Philips introduces mobile C-arm with flat detector for surgical X-ray procedures

Super thin detector provides improved image quality for better patient care

Amsterdam, the Netherlands – With rapid change taking place in the surgical environment as the range of interventional and minimally invasive procedures continues to expand, Royal Philips Electronics (AEX: PHI, NYSE: PHG) today announced the availability of the Veradius X-ray system. A mobile C-arm with a super thin, flat detector, Philips Veradius is designed to give the surgeon more flexibility and to improve patient care by streamlining workflow and improving image quality. The system also includes an additional monitor on the C-arm stand, enabling the operator to have an unobstructed view of the live image.

Today’s operating rooms are crowded with equipment and people, so it’s not always easy to see team members and coordinate tasks. The flat detector on the Veradius frees up valuable space during challenging procedures and gives surgeons more space to see their team and the patient. Dr. J. A. van Herwaarden, vascular surgeon and director of the Endovascular Program at UMC Utrecht, is one of the first surgeons to evaluate the Veradius in daily practice.

source: Philips Medical

Carestream Health’s RIS Earns Award from Canadian Organization

ROCHESTER, N.Y., June 16— Carestream Health’s radiology information system (RIS) earned an award for “Exceptional New Product or Service” from the Innovation and Technology Association of Prince Edward Island (ITAP) in Canada. The award recognizes the innovative technologies and development methodologies of the company’s RIS platform, as well as its worldwide sales and support.

ITAP’s annual awards recognize local information technology companies that contribute to the economy and the IT industry through product development and technology adoption. Carestream Health’s RIS research and development team is based on Prince Edward Island, on the east coast of Canada. Representatives from the team were present at the ceremony last week to receive the award.

The company’s innovative RIS features several time-saving features including structured reporting, standard answers, and the ability to copy content from prior reports. The RIS platform supports voice-driven commands that allow users to create a report without using a keyboard or mouse. This platform also facilitates communication with colleagues through built-in critical results notification, and supports peer review and emergency department discrepancy workflows.

source: Carestream Health

SVS 2009: Ziehm Imaging Sets A New Standard In Mobile Imaging With The Ziehm Vision RFD

Ziehm Imaging is proud to announce that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given 510k clearance for the latest innovative mobile C-arm from Ziehm Imaging, the Ziehm Vision(R) RFD, for marketing and sales within the United States. Designed for use in endovascular surgery, interventional cardiology and interventional radiology, the Ziehm Vision RFD mobile C-arm combines the latest flat-panel technology and a true fully digital imaging chain with a compact design that delivers exceptional image quality. During demanding procedures physicians will benefit from improved visualization, workflow and reduced radiation dose.

The Ziehm Vision RFD combines innovative flat-panel technology with the sophisticated ODDC (Object Detected Dose Control) software and special designed anatomical programs for excellent image quality at minimal dose. The flat-panel detector allows for fully digital, distortion-free imaging and better access to the patient due to the larger C-arm opening and the 165degrees orbital rotation. Thanks to pulse technology at up to 25 frames per second, the system provides sharp, high contrast images of vasculature, bone and soft tissue structures, which is indispensable particularly for complex applications in endovascular surgery. The excellent image quality, once only expected from fixed room systems, is now available in a mobile interventional suite.

source: Medical News Today

Video Games Are Helping Doctors View The Body - Using The Nintendo Wii To Interpret Radiology Exams

The popular Nintendo Wii videogame system is helping radiology students reach new levels! Faculty from Weill Cornell Medical College have coupled the motion-sensitive Wii remote with the same computers used to analyze scans, and have found that the Wii remote makes examining CT and MRI images more ergonomic, heightens the interactivity during classes, and may potentially improve the ability to interpret scans.

"The remote is very intuitive -- cycling through the scans is a matter of rotating your wrist," explains Dr. George Shih, a radiologist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and assistant professor of radiology at Weill Cornell Medical College, who, along with his colleagues, helped develop the system that links the Wii remote to the diagnostic computer. Their research was presented recently at the 2009 American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS) Annual Meeting in Boston, Mass.

source: Medical News Today

Carestream Health Receives FDA Clearance For Tabletop Laser Imager For Digital Mammography, General Radiography Applications

ROCHESTER, N.Y., May 27 — The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has given marketing clearance to a tabletop laser imager from Carestream Health, Inc., that provides healthcare professionals with output that is ideal for digital mammography and general radiography applications.

