Saturday, February 21, 2009

ZONARE Expands Product Portfolio Offering by Announcing New z.one ultra sp Ultrasound System

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – February 19, 2009 – ZONARE Medical Systems, Inc. announced the introduction of its new z.one ultra sp ultrasound system for point-of-care markets such as emergency medicine, interventional radiology, venous ablation, anesthesiology and ob/gyn. During this time of economic downturn, ZONARE is expanding its product portfolio by offering a new, premium performance system at a more attractive price point that addresses a broad range of clinical specialties.

The z.one ultra sp system builds upon the precedent set by the company’s z.one ultra system, offering superb image quality. Based on the company’s proprietary Zone Sonography™ technology, the new system offers a simple and intuitive user interface for a wider base of physicians. Clinicians can easily convert the z.one ultra sp system from a full-featured, cart-based system into a premium compact system without sacrificing image quality or performance.

cource: Zonare

Thursday, February 19, 2009

SCAN: Delivering Bone Disorder Diagnosis, Fracture Healing

HOUSTON –– The fight against bone disorders that affect millions of Americans will soon receive a boost from an ultrasound device being developed by space biomedical researchers. The technology under development will allow early prediction of bone disorders such as osteoporosis and guided acceleration of fracture healing.

National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) scientists are developing the technology to assist astronauts during long-duration spaceflights. Like the elderly on Earth, astronauts in space lose bone structure and quality.

Dr. Yi-Xian Qin, associate team leader for NSBRI’s Smart Medical Systems and Technology Team, calls the new technology Scanning Confocal Acoustic Navigation (SCAN). He said the objective is to develop a small, mobile device that is easy to use and patient friendly.

“SCAN uses non-invasive and non-destructive ultrasound to image bone. It will allow us to identify weak regions, to make a diagnosis and to assist in healing fractures,” said Qin, who is also the director of the Orthopaedic Bioengineering Research Laboratory at Stony Brook University - State University of New York.

source: NSBRI

Monday, February 16, 2009

Study Brings Value of Echocardiography Into Focus

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 11 (HealthDay News) -- The advanced imaging technique called contrast echocardiography had a significant impact on the diagnosis and treatment of people hospitalized with heart disease, a new study found.

Echocardiography bounces sound waves into the body to get a detailed image of the moving heart. If that image isn't clear enough, it can be improved by injecting a substance, called a contrast agent, that reflects the sound waves better.

"After contrast echocardiography, the percentage of uninterpretable studies decreased from 11.7 percent to 0.3 percent, and technically difficult studies decreased from 86.7 percent to 9.8 percent," said a report published online Feb. 11 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

"The importance of the study is that it is really the first time that we measured the impact of contrast echocardiography on assessment of ventricular function," said study leader Dr. William A. Zoghbi, professor of medicine and director of the Cardiovascular Imaging Center at the Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center in Houston. "It measured the impact of it in clinical practice -- how does contrast echocardiography influence clinical management," Zoghbi said.

source: Yahoo News

Monday, February 9, 2009

Ultrasound Market Presents Opportunities for Growth Despite Recession

Despite the current economic downturn, the third edition of InMedica’s report on the global ultrasound market predicts that worldwide revenues will continue to experience robust growth and exceed $6 billion by 2012. The flexibility, ease of use and relatively low cost of ultrasound equipment has ensured continued growth in the market despite the current economic conditions. Moreover, the trend to miniaturization and the quick adoption of hand-carried ultrasound equipment is fueling growth.

“There is an increasing confidence in hand-carried systems globally. Previously the adoption of these systems was much quicker in North America and Western Europe but other regions of the world such as Eastern Europe, Latin America and parts of the Asia Pacific, are beginning to show significant interest in this equipment. The demand is coming from traditional applications, such as OB / GYN, and increasingly from point-of-care applications” reported Diane Wilkinson, Market Research Analyst at InMedica.

source: InMedica

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Advanced Knowledge-based Applications for High-Risk Obstetrics

San Diego, Calif., January 29, 2008 – Siemens Healthcare (www.siemens.com/healthcare) highlights its latest ultrasound solutions for obstetrics at the 29th Annual Meeting of the Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) in San Diego, January 29-30, featuring innovative knowledge-based workflow and 4D applications that increase diagnostic confidence and improve clinical workflow.

syngo® AutoOB measurements, available exclusively on Siemens’ premium performance ACUSON S2000™ ultrasound system, are an advanced clinical tool that automates routine biometry measurements of the fetus.

“Up until now, users needed to perform biometry measurements manually,” said Klaus Hambuechen, chief executive officer, Ultrasound, Siemens Healthcare. “syngo AutoOB measurements eliminate this time-consuming manual process by saving up to 75 percent of the keystrokes in routine fetal measurements. This may also help to reduce repetitive stress injury (RSI).”

source: Siemens Medical