Friday, December 28, 2007

Ultrasound fails to spot ovarian cancer

Annual screening with a technique called transvaginal ultrasound, coupled with a blood test for CA125, a protein that can be elevated in the setting of ovarian cancer, does not reliably detect ovarian cancer early, at a more curable stage, according to a new study.

"We and other groups confirm that the current method of ovarian screening, which is a combination of ultrasound scans and (blood) markers, is ineffective," Dr Emma R Woodward from Birmingham Women's Hospital, UK, told Reuters Health.

"Therefore, for women at high risk of developing ovarian cancer, the only real option at present to prevent ovarian cancer death is to have the ovaries removed as a preventive measure."

source

SonoSite Begins Customer Shipments Of S Series Point-Of-Care Ultrasound Tools

SonoSite, Inc. (Nasdaq:SONO), the world leader in point-of-care, hand-carried ultrasound, announced that it has begun worldwide shipments of its S Series ultrasound tools. Based on the company's fourth generation technology platform, the S Series product line combines the processing power, image quality and advanced data management features of SonoSite's newly introduced M-Turbo™ system with a customized user interface to address the specific needs of four clinical specialties.

"SonoSite is the only company that has designed a system that can withstand rigorous use in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU)," said John M. Oropello, MD, FCCP, FCCM, Professor of Surgery and Medicine, Program Director, Critical Care Medicine and Co-Director, Neurosurgical - ICU, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York. "We evaluated a lot of machines and no one else has taken into account what critical care physicians need. Both the S-ICU and M-Turbo have superb image quality and are easy to clean-so essential to infection control. I can foresee the day when there will be an S ultrasound tool mounted by every bedside in the ICU."

source

Saturday, December 22, 2007

ZONARE Ranked Best in KLAS as Hand Carried Ultrasound Vendor in 2007 Top20

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Dec. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- ZONARE Medical Systems, a developer of premium ultrasound systems, today announced it has been ranked Best in KLAS as the top hand carried ultrasound (HCU) vendor in the KLAS Top20: Year-End Report published this week. Previously, the company was ranked number one in the inaugural HCU KLAS study. KLAS, a highly respected research firm specializing in monitoring and reporting the performance of information technology and medical imaging vendors in the healthcare field, continued several studies to incorporate additional customer data in order to determine Best in KLAS for 20 different categories for the year, including the HCU market.

press release

Monday, December 10, 2007

GE Healthcare Licenses Rights To Ultrasound Diagnostic Protocol Developed By Eastern Virginia Medical School Obstetrician

GE Healthcare, a leading manufacturer of 3D/4D ultrasound systems, has licensed a technique patented by an Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) obstetrician that can automate the acquisition of ultrasound images used by physicians to diagnose fetal heart defects. GE Healthcare has licensed the software for exclusive use in its 3D/4D ultrasound systems.

Alfred Abuhamad, M.D., chairman of obstetrics and gynecology at EVMS - recognized worldwide for his skills in using ultrasound to detect fetal heart defects - developed the automation protocol, called Sonography based Volume Computer Aided Diagnosis (SonoVCAD).

source

Friday, December 7, 2007

Toshiba And TomTec Deliver New Tools For Cardiac 4D Ultrasound

Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation and TomTec Imaging Systems GmbH announced an agreement to deliver new tools for assessing cardiac 4D data and a collaboration to make them more widely available at EuroEcho which is held from December 5th to 8th in Lisbon, Portugal. With the recent announcement of Toshiba's ArtidaTM Cardiac 4D Ultrasound System, a variety of new 4D capabilities were released. TomTec diagnostic workstations will be able to read Artida's data providing increased customer options for image review and a host of new advanced applications.

"We designed Artida to be the first of a new generation of the cardiac 4D ultrasound systems." said Hiroyuki Tsujino, General Manager, Ultrasound Systems Division at Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation. "This is why we developed the smallest and lightest 4D transducers together with the SmartCore technology to generate precise 4D images quickly. To provide a total workflow solution to the customer, TomTec was a natural choice for the image review and analysis. We admire TomTec for its long-standing commitment to innovation in diagnostic ultrasound"

source

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

New Research Reveals Ultrasound Treatment Of Benefit To Prostate Cancer Sufferers

First analysis of the long-term results with transrectal HIFU in patients with localized prostate cancer (European Journal of Urology online).

