The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today that it has selected five participants in the Medicare Imaging Demonstration (MID), a demonstration project that promotes appropriate utilization of advanced imaging services.
CMS solicited proposals from interested parties (referred to as “conveners”) that recruited physician practices for participation in the demonstration. Those conveners selected are the Brigham & Women's Hospital; Henry Ford Health System; Maine Medical Center-Physician Hospital Organization; University of Wisconsin-Madison, and National Imaging Associates.
“The demonstration provides CMS an opportunity to work closely with individual conveners and physician practices in testing whether the use of decision support systems can improve quality of care by diminishing patient exposure to potentially harmful radiation caused by unnecessary over-utilization of advanced imaging services,” said CMS Administrator Donald Berwick, MD.
The 2- year demonstration, authorized by section 135(b) of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, will assess the impact that decision support systems used by physician practices have on the appropriateness and utilization of advanced medical imaging services ordered for beneficiaries in original fee-for-service Medicare.
The demonstration focuses on three advanced diagnostic imaging modalities: magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and nuclear medicine. Eleven advanced imaging procedures -- Spect MPI, MRI lumbar spine, CT lumbar spine, MRI brain, CT brain, CT sinus, CT thorax, CT abdomen, CT pelvis, MRI Knee, and MRI shoulder -- are included in the demonstration.
source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
2.04.2011
2.03.2011
PET Scans May Allow Early Prediction of Response to Targeted Therapy of Thyroid Cancer
Reston, Va. — Positron emission tomography (PET) can image metabolic changes following treatment with the protein kinase inhibitor vandetanib, helping to define the therapy response or the effectiveness of the therapeutic agent, according to research published in the February issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Currently being tested in clinical trials, vandetanib inhibits the function of the RET (rearranged-during-transfection protein) proto-oncogene and other protein kinases involved in the development and progression of cancer.
“For the most part, clinical trials have been measuring the effectiveness of vandetanib by changes in tumor size. Based on the activating effects of mutated RET and other protein kinases on numerous intracellular metabolic pathways, we hypothesized that PET imaging could play a role in the early evaluation of response to vandetanib,” said Martin A. Walter, MD, lead author of the study “Metabolic Imaging Allows Early Prediction of Response to Vandetanib.”
The study examined the usefulness of metabolic imaging to determine response to vandetanib in three ways. First, medullary thyroid cancer cells were used to create an in vitro model. After cultivation, the cells were treated with vandetanib, and changes in the metabolic profile of the cells were successfully monitored by transcriptional profiling and by radiotracer uptake studies.
Using the same untreated cells, the researchers then created an in vivo model by injecting mice with the cancerous cells and treating them with vandetanib. Small animal PET/computed tomography (CT) imaging was performed and was found to reproduce the in vitro findings of metabolic activity after three days.
source: SNM
“For the most part, clinical trials have been measuring the effectiveness of vandetanib by changes in tumor size. Based on the activating effects of mutated RET and other protein kinases on numerous intracellular metabolic pathways, we hypothesized that PET imaging could play a role in the early evaluation of response to vandetanib,” said Martin A. Walter, MD, lead author of the study “Metabolic Imaging Allows Early Prediction of Response to Vandetanib.”
The study examined the usefulness of metabolic imaging to determine response to vandetanib in three ways. First, medullary thyroid cancer cells were used to create an in vitro model. After cultivation, the cells were treated with vandetanib, and changes in the metabolic profile of the cells were successfully monitored by transcriptional profiling and by radiotracer uptake studies.
Using the same untreated cells, the researchers then created an in vivo model by injecting mice with the cancerous cells and treating them with vandetanib. Small animal PET/computed tomography (CT) imaging was performed and was found to reproduce the in vitro findings of metabolic activity after three days.
source: SNM
2.02.2011
Repeat MRI Screening for Breast Cancer Results in Fewer False Positives
OAK BROOK, Ill. — MRI screening for breast cancer delivers consistent rates of cancer detection and fewer false-positive results over time, according to a new study published online and in the April print edition of Radiology.
While MRI can be more effective than mammography at identifying suspicious areas of the breast, it is not always able to distinguish between cancerous and benign lesions, which can result in additional testing and false-positive results that may cause anxiety for patients. A screening exam is considered to be false positive when its results recommend further testing or a biopsy of a suspicious finding, but no cancer is found.
"MRI is an excellent screening tool for breast cancer, but the higher rate of false-positive results keeps some women from undergoing the exam," said the study's co-author Martha B. Mainiero, M.D., director of the Anne C. Pappas Center for Breast Imaging at Rhode Island Hospital and associate professor of diagnostic imaging at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University in Providence, R.I. "The goal of our study was to determine if the availability of prior MR images for comparison reduces the rate of false positives associated with the initial MRI breast screening exam."
In the study, researchers reviewed reports from 650 consecutive screening MRI breast exams performed on women between September 2007 and December 2008 at Rhode Island Hospital. The women, who ranged in age from 25 to 81 years, were referred for MRI screening because they were considered to be at high risk for breast cancer.
Of the breast MRI results reviewed, 307 were the patient's first, or baseline, screening exams and 343 were annual or repeat screening MRI exams.
In the baseline group, MRI identified two cancers for a cancer detection rate of 0.65 percent. In the repeat screening group, the cancer detection rate was nearly twice as high: cancer was found in four patients, for a rate of 1.17 percent.
source: RSNA
While MRI can be more effective than mammography at identifying suspicious areas of the breast, it is not always able to distinguish between cancerous and benign lesions, which can result in additional testing and false-positive results that may cause anxiety for patients. A screening exam is considered to be false positive when its results recommend further testing or a biopsy of a suspicious finding, but no cancer is found.
"MRI is an excellent screening tool for breast cancer, but the higher rate of false-positive results keeps some women from undergoing the exam," said the study's co-author Martha B. Mainiero, M.D., director of the Anne C. Pappas Center for Breast Imaging at Rhode Island Hospital and associate professor of diagnostic imaging at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University in Providence, R.I. "The goal of our study was to determine if the availability of prior MR images for comparison reduces the rate of false positives associated with the initial MRI breast screening exam."
In the study, researchers reviewed reports from 650 consecutive screening MRI breast exams performed on women between September 2007 and December 2008 at Rhode Island Hospital. The women, who ranged in age from 25 to 81 years, were referred for MRI screening because they were considered to be at high risk for breast cancer.
Of the breast MRI results reviewed, 307 were the patient's first, or baseline, screening exams and 343 were annual or repeat screening MRI exams.
In the baseline group, MRI identified two cancers for a cancer detection rate of 0.65 percent. In the repeat screening group, the cancer detection rate was nearly twice as high: cancer was found in four patients, for a rate of 1.17 percent.
source: RSNA
1.24.2011
FDA Advisory Committee Recommends Approval of Bayer's Gadobutrol Injection for MRI of the Central Nervous System
WAYNE, N.J., Jan. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced today that the Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs Advisory Committee to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted unanimously that clinical trial and postmarketing data for gadobutrol injection, a macrocyclic 1.0 molar gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA), support approval of the product for proposed use in diagnostic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in adults and children (2 years of age and older) to detect and visualize areas with disrupted blood brain barrier and/or abnormal vascularity of the central nervous system (CNS).
In addition to the vote for approval, Committee members concurred by a vote of 15 to 1 that gadobutrol should be labeled without an NSF (nephrogenic systemic fibrosis) contraindication in the at-risk population. NSF is a very rare but serious disease that affects a small percentage of patients with severe renal impairment who undergo contrast-enhanced MRI. All marketed GBCAs have a boxed warning about the potential for NSF in patients with chronic severe kidney disease or acute kidney injury.
Gadobutrol is formulated at a 1.0 molar concentration (mol/L) which provides a higher concentration (lower volume) compared to other contrast agents used for CNS imaging. Bayer appreciates the Committee's discussion and suggestions around risk minimization for inadvertent dose misadministration and will continue to work with the FDA as it finalizes its review of gadobutrol.
