Ultrasound

FDA clearances dipped in April compared with their spike in March, but the latest month put the industry back on track with previous years’ performance, outshining five of the past six Aprils with 28. That brings the total to 80 clearances this year -- in the ballpark with, though still lagging behind, industry performance since 2000.

Philips tops U.S. ultrasound marketStereotaxis, Siemens extend allianceMerge changes senior management teamViatronix appoints business development director

A study by Mayo Clinic researchers suggests MR elastography could provide noninvasive diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis, potentially reducing the need for biopsy.

3D cardiac software debutsRIS/PACS sales boost Agfa performanceGE collaborates with St. Jude Medical

GE launches new laptop ultrasound unitsGamma Medica-Ideas selects Asian distributorsDamadian buys Fonar shares on open marketDMS Health Group taps new CFO

An unusual eulogy delivered at ECR came from a urologist during a prostate cancer imaging session. The topic focused on a physical test that men have come to know, if not exactly love.

Enthusiasm about ultrasound as a complementary tool for screening women with dense breasts may be exaggerated or even unfounded, according to an Italian radiologist speaking at the European Congress of Radiology.

Fonar stumbles, blames competitorsSonoSite revenues edge upwardAurora closes $10 million investment Demand for radiosurgery system grows

Blade, MR prototype on cutting edge at ISMRMPhilips upgrades ultrasound at ACOG meetingGE launches densitometer at ACOG meetingSiemens installs first Symbia S

Image-guided percutaneous biopsy is safe and accurate, and it holds potential for eliminating needless nephrectomies, according to two studies presented at the American Roentgen Ray Society meeting in Vancouver.

Emory operates 64-slice PET/CTIMV study shows ultrasound expanding

GE Healthcare introduced today a miniaturized version of its 4D ultrasound system for women’s health and prenatal applications. The Voluson i is about the size of a laptop yet produces real-time volumetric images and displays them on a screen as big as the company’s cart-based 4D Voluson 730.

A California lawmaker has announced a bill that would restrict sales of ultrasound machines to medical professionals. The move follows public safety concerns raised by actor Tom Cruise’s November 2005 purchase of sophisticated equipment to perform ultrasound exams on his pregnant fiancée.

Portable ultrasound meets laptopR2 allies with GECedara and Swissray team upEclipsys revenues rise 19%U.S. Electronics unveils 5-MP display at SIIMNeurostar boosts network capabilitiesBrit Systems enhances image management

Percutaneous cryoablation of renal tumors is 100% effective, according to a report presented Monday at the American Roentgen Ray Society meeting.

For years, interventional radiologists have seen vascular disease management slip through their fingers and into the hands of cardiologists and surgeons. A new ultrasound-based technique, however, may help them reclaim lost turf.

SonoSite allies with Siemens in GermanyFDA approves optimized digital mammography unitCommissure launches RadCube suite

Schering boards recommend Bayer bidKodak plans product unveilings at SCAR meetingTomTec unveils 4D cardiac packageiCAD, R2 split decision in patent arbitrationCerner snags Australian contract

The industry rebounded in March from a sluggish start to the year as the FDA cleared 34 devices under 510(k) review, nearly matching the number cleared in the previous two months together. March brought the total to 72 radiological devices cleared so far in 2006, making up for the slow start and putting vendors on track with previous years.

Researchers from Seoul National University Medical Center have found that breast cancers detected by ultrasound only are not very sensitive to computer-aided detection.

Renal cell cancer is the most frequently encountered malignant tumor in the kidney. Over 30,000 new cases are diagnosed annually in the U.S. Many cases are now detected incidentally, as a result of the widespread use of multislice CT. MSCT usage is also redefining diagnostic workup of renal lesions and facilitating renal cell cancer staging.

Ultrasound provides a safe and accurate method of detecting breast cancer and assessing response to chemotherapy in pregnant women, according to a study in the April issue of Radiology.

Electrical waveforms guide lumpectomyZonare snags Kaiser Permanente contract

Duke University engineers have developed a miniature ultrasound transducer capable of generating data for high-quality real-time 3D images, transducers so small they fit in a laparoscope, intracardiac catheter, or transesophageal probe. So far the images have been only of dogs, but Duke’s lead engineer on the project believes the step to human application is a small one.

FDA clears radiotherapy packageMerge struggles with financialsPreclinical optical imaging system releasedNew Cell processor puts Mercury on cutting edgePie Medical changes nameInsight acquires East Bay clinic

Siemens simplifies interventional workflowR2 Licenses remote support softwareBiosound launches anesthesiology scannerSwearingen offers RIS swapTraumaCad enters England

Results from a new study confirm that ultrasound reliably predicts success and failure of single-dose methotrexate treatment of ectopic pregnancy. On the basis of their findings, Boston Medical Center researchers say a change is needed in clinical protocols.

Toshiba installs five CV labs at Borgess Brachytherapy provider to distribute argetScan Optical imaging probes enter biomedical market FDA releases list of imaging opportunities Cardiac agent moves to next phase Module builder unveils transportable MR facilities Volcano files for IPO Terason signs with Premier PET/CT, preclinical systems debut at AMI MR Instruments appoints new COO North American Scientific readies launch of breast initiative ScImage and Excribe partner Film prices climb drastically NEMA exec nears career end Cedara readies advanced orthopedic software Fischer faces end of the line Mammography volume inches upward Outpatient provider bags $161 million in credit Siemens unveils upgrades at AIUM meeting Del Global names VP Emageon recruits new COO IT developers partner in orthopedics Positron woos Canada SonoSite prevails in patent case

MR-guided focused ultrasound surgery is a safe, effective treatment for uterine fibroids. The number and size of fibroids do not affect outcome, according to a pair of studies presented at the 2005 RSNA meeting.

Transvaginal ultrasound and serum CA 125 blood tests, used individually or in combination, can detect ovarian cancer early, according to preliminary results from a study conducted by the National Cancer Institute. But both tests produce too many false positives, prompting needless surgeries.