Prostate cancer experts say high intensity focussed ultrasound (HIFU) is an effective treatment option for men with prostate cancer, according to new research published this month in the European Journal of Urology online.

Experts from France and Germany studied the results of 140 people with prostate cancer over an eight year period and published their findings in the EJU.

source

Friday, November 23, 2007

Ultrasound may Better Classify Ovarian Tumors

Experts examining patterns in ultrasound images can more accurately classify ovarian tumors as benign or malignant than can pre-surgical blood tests, according to a study published online in the Nov. 13 Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

An elevated level of the protein CA-125 in blood is considered an indicator of whether an ovarian tumor is benign or malignant. This measure, however, can often be inaccurate.

Another option is an ultrasound examination of the tumor. An experienced ultrasound examiner can often accurately classify an ovarian tumor using a method of pattern recognition.

source article

Advanced Elastography Features Available on HI VISION(TM) 900 Premium Ultrasound System

Hitachi Medical Systems America anticipates a surge of excitement within the ultrasound community, when more than ten live sessions and written posters evaluating the emerging technique of ultrasound elastography are presented at this year's Scientific Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.

Elastography is rooted in the practice of palpation, one of the oldest concepts in medicine. When an abnormal mass is discovered in a patient, an important aspect of the initial clinical examination is physically palpating the mass to assess its stiffness. Hitachi's Elastography takes this concept one step further by using ultrasound to perform sophisticated and sensitive measurements of relative stiffness and creating detailed images depicting this information.

source

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Through-Wave Ultrasound: Effective, Economical and Ideal for Breast Imaging, Biopsy

RICHLAND, Wash., Nov. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Advanced Imaging Technologies,
today announced the ARIA Breast Imaging System (BIS),a real-time through-wave ultrasound imaging system that uses the diffractiveproperties of sound combined with holography (HU) to create highly-detailed,three-dimensional images of breast tissue, is now equipped for image-guidedbiopsy. The automated system has clinically proven to provide superior viewsof the breast tissue, especially dense tissue, while delivering better datafor enhanced diagnostic decision-making. The system's image-guidance for
biopsy will be demonstrated in booth #2179 at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) Scientific Sessions November 25-29, 2007 in Chicago.

source

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Siemens Introduces The World's Smallest Ultrasound Unit For Emergency Diagnostics

The first few minutes are often the deciding factor in emergency situations. For this reason, Siemens is now offering a mini ultrasound unit that will enable patients to receive medical treatment faster than ever before. Because this unit is just as compact as a PDA cell phone, weighs only about 700 grams, and easily fits into the physician's pocket. It is thus especially suitable for emergency medical applications, i.e. examining injuries on site in order to ensure that each patient receives the medical treatment he requires.

The "Acuson P10" mini ultrasound unit offers decisive advantages for first aid in outpatient areas, rescue helicopters and intensive care units: It is mobile, easy to operate and available to physicians whenever and wherever it is needed. When set to high-definition ultrasound image acquisition, it can, for example, be used to detect accumulations of liquids in the body and heart action, display any damage to arteries and examine the pelvis. In obstetrics, this mini ultrasound unit can be used even during childbirth to determine the unborn child's location, chances of survival and position, as well as to visualize the amount of amniotic fluid or bleeding and their tendency to escape in due time.


MedicalNewsToday

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

MEDISON Launches New Ultrasound System: ACCUVIX V10

The advanced ultrasound system ACCUVIX XQ has been widely recognised worldwide for its advanced technology and stability, but a new unit is about to steal its thunder.