"Bayer is pleased that the Advisory Committee recognized the totality of the clinical and post-marketing data presented today," said Pamela A. Cyrus, M.D., Vice President and Head of U.S. Medical Affairs, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals. "If approved by the FDA, Bayer believes that gadobutrol will provide healthcare providers with an additional new option for CNS imaging in the United States."
source: PR Newswire
In addition to the vote for approval, Committee members concurred by a vote of 15 to 1 that gadobutrol should be labeled without an NSF (nephrogenic systemic fibrosis) contraindication in the at-risk population. NSF is a very rare but serious disease that affects a small percentage of patients with severe renal impairment who undergo contrast-enhanced MRI. All marketed GBCAs have a boxed warning about the potential for NSF in patients with chronic severe kidney disease or acute kidney injury.
Gadobutrol is formulated at a 1.0 molar concentration (mol/L) which provides a higher concentration (lower volume) compared to other contrast agents used for CNS imaging. Bayer appreciates the Committee's discussion and suggestions around risk minimization for inadvertent dose misadministration and will continue to work with the FDA as it finalizes its review of gadobutrol.
"Bayer is pleased that the Advisory Committee recognized the totality of the clinical and post-marketing data presented today," said Pamela A. Cyrus, M.D., Vice President and Head of U.S. Medical Affairs, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals. "If approved by the FDA, Bayer believes that gadobutrol will provide healthcare providers with an additional new option for CNS imaging in the United States."
source: PR Newswire
1.23.2011
CT scanning aids rapid diagnosis, treatment planning for abdominal pain
The use of CT scanning to evaluate abdominal pain in emergency departments can help physicians arrive at a diagnosis quickly and decisively. A study conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and appearing in the February issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology also finds that information provided by CT scans changed treatment plans for almost half the patients studied and significantly reduced probable hospital admissions.
"Our report addresses an important question with substantial policy relevance – what is the value of CT scanning in the emergency department setting?" says Scott Gazelle, MD, MPH, PhD, an MGH radiologist and director of the Institute for Technology Assessment, senior author of the study. "We specifically looked at how the use of CT for patients with abdominal pain affects physicians' thinking about their patients' diagnosis, their confidence in the diagnosis and the treatment plan; and we found that it significantly affected all three."
Gazelle explains that imaging has become a target for efforts to reduce health care costs. "We've strongly believed that the use of CT in the emergency department can improve efficiency in the workup for many conditions, but we haven't had the evidence we would like to back up that assertion. We chose abdominal pain for our study because it's a common presenting symptom that doesn't have the clearly defined diagnostic guidelines available for other common symptoms that can lead to CT, like headache."
Over a 15-month period from November 2006 through February 2008, physicians in the MGH Emergency Department (ED) who ordered CT scans for patients with abdominal pain not associated with a traumatic injury were asked to complete a questionnaire both before the scan was conducted and again after receiving the results. The questionnaire included the physicians' current diagnosis of the probable cause of symptoms, their level of confidence in the diagnosis and their expected treatment recommendations.
source: EurekAlert
"Our report addresses an important question with substantial policy relevance – what is the value of CT scanning in the emergency department setting?" says Scott Gazelle, MD, MPH, PhD, an MGH radiologist and director of the Institute for Technology Assessment, senior author of the study. "We specifically looked at how the use of CT for patients with abdominal pain affects physicians' thinking about their patients' diagnosis, their confidence in the diagnosis and the treatment plan; and we found that it significantly affected all three."
Gazelle explains that imaging has become a target for efforts to reduce health care costs. "We've strongly believed that the use of CT in the emergency department can improve efficiency in the workup for many conditions, but we haven't had the evidence we would like to back up that assertion. We chose abdominal pain for our study because it's a common presenting symptom that doesn't have the clearly defined diagnostic guidelines available for other common symptoms that can lead to CT, like headache."
Over a 15-month period from November 2006 through February 2008, physicians in the MGH Emergency Department (ED) who ordered CT scans for patients with abdominal pain not associated with a traumatic injury were asked to complete a questionnaire both before the scan was conducted and again after receiving the results. The questionnaire included the physicians' current diagnosis of the probable cause of symptoms, their level of confidence in the diagnosis and their expected treatment recommendations.
source: EurekAlert
1.19.2011
‘Selective Strategy' Recommended for CT Scans in Emergency Department
CINCINNATI―Emergency medicine researchers with the University of Cincinnati (UC) are advocating a new strategy for diagnosing a common but dangerous condition in the emergency room.
Pulmonary embolism, or PE, is a potentially lethal disease in which a blood clot, usually from the legs, travels to the lungs and becomes lodged in a pulmonary artery. But the most common way of testing for PEs, a computed tomography angiography (CTA), comes with so many side effects that researchers in emergency medicine are now looking for ways to reduce use of the test.
In a CTA, a contrast dye is first injected into a vein. As the dye circulates through the body, a CT scan is used to take detailed images of the vessels.
"The use of CTA for blood clots has increased 235 percent between 1991 and 2002,” says Michael Ward, MD, UC emergency medicine operations research fellow. "However, recent literature has shown there are significant risks associated with CTA, including radiation, severe allergic reaction and kidney failure from the contrast dye.
"As more risks are discovered, the development of diagnostic strategies to reduce the use of CTA has become extremely important.”
In a study done June 2010, Ward used existing data to predict costs and results for two models of PE diagnosis. One model tests all patients for PE using a CTA. Another uses compression ultrasound to first test for deep vein thrombosis (DVT), the formation of a blood clot in the leg.
"The diagnosis of a DVT, together with symptoms of PE, almost certainly suggests a PE,” says Ward. "If the test for DVT was positive, the patient was admitted to the hospital for PE and started treatment with anticoagulants. If the test was negative, patients had a CTA performed to evaluate for PE.”
source: University of Cincinnati
Pulmonary embolism, or PE, is a potentially lethal disease in which a blood clot, usually from the legs, travels to the lungs and becomes lodged in a pulmonary artery. But the most common way of testing for PEs, a computed tomography angiography (CTA), comes with so many side effects that researchers in emergency medicine are now looking for ways to reduce use of the test.
In a CTA, a contrast dye is first injected into a vein. As the dye circulates through the body, a CT scan is used to take detailed images of the vessels.
"The use of CTA for blood clots has increased 235 percent between 1991 and 2002,” says Michael Ward, MD, UC emergency medicine operations research fellow. "However, recent literature has shown there are significant risks associated with CTA, including radiation, severe allergic reaction and kidney failure from the contrast dye.
"As more risks are discovered, the development of diagnostic strategies to reduce the use of CTA has become extremely important.”
In a study done June 2010, Ward used existing data to predict costs and results for two models of PE diagnosis. One model tests all patients for PE using a CTA. Another uses compression ultrasound to first test for deep vein thrombosis (DVT), the formation of a blood clot in the leg.
"The diagnosis of a DVT, together with symptoms of PE, almost certainly suggests a PE,” says Ward. "If the test for DVT was positive, the patient was admitted to the hospital for PE and started treatment with anticoagulants. If the test was negative, patients had a CTA performed to evaluate for PE.”
source: University of Cincinnati
1.14.2011
Clinical Study Using Revolutions Medical's Proprietary MRI Software Tools Receives Investigational Review Board (IRB) Approval
CHARLESTON, S.C., Jan. 12, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Revolutions Medical Corporation ("Revolutions Medical" or the "Company") (OTCBB:RMCP) is happy to report that it has received notice that Investigational Review Board (IRB) approval has been granted this month to the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine for the research project application titled 'Characterization of Intracranial Hemorrhages by Color MRI Automatic Segmentation,' by Dr. H. Keith Brown and his collaborators. With this new approval, the team of research scientists and clinicians will now begin collecting and analyzing diagnostic images from cases of intracranial hemorrhages using RevColor™, Rev3D™, and RevDisplay™ MRI software. The results of this important clinical study will be presented at scientific sessions throughout the country and submitted for publication in an appropriate medical image analysis related journal later this year.
This study along with the earlier work reported on August 16th 2010 on the 'Characterization of intracranial masses by color MRI automatic segmentation,' will be the basis for new developments targeting the characterization of head trauma injuries and brain tumors. Several important applications may be developed such as the detection and characterizing of sports injuries due to head trauma or concussions.
source: Revolutions Medical Corp.
