Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Ultrasound-Guided Cortisone Injections May Help Treat Severe Hip Pain

ScienceDaily (Dec. 23, 2009) — Ultrasound-guided cortisone injections may be an effective treatment method for gluteus medius tendinopathy, a common, painful condition caused by an injury to the tendons in the buttocks that typically affects middle-aged to elderly women and young active individuals, according to a study published in the January issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

Gluteus medius tendinopathy can cause severe hip pain. "The underlying causes remain unclear but probably are multi-factorial and involve mechanical and degenerative processes," said Etienne Cardinal, MD, lead author of the study. Medical treatment usually includes physiotherapy, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication, and local injections of corticosteroids.

The study, performed at the University of Montreal's Hospital Center, included 54 patients with gluteus medius tendinopathy.

source: Science Daily release

Monday, December 7, 2009

SonoSite Completes Launch of the NanoMaxx Ultrasound System in Europe

BOTHELL, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SonoSite Inc., the world leader and specialist in hand-carried ultrasound for the point-of-care, announced today that the company has completed the launch of the 6 pound NanoMaxx™ ultrasound tool in Europe. The latest system to join SonoSite’s suite of specialized products for point-of-care visualization, the NanoMaxx system made its debut during fall exhibitions, road shows and key events hosted in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK and a number of other countries.

SonoSite hosted various events to introduce the NanoMaxx system. At these gatherings, physicians from multiple medical specialties participated in a day of clinical education and hands on scanning led by key opinion leaders in the industry.

“This was a great opportunity for physicians to learn more about the NanoMaxx system and to be educated on the latest ultrasound practices, especially with risk management and patient safety practices becoming more stringent in the hospital setting,” said Mike Fernandez, SonoSite, General Manager, Europe and Latin America. “With the ability to expedite workflow, guide interventional procedures and provide visualization and diagnostics at any point-of-care location, the NanoMaxx system is truly a powerful tool that will raise the standard of healthcare practices around the globe.”

source: Business Wire

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Special Ultrasound Accurately Identifies Skin Cancer

CHICAGO — High-frequency ultrasound with elastography can help differentiate between cancerous and benign skin conditions, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

"High-frequency ultrasound with elastography has the potential to improve the efficiency of skin cancer diagnosis," said lead author Eliot L. Siegel, M.D., vice chairman of the Department of Radiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSM) in Baltimore. "It successfully delineated the extent of lesions and was able to provide measurable differentiation among a variety of benign and malignant lesions."

There are more than one million cases of skin cancer diagnosed in the U.S. every year, according to the American Cancer Society. Melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, will account for about 68,720 cases of skin cancer and 11,590 deaths in 2009, despite the fact that with early detection it is highly curable.

Suspicious skin lesions are typically diagnosed by dermatologists and biopsied based on their surface appearance and characteristics. Unfortunately, even to experienced dermatologists, benign and malignant lesions often appear similar visually and on physical examination, and some malignant lesions may have a benign appearance, especially in their early stages. It is not uncommon for patients to have one or more lesions that appear concerning.

"Dermatologists tend to biopsy any lesions that seem visually suspicious for disease," said coauthor Bahar Dasgeb, M.D., from the Department of Dermatology at Wayne State University in Detroit and Pinkus Dermatopathology Lab in Monroe, Michigan. "Consequently, many benign lesions are needlessly biopsied in order to avoid the risk of missing a potentially deadly melanoma."

source: RSNA News Release

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Toshiba Showcases Aquilion ONE's Pediatric Imaging Capabilities

With smaller vessels, lower bone density and less body fat, pediatric patients have different imaging needs than adults. Pediatric patients frequently have difficulty holding their breath or staying still during a scan, creating the need for CT technology tailored for their needs.

Understanding the importance of technology designed for the pediatric market, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc.'s Aquilion® ONE 320-detector row CT system is ideal for pediatric imaging. Its ability to capture up to 16 cm in a single rotation reduces the amount of radiation a patient receives and lessens the need for sedation. Toshiba will feature the Aquilion ONE at this year's Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting, held in Chicago, Nov. 29 - Dec. 4 (Booth #5629, South Hall).

Arkansas Children's Hospital was the first pediatric hospital to install the Aquilion ONE. "Any type of exam can be frightening for children, so the Aquilion ONE's ability to reduce radiation and sedation is a tremendous benefit to our patients," said Cindy Holland, vice president, Ancillary Services, Arkansas Children's Hospital. "The Aquilion ONE has been beneficial in multiple settings at our facility, including cardiology, orthopedics and neurology."

source: Toshiba Medical Systems

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

GE Healthcare Announces LOGIQ E9 Ultrasound System Expanded Application

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – November 29, 2009 – GE Healthcare, a $17 billion unit of General Electric Company (NYSE:GE), announced new breakthrough technologies at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting in Chicago, Ill.

The LOGIQ® E9 general imaging ultrasound system Breakthrough 2010 expands its capabilities with new transducers and software enhancements to provide improved image quality and productivity to pediatric, vascular and cardiac imaging.

“The Breakthrough 2010 enhancements extend LOGIQ E9’s extraordinary imaging, expert tools and easy workflow to more clinical specialties. Innovative Agile Acoustic Architecture, E-Series transducers, expert tools like fusion and a new cardiac suite of tools - combine to create amazing capabilities that are truly expanding the boundaries of ultrasound,” said Brian McEathron, GE Healthcare General Manager, General Imaging Ultrasound.

Seven new transducers are being introduced in this Breakthrough 2010 covering cardiac, vascular and pediatric applications. Vascular enhancements in this release include Auto IMT (intima media thickness) and Cardiac tools include Q-Analysis, Tissue Velocity Imaging, CW, ECG, Color M-Mode and more.

source: GE Healthcare