Produced by South Korea-based MEDISON Co Ltd (CEO: J. B. Choi) ACCUVIX XQ was ranked, according to the Klein Report, in second place in the number of units sold in 2005 as well as 2006 in the US$200 million American obstetrics and gynaecology ultrasound market. However, the XQ has now been superseded by the latest in the line: the ACCUVIX V10.

source article

Friday, November 9, 2007

Screening for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms in Women May Save Lives

Newswise — In 9 out of 10 cases, a burst abdominal aortic artery is quickly fatal for its most common victim: elderly males. A new study -- the largest yet performed -- now confirms that women over 65 with a history of smoking or heart disease are also at high risk for an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) -- supporting the notion that they should also receive ultrasound screening to help spot and correct the dangerous condition.

The findings, reported in the Journal of Vascular Surgery, challenge current recommendations on AAA screening issued by the United States Preventive Services Task Force. Those guidelines recommend that screening only be performed -- and reimbursed by Medicare -- for men aged 65 to 75 who have ever smoked.


source

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

GE Breakthroughs Seek To Re-Invent Cardiovascular Ultrasound

Ultra Definition: True 4D Echo
The Vivid 7 Dimension '08

One has been given the gift of enhanced, crystal-clear sight. The other gets a three-connector docking cart, stress echo and an ergonomic work over. GE Healthcare, the global ultrasound leader, launched two breakthroughs for its popular Vivid e and Vivid 7 Dimension cardiovascular ultrasound systems at this year's meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando, FL. Building upon GE's successful introduction of Vivid products in 2000, GE continues to bring to market innovative, high-performance cardiovascular ultrasound systems.

source

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Chronic Achilles Tendon Pain Eased By Ultrasound-Guided Injections

Patients with chronic tendinosis of the Achilles tendon can experience a reduction in pain when injected with a small amount of a dextrose solution, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver, BC.

"Chronic tendinosis is a common overuse injury which can be very painful and debilitating and can affect many tendons throughout the body," said Norman J. Maxwell, MD, lead author of the study. "Research has shown that this condition results from impaired healing of recurrent injury to the tendon. Research has also shown that chronic tendinosis is not an inflammatory but a degenerative process," he said.

source article

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Ultrasound differentiates between hepatitis and cirrhosis

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

Dr. Panagiotis Iliopoulos from Agios Andreas General Hospital in Patras, Greece, and colleagues from hospitals around Patras and Thessaly published their research in the September issue of the Journal of Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases.

source article

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Ohio Bill Would Allow Women Seeking Abortion To View Ultrasound Image

Ohio state Sen. Gary Cates (R) recently proposed a measure (SB 230) that would give a woman seeking an abortion the option of viewing an ultrasound image of her fetus before undergoing the procedure, the AP/Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Mark Lally, legal director for Ohio Right to Life, said abortion-rights opponents believe viewing ultrasound images might influence women seeking abortions to reconsider undergoing the procedure. "We have encountered women who, after having abortions, saw ultrasounds in other contexts of other children and they say, 'Hey, that's about the same age the child that I aborted was,' and they have adverse emotional reactions," Lally said.

source

Friday, October 19, 2007

SenoRx Announces 510(k) Clearance for Its Breast Biopsy Ultrasound System

ALISO VIEJO, Calif., Oct. 17, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- SenoRx, Inc. (NasdaqGM:SENO - News) today announced that it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its SenoSonix(tm) System, an integration of its EnCor(r) breast biopsy system with a state-of-the-art ultrasound imaging system. The device incorporates SenoRx's proprietary EnCor vacuum-assisted biopsy technologies with an ultrasound system developed and sold by Ultrasonix Medical Corporation of Canada. SenoRx and Ultrasonix have enjoyed a close working relationship, jointly developing the technology that facilitates the integration of the two products. The

Ultrasonix launched its innovative Sonix series of Smart Ultrasound systems in 2005 and has placed over 1,000 systems worldwide. Launching its flagship EnCor system in November 2005, SenoRx currently has an installed base of more than 400 of its breast biopsy systems in the United States and Canada.

pres release

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Emergency room ultrasound tool runs Windows CE

SonoSite has introduced a point-of-care ultrasound tool that runs Windows CE 6.0. The S-FAST is aimed at emergency departments, and can be carried about or mounted on an IV pole or wall, according to the company

Touting the unit's toughness, the company adds that the S-FAST can withstand being dropped from three feet onto a hard surface. But to help prevent this from happening, the device includes standard VESA-compliant mounting capabilities to keep it secure.

source

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

FDA Issues Warning on Ultrasound Drugs

The Food and Drug Administration is preparing a warning to physicians regarding drugs used to enhance heart imaging in echocardiography.