This study along with the earlier work reported on August 16th 2010 on the 'Characterization of intracranial masses by color MRI automatic segmentation,' will be the basis for new developments targeting the characterization of head trauma injuries and brain tumors. Several important applications may be developed such as the detection and characterizing of sports injuries due to head trauma or concussions.
source: Revolutions Medical Corp.
1.12.2011
CT Helps Identify Bullet Trajectories
OAK BROOK, Ill. — Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) provides an efficient, effective way to analyze wounds from bullets and explosive devices, according to a study published online and in the March issue of Radiology.
"The information provided by MDCT has the potential to improve patient care and aid in both military and civilian forensic investigations," said the study's lead author, Les R. Folio, D.O., M.P.H., from the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Md.
U.S. troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan face threats from increased sniper activity and the use of improvised explosive devices. Current clinical reports of wounds from bullets and bomb fragments do not include the progression of the trajectory or the direction of the wound path, despite the fact that ballistic injuries are not necessarily confined to a single anatomic structure.
While research has shown the value of CT in the analysis of ballistic wound paths, there is no widely accepted method for consistently and accurately pinpointing wound paths and determining the trajectory angles.
For the study, researchers evaluated the accuracy of MDCT-based ballistic wound path identification. They had a marksman shoot six shots from a rifle into two simulated legs made from various synthetic materials to optimally represent real tissue. The legs were tilted at six different angles based on common sniper heights and distances.
After the leg phantoms were scanned with 64-channel MDCT, several radiologists independently reviewed the CT images and recorded entrance and exit sites for the bullet trajectories. The angles measured on MDCT corresponded closely with those calculated from coordinates with actual shooting angles. Dr. Folio and his team concluded that radiologists could estimate the location of a sniper or an explosive device by extrapolating trajectories identified on MDCT when other factors, such as sniper distance and the victim's position, are known.
source: RSNA
"The information provided by MDCT has the potential to improve patient care and aid in both military and civilian forensic investigations," said the study's lead author, Les R. Folio, D.O., M.P.H., from the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Md.
U.S. troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan face threats from increased sniper activity and the use of improvised explosive devices. Current clinical reports of wounds from bullets and bomb fragments do not include the progression of the trajectory or the direction of the wound path, despite the fact that ballistic injuries are not necessarily confined to a single anatomic structure.
While research has shown the value of CT in the analysis of ballistic wound paths, there is no widely accepted method for consistently and accurately pinpointing wound paths and determining the trajectory angles.
For the study, researchers evaluated the accuracy of MDCT-based ballistic wound path identification. They had a marksman shoot six shots from a rifle into two simulated legs made from various synthetic materials to optimally represent real tissue. The legs were tilted at six different angles based on common sniper heights and distances.
After the leg phantoms were scanned with 64-channel MDCT, several radiologists independently reviewed the CT images and recorded entrance and exit sites for the bullet trajectories. The angles measured on MDCT corresponded closely with those calculated from coordinates with actual shooting angles. Dr. Folio and his team concluded that radiologists could estimate the location of a sniper or an explosive device by extrapolating trajectories identified on MDCT when other factors, such as sniper distance and the victim's position, are known.
source: RSNA
1.11.2011
Can Love Last? SBU Imaging Study Attempts to Provide an Answer
An imaging study by the Psychology Department at Stonybrook University in New York attempts to answer the age old question 'can love last'. Using functional MRI study led by Bianca Acevedo, Ph.D., and Arthur Aron, Ph.D. compared neural correlates of the long time mattied and in love with the individuals who had recently fallen in love.
The researchers used fMRI to scan the brains of 10 women and 7 men who were intensely in love after an average 21 years of marriage. Results were compared with an earlier study of individuals who had fallen madly in love within the past year.
They discovered highly similar brain activity in regions associated with reward, motivation and “wanting” in both sets of couples. “We found many very clear similarities between those who were in love long term and those who had just fallen madly in love,” says Dr. Aron, referring to key reward and motivation regions of the brain, largely parts of the dopamine-rich ventral tegmental area (VTA). “In this latest study, the VTA showed greater response to images of a long-term partner when compared with images of a close friend or any of the other facial images.”
Overall, Drs. Acevedo and Aron explain that the brain imaging data on the long-term couples suggest that reward-value associated with a long-term partner may be sustained, similar to new love. Additionally, the results support theories proposing that there might be specific brain mechanisms by which romantic love is sustained in some long-term relationships.
The researchers used fMRI to scan the brains of 10 women and 7 men who were intensely in love after an average 21 years of marriage. Results were compared with an earlier study of individuals who had fallen madly in love within the past year.
They discovered highly similar brain activity in regions associated with reward, motivation and “wanting” in both sets of couples. “We found many very clear similarities between those who were in love long term and those who had just fallen madly in love,” says Dr. Aron, referring to key reward and motivation regions of the brain, largely parts of the dopamine-rich ventral tegmental area (VTA). “In this latest study, the VTA showed greater response to images of a long-term partner when compared with images of a close friend or any of the other facial images.”
Overall, Drs. Acevedo and Aron explain that the brain imaging data on the long-term couples suggest that reward-value associated with a long-term partner may be sustained, similar to new love. Additionally, the results support theories proposing that there might be specific brain mechanisms by which romantic love is sustained in some long-term relationships.
1.09.2011
Implantable Ports for Easy Viewing Under CT Scans
St. Paul, MN, January 5, 2011 -- Smiths Medical, a leading global medical devices manufacturer, announced today that they have launched new implantable ports with CT identifiers for easy viewing using X-rays or CT scout scans. The implantable ports facilitate quick acknowledgement that the ports can be used for power injection of contrast media.
The PORT-A-CATH® and P.A.S. PORT® POWER P.A.C. implantable access systems now include an easy-to-see CT identifier on the top of each port. Unlike other ports where the C and T letters are located on the bottom of the portal, and often have to be read backwards under scout scans, PORT-A-CATH® and P.A.S. PORT® POWER P.A.C. systems contain a radiopaque CT identifier that is embedded into the top of the port septum for easy, normal viewing.
Implantable access systems provide a route of delivery for patients requiring long-term medication therapy such as chemotherapy. The portal is implanted under the skin and connected to a catheter that is threaded into a vein. Power injecting may be performed when a patient requires a Contrast Enhanced Computed Tomography (CECT) scan for diagnostic purposes. The power injection procedure requires use of an implantable port, such as the PORT-A-CATH®, PORT-A-CATH® II or P.A.S. PORT® T2 POWER P.A.C. implantable access systems, that can withstand higher pressure and faster flow rates than standard medication infusions.
source: Smiths Medical
The PORT-A-CATH® and P.A.S. PORT® POWER P.A.C. implantable access systems now include an easy-to-see CT identifier on the top of each port. Unlike other ports where the C and T letters are located on the bottom of the portal, and often have to be read backwards under scout scans, PORT-A-CATH® and P.A.S. PORT® POWER P.A.C. systems contain a radiopaque CT identifier that is embedded into the top of the port septum for easy, normal viewing.
Implantable access systems provide a route of delivery for patients requiring long-term medication therapy such as chemotherapy. The portal is implanted under the skin and connected to a catheter that is threaded into a vein. Power injecting may be performed when a patient requires a Contrast Enhanced Computed Tomography (CECT) scan for diagnostic purposes. The power injection procedure requires use of an implantable port, such as the PORT-A-CATH®, PORT-A-CATH® II or P.A.S. PORT® T2 POWER P.A.C. implantable access systems, that can withstand higher pressure and faster flow rates than standard medication infusions.
source: Smiths Medical
1.06.2011
Advance makes MRI scans more than seven times faster
BERKELEY — An international team of physicists and neuroscientists has reported a breakthrough in magnetic resonance imaging that allows brain scans more than seven times faster than currently possible.
Series of fMRI brain scans showing new acceleration techniquesfMRI brain scans without the new acceleration techniques (top row) and with increasing numbers of multiplexings and slice accelerations. The bottom row was obtained seven times faster than the top row, although all show similar resolution. Only 4 of the 60 slices of a full, 3-D brain scan are shown. (David Feinberg/UC Berkeley)
In a paper that appeared Dec. 20 in the journal PLoS ONE, a University of California, Berkeley, physicist and colleagues from the University of Minnesota and Oxford University in the United Kingdom describe two improvements that allow full three-dimensional brain scans in less than half a second, instead of the typical 2 to 3 seconds.
