Friday, January 30, 2009

GE Healthcare Extends Collaboration and Development With Medipattern

GE Healthcare's (NYSE:GE - News) Vascular Ultrasound group and The Medipattern Corporation (TSX VENTURE:MKI - News) are pleased to announce their plan to collaborate in the creation of Ultrasound-based Vascular Imaging Quantification Tools (Vascular iQ(TM)). GE Healthcare and Medipattern confirmed their plans to collaborate by signing a definitive collaboration agreement. Medipattern will leverage technology developed in its Cadenza(TM) algorithm platform and extend it with additional functionality to create Vascular iQ. Medipattern will create a generalized version of the vascular product while building an exclusive version for GE Healthcare ultrasound systems, which will be available to the market through GE's well-established distribution to clinicians around the world.

"GE Healthcare's Vascular Ultrasound team is committed to developing new technology to image and analyze vascular disease, increasing diagnostic confidence, and speeding patient treatment," said Michael Arbaugh, GE Healthcare General Manager of GE Healthcare's Vascular Ultrasound division. "Our investment in dedicated vascular expertise, support of vascular education, and unique vascular technologies are evidence of this commitment. GE is actively developing new ultrasound products to capture distinctive diagnostic images."

source: Medipattern

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Philips announces new ultrasound system focused on the health needs of women

Dubai, UAE.—At Arab Health 2009 Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) today launched a new ultrasound system, which focuses on helping clinicians deliver high quality care for a full range of women’s health needs. The HD9 system combines advanced imaging technology, including 3D and 4D capabilities, in an easy-to-use and reliable system for obstetrics, gynecology and breast imaging.

The HD9 system delivers a set of workflow features that help ensure imaging and processing are as efficient as possible, potentially saving time in busy clinics. The HD9 has also been built to withstand rigorous use and provide all the capabilities needed for day-to-day applications. It also includes advanced features such as intuitive 3D and 4D imaging designed for those new to volume imaging as well as experienced users.

As well as women’s health, the HD9 is also able to cater for applications including general imaging, adult and pediatric cardiology, general pediatric and urology.

source: Philips

Saturday, January 24, 2009

BK Medical Introduces The Pro Focus UltraView Ultrasound System

BK Medical, a wholly owned subsidiary of Analogic Corporation (NASDAQ: ALOG), launches its new, full-featured ultrasound system, the Pro Focus™ UltraView™, for the surgical and urological ultrasound markets. This high-performance ultrasound system uses BK Medical's new IQPAC™ technology to provide premium images that make a diagnostic difference.

IQPAC technology combines BK Medical's proprietary Enhanced Tissue Definition and Angular Compound Imaging technologies to optimize the ultrasound image. Enhanced Tissue Definition intensifies anatomic borders by minimizing speckle, and Angular Compound Imaging uses images from several angles to create a superior compound image. Together, these two technologies enable IQPAC to provide significantly advanced image quality. The UltraView system also features a 19" high-definition monitor with scalable image size and a sealed keyboard for easy cleaning.

source: Medical News Today

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

St. Jude Medical Announces First Use Outside the U.S. of Imaging System for Real-Time Views inside the Heart

ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 15, 2009--St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE:STJ) today announced the first use outside the United States of its ultrasound imaging system that enables physicians to view real-time images from inside the heart as they diagnose and treat conditions resulting from abnormal rhythms or structural problems. By providing clear, accurate images of the heart's interior anatomy and the position of devices, the system enables physicians to perform procedures with increased control.

The ViewMate(TM) II Ultrasound System with the ViewFlex(TM) PLUS Intracardiac Echocardiography (ICE) Catheter is one of many St. Jude Medical products featured this week at the Boston Atrial Fibrillation Symposium, which begins today and will be ongoing through Jan. 17 in Boston.