As reported in the Wall Street Journal, the FDA has been investigating reports of deaths and serious cardiopulmonary reactions in patients who have taken these drugs. The two drugs which seem to be affected by this warning are Definity, which is manufactured by Bristol-Myers, and Optison which is sold by General Electric Co.

The injectable contrast agents which contain microscopic gas-filled spheres are used in only a small fraction of patients undergoing echocardiography.

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

ACR Revises Breast Ultrasound Accreditation Program Requirements

Due to recent revisions to the ACR Practice Guideline for the Performance of a Breast Ultrasound Examination, the ACR Committee on Breast Ultrasound Accreditation has updated the program requirements for ACR Breast Ultrasound Accreditation.

The new guideline was approved at the ACR Annual Meeting and Leadership Conference (AMCLC) in May and went into effect Oct. 1, 2007. The primary changes to the program requirements address interpreting physician qualifications, equipment specifications, and image labeling.

complete article here

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Small scanners find hidden heart disease

By MARILYNN MARCHIONE, AP Medical Writer

MADISON, Wis. - What if your doctor could swipe a wand over your neck and reveal whether you have hidden heart disease?

That is now possible in places other than the sickbay of the starship Enterprise.

Miniature ultrasound machines are starting to make their way into ordinary doctors' offices, where they may someday be as common as stethoscopes and EKGs. A pocket-sized one weighing less than 2 pounds hit the market last week.

Some of these devices can make images of neck arteries, which offer a "window" to heart arteries that cannot easily be seen. If the neck vessels are clogged, doctors know that those around the heart probably are, too, and that treatment or more testing is needed.

source article

Thursday, October 4, 2007

GE Healthcare To Address Use Of Ultrasound Machine In India For Sex-Selective Abortions

V. Raja, CEO of GE Healthcare South Asia, at a seminar that concluded Saturday said while the company has been "compliant as far as the law is concerned," it is "willing to do more and to look at suggestions" to reduce use of its ultrasound machine for sex-selective abortions, AFP/Yahoo! News reports (Gupta, AFP/Yahoo! News, 9/29).

According to a UNICEF report released in December 2006, about 7,000 fewer girls than expected are born daily in India, and about 10 million fewer girls than expected were born in the past 20 years. The most recent Indian census figures found that the gender ratio decreased from 947 girls per 1,000 boys to 927 girls per 1,000 boys from 1991 to 2001.

source article

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Ultrasound Plus Mammography Finds More Cancers, But Increases False Positives

Adding ultrasound to mammography finds more cancers than mammography alone, but also substantially increases the number of false positives, according to first-year results from a three year study of the two tests.

"At this point, it's not clear whether the benefit provided by ultrasound outweighs the additional expense, stress and inconvenience caused by the false positives," said study co-author Etta Pisano, M.D., vice dean for academic affairs in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Kenan professor of radiology and biomedical engineering and director of the UNC Biomedical Research Imaging Center.

source

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Ultrasound Informed Consent Act Legislation

Senator and Republican hopeful Sam Brownback of Kansas has introduced legislation title the Ultrasound Informed Consent Act. The bill would require doctors to perform ultrasounds and share the results with women before performing an abortion.

“It is necessary and right to provide a woman seeking an abortion with all the available information so that she may make the most informed decision possible,” Brownback said in a statement. “The Ultrasound Informed Consent Act would ensure that women have access to important information.”