"When we made the first images, it was unbelievable how fast we were going," said first author David Feinberg, a physicist and adjunct professor in UC Berkeley's Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and president of the company Advanced MRI Technologies in Sebastopol, Calif. "It was like stepping out of a prop plane into a jet plane. It was that magnitude of difference."
For neuroscience, in particular, fast scans are critical for capturing the dynamic activity in the brain.
"When a functional MRI study of the brain is performed, about 30 to 60 images covering the entire 3-D brain are repeated hundreds of times like the frames of a movie but, with fMRI, a 3-D movie," Feinberg said. "By multiplexing the image acquisition for higher speed, a higher frame rate is achieved for more information in a shorter period of time."
source: University of California - Berkley
Series of fMRI brain scans showing new acceleration techniquesfMRI brain scans without the new acceleration techniques (top row) and with increasing numbers of multiplexings and slice accelerations. The bottom row was obtained seven times faster than the top row, although all show similar resolution. Only 4 of the 60 slices of a full, 3-D brain scan are shown. (David Feinberg/UC Berkeley)
In a paper that appeared Dec. 20 in the journal PLoS ONE, a University of California, Berkeley, physicist and colleagues from the University of Minnesota and Oxford University in the United Kingdom describe two improvements that allow full three-dimensional brain scans in less than half a second, instead of the typical 2 to 3 seconds.
"When we made the first images, it was unbelievable how fast we were going," said first author David Feinberg, a physicist and adjunct professor in UC Berkeley's Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and president of the company Advanced MRI Technologies in Sebastopol, Calif. "It was like stepping out of a prop plane into a jet plane. It was that magnitude of difference."
For neuroscience, in particular, fast scans are critical for capturing the dynamic activity in the brain.
"When a functional MRI study of the brain is performed, about 30 to 60 images covering the entire 3-D brain are repeated hundreds of times like the frames of a movie but, with fMRI, a 3-D movie," Feinberg said. "By multiplexing the image acquisition for higher speed, a higher frame rate is achieved for more information in a shorter period of time."
source: University of California - Berkley
1.03.2011
PET scans provide insight into fever-induced epilepsy in children
Reston, Va. (January 3, 2011) — Sudden, catastrophic childhood epilepsy is a parent's worst nightmare, especially in the case of fever-induced refractory epileptic encephalopathy in school-age children (FIRES). While not much is known about the condition, new research published in the January issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine shows that positron emission tomography (PET) scans can offer an evaluation of cognitive dysfunction of FIRES, its evolution and further prognosis.
FIRES, a recently named condition, occurs in previously healthy children who, after a brief fever, experience acute seizures that are resistant to medication and last for several weeks. After the seizures stop, children are left with severe cognitive dysfunction, mainly involving language, memory and behavior.
The study, "18F-FDG PET Reveals Frontotemporal Dysfunction in Children with Fever-Induced Refractory Epileptic Encephalopathy," was conducted with eight patients diagnosed with FIRES. The patients were given a neuropsychologic evaluation, a brain MRI and an 18F-FDG PET scan. Severe cognitive dysfunction was noted, and while the MRI tests showed no abnormalities for the patients, the PET scans reported significant cognitive impairment.
Researchers compared the FIRES patients with a pseudo-control group of epilepsy patients with normal MRI and PET scan results. Using statistical parametric mapping, an objective approach to analyzing brain activity, the study exposed that the brain dysfunction was related to the epilepsy in the FIRES patients.
source: EurekAlert
FIRES, a recently named condition, occurs in previously healthy children who, after a brief fever, experience acute seizures that are resistant to medication and last for several weeks. After the seizures stop, children are left with severe cognitive dysfunction, mainly involving language, memory and behavior.
The study, "18F-FDG PET Reveals Frontotemporal Dysfunction in Children with Fever-Induced Refractory Epileptic Encephalopathy," was conducted with eight patients diagnosed with FIRES. The patients were given a neuropsychologic evaluation, a brain MRI and an 18F-FDG PET scan. Severe cognitive dysfunction was noted, and while the MRI tests showed no abnormalities for the patients, the PET scans reported significant cognitive impairment.
Researchers compared the FIRES patients with a pseudo-control group of epilepsy patients with normal MRI and PET scan results. Using statistical parametric mapping, an objective approach to analyzing brain activity, the study exposed that the brain dysfunction was related to the epilepsy in the FIRES patients.
source: EurekAlert
12.29.2010
Local Trial Supports CT Lung Cancer Screening in High-Risk Population
Cincinnati—Computed tomography (CT) scans are an effective lung cancer screening tool for a high-risk patient population, if done with a strict clinical protocol in place and with the input of a multidisciplinary care team, according to University of Cincinnati (UC) research.
Led by Sandra Starnes, MD, the Cincinnati-based clinical trial was conducted to determine if lung cancer screening could be done effectively among a high-risk population living in a geographic area with rates of histoplasmosis three times higher than the national average.
Histoplasmosis is a fungal infection that enters the body through the lungs and increases the likelihood of lung nodules. These irregular sections of lung tissue can look like lung cancer on CT and lead to unnecessary biopsies.
"Despite having a 60 percent nodule rate, we were able to avoid doing benign biopsies and not miss any lung cancer diagnoses if the protocol was strictly followed. No one was diagnosed at a stage where the lung tumor could not be surgically removed,” says Starnes, director of thoracic surgery at the UC College of Medicine and a surgeon with UC Health.
Starnes and her colleagues report their findings online ahead of print in the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.
source: University of Cincinnati
Led by Sandra Starnes, MD, the Cincinnati-based clinical trial was conducted to determine if lung cancer screening could be done effectively among a high-risk population living in a geographic area with rates of histoplasmosis three times higher than the national average.
Histoplasmosis is a fungal infection that enters the body through the lungs and increases the likelihood of lung nodules. These irregular sections of lung tissue can look like lung cancer on CT and lead to unnecessary biopsies.
"Despite having a 60 percent nodule rate, we were able to avoid doing benign biopsies and not miss any lung cancer diagnoses if the protocol was strictly followed. No one was diagnosed at a stage where the lung tumor could not be surgically removed,” says Starnes, director of thoracic surgery at the UC College of Medicine and a surgeon with UC Health.
Starnes and her colleagues report their findings online ahead of print in the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.
source: University of Cincinnati
12.27.2010
Israeli Hospital Equips Medical Staff with iPads to View Imaging Studies
BNEI BRAK, Israel, December 21, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center (MYMC) is the first Israeli hospital to give iPad technology to its doctors, for use both on and off-site. Medical staff can now check patient records, test results, hi-resolution X-rays and CT scans, report on patient progress and plan ongoing treatment using the latest hand-held computers.
MYMC has embraced this latest and most desirable technology by investing in the latest iPad version 4.2, customized for use in Hebrew. This allows clinicians instant touch-screen access to patient records and medical information via secure password-protected internet. MYMC's IT team have programmed the Apple iPad to interact with the Microsoft Chameleon program used by the hospital.
Dr. Yoram Liwer, CEO of Mayanei Hayeshua, explains: "The picture quality on the iPad screen enables our doctors to check high-resolution x-ray and scan images, either on the wards or from outside the hospital, and to diagnose and prescribe treatment immediately at any time. The iPad is recognized today as a leading medical tool, bringing many benefits to patients and hospital staff.
source: PR Newswire
MYMC has embraced this latest and most desirable technology by investing in the latest iPad version 4.2, customized for use in Hebrew. This allows clinicians instant touch-screen access to patient records and medical information via secure password-protected internet. MYMC's IT team have programmed the Apple iPad to interact with the Microsoft Chameleon program used by the hospital.
