSiemens introduces syngo ultrasoundTim reaches 1000th customer

Future cancer management may rely on identifying healthy individuals at risk before they develop symptoms of disease, according to National Cancer Institute researchers.

Enthusiasm about ultrasound as a complementary screening tool for women with dense breasts may be unfounded, according to an Italian radiologist who presented study findings at the European Congress of Radiology in Vienna. But a U.S. luminary has a different opinion.

Born in the U.S. and incubated in research facilities for more than 15 years, ultrasound elastography emerged with a splash across the Atlantic at the 2006 European Congress of Radiology. Researchers at the March meeting hailed the technique's potential to dramatically reduce benign breast biopsy rates.

Cedara teams with German RIS firmVarian Medical expands in China FTC delays Suros acquisition, R2 deal on trackSuros, SenoRx bury hatchetLegacy support arrives for CV PACS

GE debuts ER ultrasound scannersFDA expands use of Varian platformCanadians tap Agfa for PACSToshiba reaches MR milestoneHansen highlights robotic catheter system