Brownback says the measure puts the requirements solely on the doctor, not the woman. He says a woman may refuse to view the ultrasound images.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Determining "Vascular Age": Siemens Introduces A New Ultrasound Application For Evaluating The Risk Of Heart Disease

Siemens Medical Solutions expanded its portfolio of ultrasound applications: the syngo Arterial Health Package (AHP) calculates cardiovascular risks by measuring the carotid intima media thickness and determining the so-called vascular age - the relative age of the vessel. Together with other factors, such as cholesterol values and blood pressure, the physician can use the results of syngo AHP to better assess a patient's myocardial or stroke-related risk and establish an individual prevention and treatment plan. At the ESC 2007, the Congress of the European Society of Cardiology in Vienna from September 1 to 5, 2007, Siemens Medical Solutions will introduce syngo AHP for the first time in Europe.

The syngo Arterial Health Package (AHP) determines the vascular age, that is, the advance of atherosclerotic burden and displays it to the patient. Knowing the vascular age supports the physician in more accurately determining the personal risk of a patient to develop coronary heart disease, in rendering a prognosis, and in developing a prevention and therapy plan. The new ultrasound application provides a measurement of the intima media thickness of the carotid - the innermost layer of the carotid vessel wall. An abnormal widening of the intima media is considered evidence of threatening or already existing arteriosclerosis.

source article from Medical News Today

Saturday, September 1, 2007

Star Trek Medical Device Uses Ultrasound To Seal Punctured Lungs

A stretcher races through the entrance of a busy hospital. The car accident victim lies on top and grimaces in pain. While surface injuries look gruesome, the real medical danger is invisible - internal organ damage caused by being crushed against the steering wheel.

This isn't a scene from Seattle Grace Hospital, the set of the popular television drama Grey's Anatomy, but from its real-life model, Harborview Medical Center. Engineers at the University of Washington are working with Harborview doctors to create new emergency treatments right out of Star Trek: a tricorder type device using high-intensity focused ultrasound rays. This summer, researchers published the first experiment using ultrasound to seal punctured lungs.

source article

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

High-intensity Ultrasound Helps to Wipe Out Cancer Cells Anywhere in the Body

A new study has found that an intense form of ultrasound that shakes a tumor until its cells start to leak can launch an attack on cancer.

The study led by researchers at Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering has suggested that a high intensity ultrasound can activate an “alarm” that enlists immune defenses against the cancerous invasion.

The new findings from animal experiments imply that once triggered by the ultrasound, the immune system might even search for and devastate cancer cells, including those that have spread through the bloodstream to lurk in other parts of the body.

source article

Saturday, August 18, 2007

British sonographers move to stamp out occupational MSK injuries

The Society of Radiographers in the U.K. has published a guidance to help prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders, the most common work-related illness in Britain.

Studies have repeatedly shown that radiographers and other healthcare professionals who carry out sonography examinations are at particularly high risk of suffering painful conditions affecting the back, shoulders, neck, and arms. These include tendinitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and tenosynovitis.

"Too many sonographers are being made ill by their work and, in some cases, have to retire because of disabling repetitive strain injuries," said Kim Sunley, the health and safety officer for the Society of Radiographers.

Increasing volumes of work and demanding work schedules within some organizations, exacerbated by staff shortages and the pressures of working in a target-driven environment, may have an impact on the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among sonographers, according to the report.

source article here

Ultrasound to Diagnose Down's Syndrome Questioned

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A leading expert in the field of ultrasound research is questioning the usefulness of obstetric ultrasound to diagnose Down's syndrome.

Hylton Meire, an ultrasound expert and consultant radiologist in England, raised the possibility the procedure is not as useful as has been suggested, and he emphasized there is lack of scientific data to support the practice.



Source Article

Sunday, July 15, 2007

College, society drop out of surgeon-sponsored breast ultrasound accreditation program

The American College of Radiology and the Society of Breast Imaging have walked away from the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers, an ambitious effort to certify breast ultrasound and ultrasound-guided interventions backed by the American College of Surgeons. They disagree with the program's accreditation standards, especially minimal physician qualifications for interpreting breast ultrasound and performing ultrasound-guided breast interventions.