Dr. Yoram Liwer, CEO of Mayanei Hayeshua, explains: "The picture quality on the iPad screen enables our doctors to check high-resolution x-ray and scan images, either on the wards or from outside the hospital, and to diagnose and prescribe treatment immediately at any time. The iPad is recognized today as a leading medical tool, bringing many benefits to patients and hospital staff.
source: PR Newswire
12.22.2010
World-first at Charité: Birth in Open MRI
An interdisciplinary team of scientists from the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin have achieved a world-first, the birth of a child in an “open” MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scanner that allows a mother-to-be to fit fully into the machine. Through the cooperation of the obstetrician Dr. Christan Bamberg, the radiologist Dr. Ulf Teichgräber and the engineer and project manager Felix Güttler, unique images of the baby inside the mother and the child's movements in the birth canal up to the point of the exit of the head were obtained. The birth that took place in the scanner went smoothly and both mother and baby were in good health.
The joint project was a two-year research and development project of the radiological technically-oriented working group on “open high-field MRI". The team built a special “open MRI” scanner, a new type of machine whose open structure had the necessary space for the mother to give birth. One of the innovations of this new system was the creation of a new fetal monitoring system. This allowed the monitoring of the child's heartbeat on MRI during the birth process. The open high-field MRI (Philips Panorama HFO) is a novel device whose design allows easy access to mother and child enabling the researchers to study in greater detail how the baby moves through the mother’s pelvis and down the birth canal.
source: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
The joint project was a two-year research and development project of the radiological technically-oriented working group on “open high-field MRI". The team built a special “open MRI” scanner, a new type of machine whose open structure had the necessary space for the mother to give birth. One of the innovations of this new system was the creation of a new fetal monitoring system. This allowed the monitoring of the child's heartbeat on MRI during the birth process. The open high-field MRI (Philips Panorama HFO) is a novel device whose design allows easy access to mother and child enabling the researchers to study in greater detail how the baby moves through the mother’s pelvis and down the birth canal.
source: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
12.21.2010
CT Best at Uncovering Drug Mule Payload
CHICAGO — According to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), the best way to detect cocaine in the body of a human drug courier, known as a mule, is through computed tomography (CT).
"Cocaine from South America is making its way to Europe through Africa," said Patricia Flach, M.D., a radiologist at University Hospital of Berne and Institute of Forensic Medicine of Berne in Switzerland. "From Africa, drug mules most commonly try to enter the European Union and Switzerland."
When legal authorities suspect an individual of being a drug mule, they often turn to radiologists to help quickly detect the presence of cocaine concealed in the body. Cocaine containers, which may be swallowed or inserted in the vagina or rectum, can be as large as a banana or as small as a blueberry.
"In these cases it is important for us to know that we have identified all the drug containers in a body, both for legal purposes and for the health of the patient," Dr. Flach said. "However, there was no research telling us which imaging modality was best in detecting cocaine containers in the stomach, intestines or other body orifices."
Dr. Flach and colleagues analyzed images from 89 exams performed on 50 suspected drug mules over a three-year period at University Hospital. The study group included 45 men and five women between the ages of 16 and 45. Forty-three of the suspects were ultimately identified as drug mules.
Of the imaging exams conducted, 27 were CT, 50 were digital x-ray and 12 were low-dose linear slit digital radiography (LSDR), an extremely fast, high-resolution, full-body x-ray system primarily used for trauma patients. The radiologic findings were compared with a written record of the drug containers recovered from the feces of suspects.
"As we expected, CT imaging allowed us to see all the drug containers, especially when we knew what to look for," Dr. Flach said.
source: RSNA.org
"Cocaine from South America is making its way to Europe through Africa," said Patricia Flach, M.D., a radiologist at University Hospital of Berne and Institute of Forensic Medicine of Berne in Switzerland. "From Africa, drug mules most commonly try to enter the European Union and Switzerland."
When legal authorities suspect an individual of being a drug mule, they often turn to radiologists to help quickly detect the presence of cocaine concealed in the body. Cocaine containers, which may be swallowed or inserted in the vagina or rectum, can be as large as a banana or as small as a blueberry.
"In these cases it is important for us to know that we have identified all the drug containers in a body, both for legal purposes and for the health of the patient," Dr. Flach said. "However, there was no research telling us which imaging modality was best in detecting cocaine containers in the stomach, intestines or other body orifices."
Dr. Flach and colleagues analyzed images from 89 exams performed on 50 suspected drug mules over a three-year period at University Hospital. The study group included 45 men and five women between the ages of 16 and 45. Forty-three of the suspects were ultimately identified as drug mules.
Of the imaging exams conducted, 27 were CT, 50 were digital x-ray and 12 were low-dose linear slit digital radiography (LSDR), an extremely fast, high-resolution, full-body x-ray system primarily used for trauma patients. The radiologic findings were compared with a written record of the drug containers recovered from the feces of suspects.
"As we expected, CT imaging allowed us to see all the drug containers, especially when we knew what to look for," Dr. Flach said.
source: RSNA.org
12.16.2010
GE Healthcare Expands InSite OnWatch Capabilities for MRI Systems, Helping Enable Greater Efficiencies and Improving Customer Experience
WAUKESHA, WI – December 16, 2010 – GE Healthcare, a unit of General Electric (NYSE: GE), is expanding InSite™ OnWatch capabilities, a feature of GE’s AssurePoint™ Services portfolio for MRI
systems.
Unplanned downtime from clinical equipment can negatively affect virtually every aspect of care delivery — from patient care to staff productivity and cost control. InSite OnWatch, available only with GE’s AssurePoint Rapid and AssurePoint Performance service offerings (US and Canada only), can remotely resolve performance issues and forecast maintenance needs to reduce unplanned downtime — improving efficiencies and helping to lower the cost of care. InSite OnWatch MR capabilities have now been expanded to forecast maintenance needs for coils and heat exchange system issues. These new indications supplement the magnet monitoring activities that GE has been performing for several years.
“The expansion of InSite OnWatch for GE’s leading AssurePoint Service platform helps minimize the risk of having to reschedule patients and allows customers to plan required maintenance around their schedule, minimizing unplanned downtime,” said Mike Swinford, Vice President and GM, Americas Service. “Enhancing GE’s InSite OnWatch capabilities for MR systems will further improve the speed and flexibility of our services — providing exceptional service to improve system workflow and overall patient care.”
source: GE Medical
systems.Unplanned downtime from clinical equipment can negatively affect virtually every aspect of care delivery — from patient care to staff productivity and cost control. InSite OnWatch, available only with GE’s AssurePoint Rapid and AssurePoint Performance service offerings (US and Canada only), can remotely resolve performance issues and forecast maintenance needs to reduce unplanned downtime — improving efficiencies and helping to lower the cost of care. InSite OnWatch MR capabilities have now been expanded to forecast maintenance needs for coils and heat exchange system issues. These new indications supplement the magnet monitoring activities that GE has been performing for several years.
“The expansion of InSite OnWatch for GE’s leading AssurePoint Service platform helps minimize the risk of having to reschedule patients and allows customers to plan required maintenance around their schedule, minimizing unplanned downtime,” said Mike Swinford, Vice President and GM, Americas Service. “Enhancing GE’s InSite OnWatch capabilities for MR systems will further improve the speed and flexibility of our services — providing exceptional service to improve system workflow and overall patient care.”
source: GE Medical
12.12.2010
Fewer Guessing Games for Lung Cancer Patients
Reston, Va. — A study published in the December issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine identified positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scans as a potentially useful tool for predicting local recurrence in lung cancer
patients treated with radiofrequency ablation (RFA). RFA, which uses localized thermal energy to kill cancer cells, is increasingly used as an alternative treatment for patients unable to undergo surgery or other therapies to treat lung cancer.
“This study reinforces the utility of 18F-FDG-PET imaging in cancer detection and follow-up while also providing new insight into factors that can be used for earlier prediction of recurrence after radiofrequency ablation of lung tumors,” said Amit Singnurkar, M.D., FRCPC, assistant professor of radiology and medicine at McMaster University and lead author of the study “18F-FDG PET/CT for the Prediction and Detection of Local Recurrence After Radiofrequency Ablation of Malignant Lung Lesions.” Dr. Singnurkar was previously a nuclear oncology fellow at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, where the majority of the study was conducted.