The company will begin taking orders immediately for its CARESTREAM DRYVIEW 5850 Laser Imager and will begin shipments in the U.S. and other countries in June.

The new laser imager—featuring 508 pixels-per-inch output—addresses the need for affordable laser-quality film output from full-field digital mammography (FFDM) and CR-based mammography systems. The imager, with two on-line film trays, supports DICOM printing for mammography and general radiography. Mammography printing is available on 20 x 25 cm, 25 x 30 cm and 28 x 35 cm film sizes, while general radiography printing is available on these film sizes as well as 35 x 35 cm, and 35 x 43 cm film sizes. The DRYVIEW 5850 offers a D-max up to 4.0 with proven DRYVIEW laser imager quality and platform reliability.

source: Carestream Health

Varian Medical Systems Introduces the PaxScan 3030+ X-Ray Image Detector for Interventional Angiography

SALT LAKE CITY, May 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Varian Medical Systems, Inc. (NYSE: VAR) X-Ray Products, a world leader in X-ray tubes and supplier of the premier PaxScan® line of digital X-ray image detectors for filmless X-rays, has introduced their first digital imager specifically designed for interventional angiography procedures.

"With speeds up to 30 frames per second, the PaxScan 3030+ allows the physician to monitor interventional procedures, including the placement of catheters within blood vessels, in real-time," said Carl LaCasce, Vice President Imaging Products. "The PaxScan 3030+ provides highly detailed images with excellent contrast and spatial resolution, while delivering a low X-ray dose to the patient."

In addition to interventional angiography systems, the new PaxScan 3030+ multi-modality panel is designed for use in cardiovascular imaging systems and surgical C-arms. The panel's compatible interfaces and software simplify integration into existing systems. It is specially designed for equipment incorporating three dimensional cone-beam CT (CBCT) capabilities.

source: Varian

Side Discrepancy Errors in Radiology Reports Rare But Often Clinically Significant

Side discrepancy errors in radiology reports do occur and it is important that radiologists, referring physicians and patients communicate well to help prevent errors in clinical management, according to a study performed at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. “Side discrepancy errors refer to instances when the side of the lesion is incorrectly noted in one or more sections of the radiology report,” said Minal Jagtiani Sangwaiya, MD, lead author of the study.

The study included more than one million radiology reports. “88 side discrepancy errors were reported and 80% of those errors were rated as clinically important. The errors in mislabeling the side of the lesion were almost twice as frequent in female patients as in males. Mammography and radiography, followed by MRI and ultrasound were the most commonly reported techniques with mislabeling of the side of the lesion in identified errors,” said Dr. J. Sangwaiya. The errors noted in the study included those that had been corrected. The study does not account for unrecognized errors.

“While the incidence of side discrepancy errors is very small, most reports describing medical errors are self-reports or surveys and they almost certainly underestimate the incidence, perhaps by a factor of 20 or more,” she said.

sourc: ARRS

Georgia Acknowledges RA as Advanced Practice

On May 11, 2009, Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue signed into law House bill 509, which acknowledges the advanced practice of radiologist assistants.

The bill recognizes the position of radiologist assistants as "an advanced level as determined by board rule." The bill states that the procedures include, but are not limited to, "enteral and parenteral procedures when performed under the direction of the supervising radiologist and may include injecting diagnostic agents to sites other than intravenous, performing diagnostic aspirations and localizations, and assisting radiologists with other invasive procedures."

Christine Lung, ASRT vice president of government relations and public policy said, "By acknowledging radiologist assistants, the passage of this bill is a great first step toward licensing radiologic technologists." Georgia’s enactment of House bill 509 makes it the 25th state to recognize the radiologist assistant. However, it is now the second state not to license R.T.s, while legally recognizing RAs.

source: ASRT News Release

Siemens Sets A New Standard In Subtraction Angiography

The new application syngo iFlow from Siemens Healthcare makes it possible for the first time to demonstrate a complete digital subtraction angiography (DSA) sequence in a single color image.