After nearly two years of discussion, the ACR and SBI withdrew from deliberations after failing to persuade the NAPBC board to adopt the ACR's long-established standards, practice guidelines, and accreditation programs related to breast imaging and image-guided interventions, according to a statement issued by the college.



source articles

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Real-Time 3-D Ultrasound Speeds Patient Recovery

Mayo Clinic physicians have adapted real-time 3-D ultrasound imaging devices -- including one designed to look at an infant's heart -- so that they can watch as they use a needle filled with anesthetic to numb individual nerves located inches under the skin. In this way, they can quickly block nerve function in selected areas of the body prior to surgery, an advance that may spare patients from use of general anesthesia and sends them home faster and with less need for pain medication.

Mayo anesthesiologists have demonstrated the benefits of real-time 3-D ultrasound in nerve blockade in more than 150 surgeries of varied types. Their presentations at scientific meetings and publications in peer-reviewed journals have informed other physicians worldwide into how this next-era ultrasound imaging technology may assist in peripheral nerve block placement -- the technique of disabling targeted nerves so that a patient doesn't feel pain from surgery.

source article

Sunday, July 1, 2007

In-Depth View Of The Brain Provided By 3-D Ultrasound Scanner

Biomedical engineers at Duke's Pratt School of Engineering have adapted a three-dimensional ultrasound scanner that might guide minimally invasive brain surgeries and provide better detection of a brain tumor's location.

The "brain scope," which is inserted into a dime-sized hole in the skull, may be particularly useful for the bedside evaluation of critically ill patients when computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment is unavailable, the researchers said. They report the development in a forthcoming issue of the journal Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology, which is currently available online. The work was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

source article here

Saturday, June 30, 2007

ASE: 3D Echo Tops 2D and M-Mode for Kids' Hearts

SEATTLE, June 21 -- When assessing the left ventricle in children, real-time three-dimensional echocardiography offers the best combination of accuracy and efficiency, according to a small trial reported here.

Measurement of left-ventricular size, function, and mass is the most common and essential application of echocardiograph in pediatric clinical practice and research, said Xiluzhang Lu, M.D., of Baylor in Houston, and colleagues, at the American Society of Echocardiography meeting.

However, little data have existed on the relative accuracy, reproducibility, and efficiency of M-mode, 2D, and 3D echo techniques for acquiring left ventricular measurements, Dr. Lu added.

complete article

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Ultrasound a Safer Alternative to Invasive Breast Biopsy

A new study has determined that the use of ultrasound for the monitoring of certain breast lesions with a low likelihood of developing cancer may be a safer and more reassuring option than a biopsy.

Chairman of Radiology at Steyr's Ambulatory Care Center in Austria, Dr. Oswald Graf, who was also study author, opined that this method of observing some masses can help women avoid unessential and insidious biopsies.

In a breast ultrasound, images of breast tissues are made with the help of sound waves. This is not as invasive as a biopsy because tissue samples are not collected for analyses as they are with biopsies.

source article


Sunday, June 17, 2007

Appropriateness Criteria For Performance Of Cardiac Ultrasound Exams Released

In an effort to ensure quality cardiac ultrasound imaging for all patients and to avoid unnecessary use of the technology, the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF) and the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) in partnership with the American College of Emergency Physicians, American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography, and the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance today released Appropriateness Criteria for two of the most commonly used cardiac ultrasound techniques - transthoracic (TTE) and transesophageal (TEE) echocardiography - just in time for the 18th Annual Scientific Sessions of ASE in Seattle, Washington.

The TTE/TEE Appropriateness Criteria review common scenarios found in clinical practice and address the appropriateness of ordering echocardiograms for each situation. The Criteria address a broad range of clinical situations in which TTE/TEE might be used, such as for patients presenting with signs and symptoms that could represent heart disease, like murmurs and palpitations, and conditions such as hypertension, stroke, heart valve disease, and suspected or known congenital heart disease.

complete article

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Dynamic Sonography Accurate In Diagnosing Muscle Tears

Dynamic sonography is useful in the diagnosis, management and follow-up of muscle tears and hematomas, according to a recent study conducted by researchers from Khoula Hospital in Muscat, Oman.