The five-year study followed 68 patients with 94 pulmonary lesions, including metastases and primary lung cancers. By reviewing 18F-FDG PET/CT scans performed before and after RFA, researchers were able to determine several indicators that could help predict local recurrence.
Among pre-RFA scans, lesion size and type of tumor (primary or metastases) were factors in determining potential for local recurrence. Standardized uptake value (glucose metabolic activity) was also a factor in pre-RFA scans, although not independent of lesion size. PET/CT scans conducted after RFA indicated that 18F-FDG uptake patterns, size of ablation margins and standardized uptake value were parameters that could predict the likelihood of recurrence.
source: SNM
patients treated with radiofrequency ablation (RFA). RFA, which uses localized thermal energy to kill cancer cells, is increasingly used as an alternative treatment for patients unable to undergo surgery or other therapies to treat lung cancer.“This study reinforces the utility of 18F-FDG-PET imaging in cancer detection and follow-up while also providing new insight into factors that can be used for earlier prediction of recurrence after radiofrequency ablation of lung tumors,” said Amit Singnurkar, M.D., FRCPC, assistant professor of radiology and medicine at McMaster University and lead author of the study “18F-FDG PET/CT for the Prediction and Detection of Local Recurrence After Radiofrequency Ablation of Malignant Lung Lesions.” Dr. Singnurkar was previously a nuclear oncology fellow at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, where the majority of the study was conducted.
The five-year study followed 68 patients with 94 pulmonary lesions, including metastases and primary lung cancers. By reviewing 18F-FDG PET/CT scans performed before and after RFA, researchers were able to determine several indicators that could help predict local recurrence.
Among pre-RFA scans, lesion size and type of tumor (primary or metastases) were factors in determining potential for local recurrence. Standardized uptake value (glucose metabolic activity) was also a factor in pre-RFA scans, although not independent of lesion size. PET/CT scans conducted after RFA indicated that 18F-FDG uptake patterns, size of ablation margins and standardized uptake value were parameters that could predict the likelihood of recurrence.
source: SNM
12.07.2010
Rcadia COR Analyzer System Safely Rules Out Coronary Artery Disease in Main Coronary Arteries and Branch Vessels
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital study presented at RSNA Annual Meeting
NEWTON, Mass., Dec. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Physicians at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital reported today on results of a study demonstrating the potential for fully automated interpretation of coronary CT angiography (cCTA) by Rcadia's COR Analyzer® System to safely rule out coronary artery disease (CAD) in the major coronary arteries as well as branch vessels. The study was presented in Chicago at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) Annual Meeting.
"The emergence of cCTA in detecting CAD is creating a growing need for new methods to facilitate study analysis," said Ethan Halpern, MD, Associate Professor in the Dept. of Radiology at the University's Jefferson Medical College and the study's principal investigator. "The results of the study, performed on 207 cases, show that automated interpretation of cCTA has a high negative predictive value for the absence of coronary disease and demonstrate its potential as an effective preliminary analysis tool to triage cases for final interpretation."
The COR Analyzer® System is a unique clinical decision support tool that performs fully automatic analysis of Coronary CT Angiography (cCTA) studies. The system, which rapidly identifies the presence of significant (50 percent and over) stenosis, is designed to accelerate triage in the emergency department. It assists in reducing unnecessary admissions by ruling out CAD as a cause of chest pain and shortens time to treatment of suspected CAD patients. In the radiology and cardiology department settings, the immediate indication of suspected significant CAD provided by the COR Analyzer, allows workflow optimization and prioritization of reading sequence
source: PR Newswire
NEWTON, Mass., Dec. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Physicians at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital reported today on results of a study demonstrating the potential for fully automated interpretation of coronary CT angiography (cCTA) by Rcadia's COR Analyzer® System to safely rule out coronary artery disease (CAD) in the major coronary arteries as well as branch vessels. The study was presented in Chicago at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) Annual Meeting.
"The emergence of cCTA in detecting CAD is creating a growing need for new methods to facilitate study analysis," said Ethan Halpern, MD, Associate Professor in the Dept. of Radiology at the University's Jefferson Medical College and the study's principal investigator. "The results of the study, performed on 207 cases, show that automated interpretation of cCTA has a high negative predictive value for the absence of coronary disease and demonstrate its potential as an effective preliminary analysis tool to triage cases for final interpretation."
The COR Analyzer® System is a unique clinical decision support tool that performs fully automatic analysis of Coronary CT Angiography (cCTA) studies. The system, which rapidly identifies the presence of significant (50 percent and over) stenosis, is designed to accelerate triage in the emergency department. It assists in reducing unnecessary admissions by ruling out CAD as a cause of chest pain and shortens time to treatment of suspected CAD patients. In the radiology and cardiology department settings, the immediate indication of suspected significant CAD provided by the COR Analyzer, allows workflow optimization and prioritization of reading sequence
source: PR Newswire
12.06.2010
DataPhysics Research Launches CaseReader Software -- Slashing the Time in Half for CT, PET-CT and MRI Interpretation and Reporting
SAN RAMON, CA--(Marketwire - December 6, 2010) - DataPhysics Research Inc. (DPR), a developer of advanced diagnostic imaging solutions, today introduced CaseReader™, a next-generation intelligent post-processing software solution that dramatically improves how CT, PET-CT and MRI image data is organized, managed, analyzed and reported. CaseReader deals rapidly with vast amounts of 2D image data, produces volumetric 3D images that help speed diagnosis, and radically streamlines the entire review and reporting workflow process. DataPhysics Research launched its product with a presentation it was invited to make at the Radiological Society of North American (RSNA) Conference 2010, held Nov. 28-Dec. 3 at McCormick Place in Chicago.
The research and development efforts of DataPhysics Research are supported by a two-year grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH) through its Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project program. These grants benefit projects with the potential to reduce the long-term growth of health care costs; to create and sustain high-quality, high-paying U.S. jobs; and to advance U.S. competitiveness in the life, biological and medical sciences.
source: MarketWire
The research and development efforts of DataPhysics Research are supported by a two-year grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH) through its Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project program. These grants benefit projects with the potential to reduce the long-term growth of health care costs; to create and sustain high-quality, high-paying U.S. jobs; and to advance U.S. competitiveness in the life, biological and medical sciences.
source: MarketWire
11.30.2010
GE Healthcare Showcases Latest Advancements in CT Dose Reduction at RSNA
CHICAGO, Nov 30, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- For decades GE Healthcare has invested in leading, state of the art technology for significantly lowering dose in computed tomography (CT) procedures. At the 96TH annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago, GE Healthcare is showcasing some of its latest CT innovations that provide dose-reducing options to customers to help ensure better diagnoses.
GE Healthcare's exclusive ASiR (adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction) low dose reconstruction technology, available on the GE Discovery(TM) CT750 HD and LightSpeed VCT, can reduce dose by up to 40-50% while maintaining image quality and can be implemented as a cost-effective upgrade for existing GE LightSpeed VCT customers. The technology can be used on both helical and axial scans to reduce dose and maintain image quality for patients of all ages.
ASiR, in concert with GE's SnapShot Pulse technology, further helps physicians to reduce dose cardiac imaging by more than 83%. ASiR is now routinely used with over 600 scanners worldwide, benefiting more than 15,000 patients per day on well over three million exams to date.
"I am astounded at how sharp the ASiR images are and how low the noise level is. This is very important, considering the significant dose savings that can be achieved with it,” noted Richard Kane MD, Director of Cardiovascular & Thoracic Radiology, Saint Francis Hospital, Evanston, IL.
source: GE Healthcare
GE Healthcare's exclusive ASiR (adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction) low dose reconstruction technology, available on the GE Discovery(TM) CT750 HD and LightSpeed VCT, can reduce dose by up to 40-50% while maintaining image quality and can be implemented as a cost-effective upgrade for existing GE LightSpeed VCT customers. The technology can be used on both helical and axial scans to reduce dose and maintain image quality for patients of all ages.
ASiR, in concert with GE's SnapShot Pulse technology, further helps physicians to reduce dose cardiac imaging by more than 83%. ASiR is now routinely used with over 600 scanners worldwide, benefiting more than 15,000 patients per day on well over three million exams to date.