Previously, multiple black and white image frames had to be reviewed to visualize the contrast medium flow through the blood vessels. Now with the colors of syngo iFlow the representation of contrast from its initial entry into the blood vessels to its flow throughout can be shown in one image.

The syngo iFlow application, for example, can be used to enhance pre-procedural and postprocedural imaging of patients under treatment for leg stenosis. Flow deviations and the increased utilization of collaterals can more easily be detected prior to intervention, since anomalies more readily attract the physician's attention due to their specific colors. Following the intervention, the success of a balloon dilatation or stent implantation of a stenosis is readily visible due to the improved flow.

source: Siemens

IAEA calls for enhanced radiation protection of patients

Vienna, APRIL 2009 AT 13.00 CET -- Advances in medical imaging techniques are allowing doctors to detect hidden diseases and make ever more accurate diagnoses. But radiation safety experts at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) say that overuse of high-tech scanning procedures may unnecessarily expose patients to increased radiation levels. The IAEA, in collaboration with other international organizations, is developing a series of measures aimed at strengthening patient protection. The focus of recent efforts is a Smart Card project, to log how much radiation a person receives in the course of a lifetime.

Concern surrounds procedures such as computed tomography (CT) scans because they deliver higher doses of radiation to patients in comparison to conventional X-rays (radiographs). It's been estimated that the average radiation dose of one CT scan is equal to roughly 500 chest X-rays. And that can increase a patient's lifetime risk of cancer, particularly if CT scans are repeated.

"The medical application of ionizing radiation is the fastest growing source of radiation exposure to human beings today," says Renate Czarwinski, Head of the IAEA's Radiation Safety and Monitoring Section. "We acknowledge the great value of the new technologies, but want to ensure that each and every examination is justified. The radiation protection of patients is also important."

According to the latest estimates of the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), as many as four billion diagnostic X-ray examinations are carried out worldwide each year. This represents an increase of more than 17% over the last ten years in the collective dose to the world's population.

source: EurekAlert

Joint Commission Awards TeamHealth Teleradiology Second Consecutive Gold Seal of Approval(TM)

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., April 23 /PRNewswire/ -- TeamHealth Teleradiology has earned its second consecutive Gold Seal of Approval(TM) from The Joint Commission, the company announced today.

"Organizations awarded this Gold Seal of Approval(TM) undergo a credible, rigorous evaluation that ensures innovative solutions are used for the most vexing safety and quality issues," said Michael Kulczycki, executive director of The Joint Commission's Ambulatory Care Accreditation Program.

A division of TeamHealth, the nation's largest provider of hospital-based clinical outsourcing, TeamHealth Teleradiology provides after-hours radiology coverage from board-certified, U.S.-based teleradiologists to hospitals, radiology groups, imaging centers and other healthcare providers.

"TeamHealth Teleradiology was awarded this second consecutive Gold Seal of Approval(TM) with no requirements for improvement, which is a significant accomplishment," said Alan Taylor, senior vice president of operations for TeamHealth Teleradiology. "Obtaining accreditation from The Joint Commission is an important part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing the high quality care we provide to our clients."

source: PR Newswire

3-D anatomy resource for learning how to interpret radiological scans

Primal Pictures has developed a new interactive resource for radiologists to interpret cross-sectional anatomical scans.

Developed in conjunction Dr Muaaze Ahmad, a Consultant Radiologist at Barts and the Royal London NHS Trust, Radiological Cross-Sectional Anatomy with Multidetector CT: Thorax, Abdomen and Pelvis, contains thousands of clear and accurate images in an intuitive digital format, providing users with an invaluable aid to cross section anatomy, CT and MRI interpretation.

Users are able to view hundreds of clear and accurate 3D anatomy images of the thorax, abdomen and pelvis, whilst interactive functions will allow them to add and remove layers, rotate and label any structure with the click of a mouse.

source: bjhc&im