The study consisted of 50 male soccer players ranging from 20-30 years of age with muscular trauma in the thigh and calf. Dynamic sonography of both the affected and contralateral normal part was performed. "Ultrasound is a rapid and radiation free imaging modality available in all sports medicine emergency rooms. It is a very important tool to diagnose, follow-up and document muscle tears for proper management," said Ashok Kumar Nath, MD, lead author of the study.

Source Article

Monday, May 28, 2007

Medicare To Expand Coverage Of Ultrasound Diagnostic Procedures, USA

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today a decision to provide coverage for Doppler monitoring of cardiac output in certain settings. CMS has determined that the current evidence is adequate to revise its longstanding Ultrasound Diagnostic Procedures National Coverage Determination and remove the past noncoverage of this diagnostic test in these settings.

"Today's decision reflects CMS' commitment to using evidence-based approaches to provide Medicare beneficiaries with reasonable and necessary medical technologies as they evolve through innovation in the marketplace," said CMS Acting Administer Leslie V. Norwalk, Esq. "As we developed this decision, we used the best available medical evidence-in the form of randomized controlled clinical trials-to re-evaluate our position on this important non-invasive method of caring for patients in intensive care situations."


source article

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Christian Science Monitor Examines Legislative Efforts To Provide Ultrasounds To Women Seeking Abortions

Ultrasounds have become one of the "latest weapons" in the "battle" between abortion-rights opponents and advocates, the Christian Science Monitor reports. According to the Monitor, six states -- Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Michigan and Mississippi -- have passed legislation requiring that ultrasounds be offered to women seeking abortions, and four states -- Indiana, Oklahoma, Utah and Wisconsin -- require physicians to notify women seeking abortions about the availability of ultrasounds. According to the Guttmacher Institute, 22 bills relating to ultrasounds were introduced in 15 states this year.

Abortion-rights opponents say ultrasounds are a "medical imperative" for women seeking abortions and they allow women access to all available information before deciding whether to undergo the procedure, according to the Monitor. However, abortion-rights supporters say that ultrasounds are not medically necessary and that laws requiring ultrasounds for women seeking abortions or requiring physicians to offer them are "constitutionally suspect" and a form of "emotional blackmail," the Monitor reports.

Source Article Here

Monday, May 7, 2007

New Ultrasound Fingerprint Identification System Suggested

Diagnostic 3D ultrasound of fingers could be used for biometric identification based on matching paired images using internal fingerprint structures that would be difficult to fake, offering the possibility of a unique automated fingerprint identification system, according to a new study by researchers from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

For the study, 3D images were collected of the fingers of 20 volunteers. A group of four readers, including two musculoskeletal radiologists, then attempted to match the pairs based on anatomic and physiological features of the human finger. Radiologists matching the image pairs were 100% successful, and the average success of all four readers was 96%.

Source Article

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Analyst Puts Hand-Carried Ultrasound Market at $1 Billion by 2011

The hand-carried ultrasound market will top $1 billion by 2011, according to a report by ultrasound industry analyst and consultant Harvey G. Klein, PhD, president of Klein Biomedical Consultants Inc, New York City. The report, The Hand-Carried Ultrasound ("HCU") Market: A Disruptive Technology?, also names three projected market leaders by 2009—GE Healthcare, Waukesha, Wis; SonoSite Inc, Bothell, Wash; and ZONARE Medical Systems Inc, Mountain View, Calif. Medical Imaging spoke with Klein about some of the finer points of his report, which can be purchased for $10,500.

read complete article here

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Ultrasound Upgrade Produces Images That Work Like 3-D Movies

Science Daily — Parents-to-be might soon don 3-D glasses in the ultrasound lab to see their developing fetuses in the womb "in living 3-D, just like at the IMAX movies," according to researchers at Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering.