"I am astounded at how sharp the ASiR images are and how low the noise level is. This is very important, considering the significant dose savings that can be achieved with it,” noted Richard Kane MD, Director of Cardiovascular & Thoracic Radiology, Saint Francis Hospital, Evanston, IL.
source: GE Healthcare
11.29.2010
Siemens FAST CARE Sets New Standards for Dose Reduction and Efficiency of Patient Care
Malvern, Pa., November 23, 2010 – FAST CARE from Siemens Healthcare is the new technology platform for computed tomography (CT) scanners, which helps hospital staffs to perform CT examinations faster and more efficiently than before, as well as keeping the dose as low as possible. The FAST CARE applications simplify workflows during scanning and in the preparation of image reconstructions. Patients benefit from lower radiation doses and shorter examination times as the system automates many operating procedures, suggests parameter settings for image quality and dose reduction and standardizes processes, which makes results readily reproducible. These enhancements help CT operators and service providers improve their productivity and improve consistency of image quality and dose level.
FAST CARE will be available on the SOMATOM® Definition AS scanners in March 2011 and on the SOMATOM Definition Flash scanners in May 2011. CT scanners from the SOMATOM Definition product family that are already on the market can be upgraded to the new platform. The FAST CARE platform will be available on all Definition AS configurations from entry level 20-slice to a premium 128-slice AS+. Most importantly, the 64-slice SOMATOM Definition AS with FAST CARE will be field-upgradeable to AS+ FAST CARE, making it the only upgradeable 64-slice scanner on the market.
source: Siemens
FAST CARE will be available on the SOMATOM® Definition AS scanners in March 2011 and on the SOMATOM Definition Flash scanners in May 2011. CT scanners from the SOMATOM Definition product family that are already on the market can be upgraded to the new platform. The FAST CARE platform will be available on all Definition AS configurations from entry level 20-slice to a premium 128-slice AS+. Most importantly, the 64-slice SOMATOM Definition AS with FAST CARE will be field-upgradeable to AS+ FAST CARE, making it the only upgradeable 64-slice scanner on the market.
source: Siemens
11.26.2010
Segasist Technologies receives funding from The Health Technology Exchange (HTX) towards support of clinical validation of its Prostate MRI software
TORONTO, Nov. 26 /PRNewswire/ - Segasist Technologies, a Canadian software company developing contouring productivity tools for medical imaging, has today announced the receipt of funding from The Health Technology Exchange (HTX) towards support of clinical validation of its software, to be conducted at the Lawson Health Research Institute and London Health Sciences Centre (London, Ontario). Experts from Sunnybrook Research Institute and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre will also participate in the validation process by providing input in the form of gold standard contours.
Segasist PMR-R is a software tool developed for the purpose of processing Magnetic Resonance Images (MRI) of the prostate. Version 1.0, released on May 17, 2010, was created to assist researchers presently developing a role for MRI in diagnosis, tracking and treatment of prostate cancer. Version 1.1 released on August 24, 2010, following extensive internal validation, continues to assist prostate MRI researchers with a variety of improvements to the previous version. Segasist Technologies will be releasing version 2.0 of the software at RSNA 2010.
The funding received from HTX will augment grants from other sources to enable a pre-calibrated version of Segasist PMR-R to be validated with the ultimate goal of releasing Segasist PMR-C for clinical use following regulatory approval.
source: Segasist
Segasist PMR-R is a software tool developed for the purpose of processing Magnetic Resonance Images (MRI) of the prostate. Version 1.0, released on May 17, 2010, was created to assist researchers presently developing a role for MRI in diagnosis, tracking and treatment of prostate cancer. Version 1.1 released on August 24, 2010, following extensive internal validation, continues to assist prostate MRI researchers with a variety of improvements to the previous version. Segasist Technologies will be releasing version 2.0 of the software at RSNA 2010.
The funding received from HTX will augment grants from other sources to enable a pre-calibrated version of Segasist PMR-R to be validated with the ultimate goal of releasing Segasist PMR-C for clinical use following regulatory approval.
source: Segasist
11.21.2010
Siemens Unveils Biograph mMR Whole-Body Integrated MR-PET System Capable of Simultaneous Data Acquisition
MALVERN, Pa., Nov. 19, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- At the 96th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), November 28 - December 2 in Chicago, Siemens Healthcare (Booth #822, East Building/Lakeside Center, Hall D) will unveil the Biograph™ mMR*, the world's first integrated whole-body molecular Magnetic Resonance (MR) system with simultaneous data acquisition technology, currently undergoing clinical use testing. This revolutionary system comprises an MR scanner and an integrated Positron Emission Tomography (PET) detection system with an architecture that performs as one. In the new 3-Tesla hybrid system, Siemens developers have succeeded for the first time in simultaneously capturing MR and PET data with a whole-body system. The Biograph mMR system has been installed at the University Hospital "Klinikum rechts der Isar" of the Munich Technical University in Germany.
"Together with our partner Siemens, we are entering a new dimension in diagnostic imaging today," says Prof. Dr. Markus Schwaiger, director of the Clinic for Nuclear Medicine at the University Hospital. "We've initiated clinical use testing of Biograph mMR in an effort to diagnose diseases at a very early stage to see the progression of disease and to use that information to develop a therapy plan precisely focused on the respective patient. Furthermore, we plan to use the system for cancer follow-up in the long run, by reducing radiation exposure by the use of the system."
With the simultaneous acquisition of MR and PET data, this system is designed to provide new opportunities for imaging. While MR provides exquisite morphological and functional details in human tissue, PET goes further to investigate the human body at the level of cellular activity and metabolism. The innovative system has the potential to be a particularly valuable tool for identifying neurological, oncological and cardiac conditions of disease and in supporting the planning of appropriate therapies. Since MRI does not emit ionizing radiation, Biograph mMR may provide an added benefit with lower-dose imaging.
source: Siemens Medical
"Together with our partner Siemens, we are entering a new dimension in diagnostic imaging today," says Prof. Dr. Markus Schwaiger, director of the Clinic for Nuclear Medicine at the University Hospital. "We've initiated clinical use testing of Biograph mMR in an effort to diagnose diseases at a very early stage to see the progression of disease and to use that information to develop a therapy plan precisely focused on the respective patient. Furthermore, we plan to use the system for cancer follow-up in the long run, by reducing radiation exposure by the use of the system."
With the simultaneous acquisition of MR and PET data, this system is designed to provide new opportunities for imaging. While MR provides exquisite morphological and functional details in human tissue, PET goes further to investigate the human body at the level of cellular activity and metabolism. The innovative system has the potential to be a particularly valuable tool for identifying neurological, oncological and cardiac conditions of disease and in supporting the planning of appropriate therapies. Since MRI does not emit ionizing radiation, Biograph mMR may provide an added benefit with lower-dose imaging.
source: Siemens Medical
11.18.2010
Personalized Protocol Contrast-Dosing Software Increases Diagnostic Quality CT Pulmonary Angiography Studies
WARRENDALE, Pa., November 16, 2010 – MEDRAD will offer RSNA* attendees hands-on demonstrations of personalized-protocol software that individualizes CT Pulmonary Angiography (CTPA) contrast dosing, and has proven to increase the percentage of diagnostic-quality studies to rule out Pulmonary Embolism (PE) when compared to the institution’s standard protocol1** -- potentially obviating the need to rescan the patient.2 Diagnosis with a high degree of certainty is critical to the safety of patients with suspected PE, yet can be inhibited by imaging complexities associated with these studies. PE, a blockage of the pulmonary artery or one of its branches due to a blood clot or other thrombus, results in as many as 50,000 deaths a year,1 most of which occur in the first few hours.
MEDRAD’s P3T® PA (Pulmonary Angiography) software enables increased diagnostic quality studies by fitting into the established CTPA workflow and making consistent administration of personalized dosing practical. The only contrast-dosing solution of its kind, the clinically validated P3T algorithm tailors each patient’s contrast protocol based on technologists’ touch-screen responses to unique clinical concerns, study requirements, and the scanning equipment used.