The ViewMate system uses ultrasound technology to produce high-resolution intracardiac (inside the heart) images. The system transmits high-frequency sound waves through a transducer on the tip of the catheter - the transducer converts electric energy into sound energy, the sound waves then reflect off structures inside the heart and the transducer converts them back into electric energy to produce the anatomical images.

source: St. Jude Medical

Monday, January 19, 2009

North Dakota Bill Would Require Providers To Offer Ultrasounds 24 Hours Before Performing Abortions

North Dakota Rep. Bette Grande (R) has introduced legislation (H.B. 1371) that would require abortion providers in the state to give women seeking abortions the option of viewing an ultrasound at least 24 hours before an abortion is performed, the AP/Grand Forks Herald reports. According to Grande, the bill may lead to fewer abortions. The bill would not require women to view the ultrasound images. Grande said she hopes that women will decide not to have abortions after they "see what they have inside their womb[s]." According to Mary Spaulding Balch, a spokesperson for the National Right to Life Committee, 18 states have similar laws in place, most of which were passed within the last two years. Grande added that for a woman coming to a clinic "with a possibility of an abortion, [an ultrasound] is just one more tool that person has [at her] disposal to find out exactly what the procedure will entail."

source: Medical News Today

Friday, January 16, 2009

Ultrasound Following Ureteroscopy Justified

Rosemary Frei, MSc

SHANGHAI—New findings may support the routine use of renal ultrasound examinations following ureteroscopy.

David S. Wang, MD, associate professor of urology at Boston University Medical Center, and his colleagues reviewed data on 289 patients who underwent ureteroscopy and had a follow-up renal ultrasound examination an average of 54 days postoperatively. Of these, 14 (4.8%) had asymptomatic ureteral obstruction and three of them required additional procedures to clear the obstruction.

The investigators believe routine renal ultrasound should be required after every ureteroscopy to prevent renal function deterioration in cases of undetected hydronephrosis.

source: Renal and Urology News

Monday, January 12, 2009

SonoSite Introduces S-Women’s Health™ Ultrasound Tool, Bringing Customization to Women’s Health

BOTHELL, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SonoSite, Inc. (NASDAQ:SONO), the world leader and specialist in hand-carried ultrasound for the point-of-care, introduced today the S-Women’s Health ultrasound tool. The newest product in SonoSite’s S Series™ product line is an innovative, custom-designed solution to enable women’s health clinicians to provide comprehensive care in the patient exam room. It joins the M-OB/Gyn Office™ and the S-Gyn™ ultrasound tools as part of SonoSite’s innovative suite of products for women’s health.

“The S-Women’s Health is great to have in the exam room because if a patient comes in with a lump, I am able to quickly and easily determine if it is something like fibrocystic thickening, or if it requires additional evaluations,” said Deanna J. Attai, MD, FACS, Center for Breast Care in Burbank, California. “When you consider the quality and affordability of the system and the fact that you can pick it up and take it to the operating room, you just can’t get a better tool for your practice than the S-Women’s Health system.”

The S-Women’s Health ultrasound tool is designed with women’s health clinicians in mind. It is sophisticated, yet simple and easy to use. Buttons, dials and menus have been eliminated from the interface, with the exception of two controls- Depth and Gain- for acquiring the optimum image quality. SonoSite’s proprietary advanced technologies, SonoHD™ and SonoMB™, are incorporated, providing crystal-clear imaging and enabling the physician to visualize minute details. With the capacity to zero-in on a targeted area, SonoSite’s advanced SonoAdapt™ technology enables the clinician to confidently locate masses, target lesions, guide biopsies, and initiate a course of treatment.

source: SonoSite

Monday, January 5, 2009

Micro-Bubble Echo Contrast Procedures Continue to Rebound in October 2008

Both Definity(R) and OptisonTM Usage Increased During the Same Study Period, According To New Data from Arlington Medical Resources

MALVERN, Pa., Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Arlington Medical Resources (AMR), a provider of premier market intelligence for the pharmaceutical and diagnostic imaging industries, finds that the number of micro-bubble echo contrast procedures performed in October 2008 have increased by more than 50 percent, to nearly 18,000 procedures, when compared to May 2008. Micro-bubble echo contrast procedures began declining sharply in October 2007, from nearly 55,000 procedures in September 2007, as a result of a black box warning issued by the FDA in October 2007.

A revised black box warning issued in May 2008 has contributed to this rebound as well as physicians and sonographers reestablishing protocols for contrast usage in their institutions. A micro-bubble echo contrast agent is administered intravenously and used for contrast enhancement during echocardiographic procedures.

source: PR Newswire