The same Duke team that first developed real-time, three-dimensional ultrasound imaging says it has now modified the commercial version of the scanner to produce an even more realistic perception of depth. Paired images seem to pop out of the screen when viewed with the special glasses


Complete article here

Sunday, April 22, 2007

First Toshiba Aplio XG Ultrasound Installed At Steinberg DMI

Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. (TAMS) announced today that the nation's largest outpatient imaging practice, Steinberg Diagnostic Medical Imaging (SDMI) in Las Vegas, is the first to install the new Aplio™ XG ultrasound system. The system was introduced at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting in November 2006 and is the latest version of the company's Aplio ultrasound platform.

SDMI is using the state-of-the-art system to assist with a variety of diagnostic examinations, including abdominal, gynecologic, obstetrical (OB), breast, testicular, thyroid and prostate imaging procedures in its Las Vegas location.

SDMI is using the state-of-the-art system to assist with a variety of diagnostic examinations, including abdominal, gynecologic, obstetrical (OB), breast, testicular, thyroid and prostate imaging procedures in its Las Vegas location.

Complete article is here

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

SC Senators Drop Mandatory Ultrasound Provision

A South Carolina State Senate subcommittee dropped a provision last Thursday on an abortion bill that would have required women to view an ultrasound image before having an abortion. South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster warned lawmakers last week that forcing women to view an ultrasound against her will would be illegal.

While some states have mandated that ultrasound viewing be available, South Carolina would be the only state mandating it if this bill passed with an ultrasound requirement. Democrats anticipate that the bill, which now heads to the Senate Medical Affairs Committee, will easily pass the Senate. A clash is expected, however, because the State Assembly has already approved the bill with the requirement.


Source

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

New Ultrasound Technique to Detect Breast Cancer

US Researchers have designed a new type of ultrasound which has been tested and found to be very effective in determining whether lumps in breasts are cancerous or not.

The procedure is called elasticity imaging and measures the tissues’ elasticity and compression in response to pressure. Generally tumors are found to be harder and less elastic than benign lumps and thus the test can tell a dangerous growth from a harmless one.

“A tumorous lump should distort very little in response to movement,” said Richard Barr, “whereas a benign one is much more malleable.”

“The finding, if confirmed in a larger trial, could reduce the number of unnecessary breast biopsies and reassure women that their tumors are harmless,” he said . Richard Barr is a radiologist at Southwoods X-Ray and Open MRI in Youngstown, Ohio, who lead the study.

Source Article

Monday, April 9, 2007

Concern Over Safety Of Commercial Ultrasound Scans

Science Daily — Expectant parent' desire to see images of their unborn children has given rise to commercial companies offering keepsake ultrasound scans without medical supervision, often referred to as "boutique ultrasonography"

In a special report in this week's British Medical Journal, journalist Geoff Watts considers whether this non-medical use of the technique can be justified

Improvements in ultrasound technology have transformed antenatal scans from two dimensional black and white images to 3D, 4D and even moving pictures of the unborn child। Expectant parents seeking a CD-ROM or a DVD of their scan can expect to pay £150-£250 (€230-380; $300-490).


The companies say that ultrasound has not been shown to cause any harm to mother or baby, but the US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, and the French Academy of Medicine are among several official bodies that have reservations about such use of the technology.


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Saturday, March 31, 2007

Ultrasound's future in play: Will radiologists remain in the picture?


Diagnostic Imaging.com

Diagnostic ultrasound is ideal for many patients. No other imaging option gives them a real-time look at their own anatomy or so openly encourages discussion with the radiologist about their symptoms and the evidence of disease on the monitor. Ultrasound is safe, patient-friendly, and inexpensive. But while patients welcome it, many radiologists in the U.S. want it to go away.


This contradiction in the application of diagnostic ultrasound was the subject of an October 2006 consensus conference of the Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound (SRU) that brought ultrasound's leadership together in San Francisco. Two days of lectures and debate led to a strategy statement defining a plan to maintain radiology's leadership over the modality (see related article).

U.S. radiologists are not so much turning away from ultrasound, as they are turning toward MRI and CT, said Dr. Harvey Neiman, executive director of the American College of Radiology. Facing an unprecedented demand for their services, they increasingly choose these two modalities because of their superior speed, convenience, and profitability.

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