“Achieving a diagnostic CT image for Pulmonary Embolism, without limitations, helps the hospital and emergency department in a number of important ways -- with efficiency, patient care, and cost savings,” says Joan Lacomis M.D., Clinical Professor Radiology, The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
source: Medrad
MEDRAD’s P3T® PA (Pulmonary Angiography) software enables increased diagnostic quality studies by fitting into the established CTPA workflow and making consistent administration of personalized dosing practical. The only contrast-dosing solution of its kind, the clinically validated P3T algorithm tailors each patient’s contrast protocol based on technologists’ touch-screen responses to unique clinical concerns, study requirements, and the scanning equipment used.
“Achieving a diagnostic CT image for Pulmonary Embolism, without limitations, helps the hospital and emergency department in a number of important ways -- with efficiency, patient care, and cost savings,” says Joan Lacomis M.D., Clinical Professor Radiology, The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
source: Medrad
11.17.2010
Toshiba Introduces 32 Element Coils for its Vantage Titan MR System
New Coils Deliver Superior Imaging During Advanced Applications
TUSTIN, Calif., Nov. 9, 2010 – To enhance image quality and improve the speed of MR exams, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. introduces its all-new 32 element cardiac and head coils (works-in-progress) for its Vantage TitanTM product line. Available on both the Vantage Titan 1.5T MR and the 510k pending Vantage Titan 3T MR, the 32 element coils improve spatial and temporal resolution for advanced cardiac and neuro imaging.
Particularly suited for cardiac imaging, the 32 element cardiac coil allows higher signal-to-noise ratio and improves image quality to enable more accurate cardiac diagnoses. The new coil also significantly reduces exam time by allowing higher SPEEDER factors, which can increase imaging department throughput as well as limit the time patients spend in the system. In addition to faster exams, patients also benefit during cardiac procedures because the breath hold times required are shorter. These benefits improve image quality and patient compliance, and reduce the anxiety often associated with MR imaging.
For patients who undergo neuro MR exams, Toshiba’s 32 element head coil not only can improve image quality and decrease exam time, but it also helps physicians acquire the best possible information for diagnosis and treatment. The 32 element coil allows for faster SPEEDER factors and high resolution imaging.
The new 32 element cardiac and head coils build upon the industry leading Vantage Atlas® integrated coil system, which eliminates the need to reposition patients during exams by integrating the coils into the table, creating a faster and more comfortable exam.
source: Toshiba Medical
TUSTIN, Calif., Nov. 9, 2010 – To enhance image quality and improve the speed of MR exams, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. introduces its all-new 32 element cardiac and head coils (works-in-progress) for its Vantage TitanTM product line. Available on both the Vantage Titan 1.5T MR and the 510k pending Vantage Titan 3T MR, the 32 element coils improve spatial and temporal resolution for advanced cardiac and neuro imaging.
Particularly suited for cardiac imaging, the 32 element cardiac coil allows higher signal-to-noise ratio and improves image quality to enable more accurate cardiac diagnoses. The new coil also significantly reduces exam time by allowing higher SPEEDER factors, which can increase imaging department throughput as well as limit the time patients spend in the system. In addition to faster exams, patients also benefit during cardiac procedures because the breath hold times required are shorter. These benefits improve image quality and patient compliance, and reduce the anxiety often associated with MR imaging.
For patients who undergo neuro MR exams, Toshiba’s 32 element head coil not only can improve image quality and decrease exam time, but it also helps physicians acquire the best possible information for diagnosis and treatment. The 32 element coil allows for faster SPEEDER factors and high resolution imaging.
The new 32 element cardiac and head coils build upon the industry leading Vantage Atlas® integrated coil system, which eliminates the need to reposition patients during exams by integrating the coils into the table, creating a faster and more comfortable exam.
source: Toshiba Medical
11.09.2010
Toshiba Presents Low-Dose Myocardial Perfusion Imaging
Toshiba Medical Systems recently presented "Low-Dose Myocardial Perfusion Imaging" and an update on the CORE320 Multicenter Trial at the recent European Society of Cardiology Congress held in Stockholm
Myocardial Perfusion
It is now possible to perform a comprehensive cardiac functional and morphological analysis in just one, low-dose examination using Toshiba’s Aquilion ONE. This technology can reduce the need to perform multiple examinations using different modalities, a true economic advantage and valuable contribution in cardiac healthcare.
Until now, CT cardiac imaging has been hampered when quantifying cardiac tissue functionality caused by obstructed coronaries and/or infarcts. In order to visualise the entire heart, other scanners need to move the patient, causing undesired, time-delayed, contrast distribution over the heart. The unique 16cm z-axis coverage of the Aquilion ONE, allows scanning of the heart at a single moment in time, resulting in temporal homogeneous contrast distribution.
Myocardial Perfusion is interpreted by comparing rest and stress data. The rest scan is usually performed using a low-dose, prospective CT angiography protocol. Pending body mass index and heart-rate, sub-mSv protocols may be applied. After administration of a pharmacological stress agent, a low-dose stress scan is performed.
source: Toshiba Medical
Myocardial Perfusion
It is now possible to perform a comprehensive cardiac functional and morphological analysis in just one, low-dose examination using Toshiba’s Aquilion ONE. This technology can reduce the need to perform multiple examinations using different modalities, a true economic advantage and valuable contribution in cardiac healthcare.
Until now, CT cardiac imaging has been hampered when quantifying cardiac tissue functionality caused by obstructed coronaries and/or infarcts. In order to visualise the entire heart, other scanners need to move the patient, causing undesired, time-delayed, contrast distribution over the heart. The unique 16cm z-axis coverage of the Aquilion ONE, allows scanning of the heart at a single moment in time, resulting in temporal homogeneous contrast distribution.
Myocardial Perfusion is interpreted by comparing rest and stress data. The rest scan is usually performed using a low-dose, prospective CT angiography protocol. Pending body mass index and heart-rate, sub-mSv protocols may be applied. After administration of a pharmacological stress agent, a low-dose stress scan is performed.
source: Toshiba Medical
11.05.2010
Siemens Celebrates 1,000th Installation of SOMATOM Definition AS CT Scanner at UNC
Malvern, Pa., November 2, 2010 – Siemens Healthcare celebrates a milestone of its SOMATOM® Definition AS CT scanner with the 1,000th system installation at the UNC Health Care in Chapel Hill, N.C. The SOMATOM Definition AS is the world’s first adaptive scanner. The system intelligently adapts to virtually any patient, adapts for complete dose protection, adapts for new dimensions, and adapts to the user’s space. UNC installed the Definition AS+, which is the 128-slice configuration of the scanner.
“We are proud to be the 1,000th installation of this cutting-edge CT scanner, which will help us further advance care for our local community, as well as for the citizens of North Carolina. The selection of the Definition AS+ was driven by our commitment to offer low-dose CT in a comfortable patient environment. For example, the Adaptive Dose Shield application eliminates unnecessary radiation while the 78cm gantry opening offers more room and more comfort for our patents,” said Todd Smiley, director of Radiology, UNC Health Care.
The SOMATOM Definition AS provides tremendous benefit with the Adaptive Dose Shield technology, helping to eliminate unnecessary over-radiation. Siemens’ unique Adaptive Dose Shield addresses the dose reduction issue by dynamically blocking the unnecessary dose before and after the spiral scan, ensuring that the only dose applied to the patient is dose that is clinically relevant.
source: Siemens
“We are proud to be the 1,000th installation of this cutting-edge CT scanner, which will help us further advance care for our local community, as well as for the citizens of North Carolina. The selection of the Definition AS+ was driven by our commitment to offer low-dose CT in a comfortable patient environment. For example, the Adaptive Dose Shield application eliminates unnecessary radiation while the 78cm gantry opening offers more room and more comfort for our patents,” said Todd Smiley, director of Radiology, UNC Health Care.
The SOMATOM Definition AS provides tremendous benefit with the Adaptive Dose Shield technology, helping to eliminate unnecessary over-radiation. Siemens’ unique Adaptive Dose Shield addresses the dose reduction issue by dynamically blocking the unnecessary dose before and after the spiral scan, ensuring that the only dose applied to the patient is dose that is clinically relevant.
source: Siemens
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