Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Collaboration To Develop Guidelines For Point-Of-Care Ultrasound Applications Spearheaded By AIUM

LAUREL, MD - The AIUM recently hosted Ultrasound Practice Forum: Point-of-Care Use of Ultrasound on November 8 in Orlando, Florida. This ground-breaking conference brought together a cross section of the ultrasound community, drawing representatives from 46 medical and other health-related societies to explore professional issues related to emerging point-of-care ultrasound technologies.

“The AIUM Forum aimed to facilitate an open dialogue among the entire ultrasound community regarding performance and training issues for point-of-care applications”, said AIUM President Harvey L. Nisenbaum, MD. “With ultrasound playing an expanding role in several settings, the ultrasound community must collaborate to ensure the most effective use of the technology.”

Participants at the Forum were divided into 3 tracks focusing on point-of-care ultrasound in obstetrics and gynecology, ultrasound-guided procedures, and emergency medicine/ critical care. Attendees included obstetricians, gynecologists, emergency physicians, radiologists, sports medicine physicians, osteopathic physicians, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, sonographers, nurses, nurse midwives, physician assistants, physical therapists and others.

source: AIUM

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Accurate diagnosis of prostate cancer with ultrasound

Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer among men, but its diagnosis has up to now been inaccurate and unpleasant. Researchers at TU/e, in cooperation with AMC Amsterdam, have developed an imaging technology, based on ultrasound, that can accurately identify tumors. The technology also has the potential to assess how aggressive tumors are. This can lead to better and more appropriate treatment, and to cost savings in health care.

The new technology uses the injection of microbubbles of a contrast agent with no side-effects. The response of the tiny bubbles to ultrasound is different from that of human tissue or blood. This makes the bubbles traceable from the outside, right into the smallest blood vessels. The pattern of blood vessels in tumors is different from that in healthy tissue. The researchers can recognize this pattern from advanced analysis of the bubble concentrations. And because tumors need blood – and hence new blood vessels – to grow, the researchers expect to be able to see how aggressive the cancer is from the pattern of the blood vessels.

source:Eindhoven University of Technology

Monday, December 6, 2010

BK Medical Wins Prestigious "Good Design Award" for Flex Focus Ultrasound System from Japan Industrial Design Organization (JIDPO)

PEABODY, Mass., Nov 29, 2010 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- BK Medical, a wholly owned subsidiary of Analogic Corporation /quotes/comstock/15*!alog/quotes/nls/alog (ALOG 47.03, -0.05, -0.10%) , announced today that it has been awarded the distinguished 2010 Good Design Award from the Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organization (JIDPO) for its Flex Focus(TM) ultrasound platform. In addition, BK Medical was awarded the iF Product Design Gold Award and the 2010 Red Dot Product Design Award for the Flex Focus system earlier this year. The Flex Focus family of ultrasound systems, including the new Flex Focus 700 and the Flex Focus 400, will be showcased at the 96th annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), Nov. 28 -- Dec. 2, 2010 (Booth #7128).

"We are truly honored to receive this distinguished design award from JIDPO, as it is clearly the prestigious worldwide trademark for outstanding design and quality," said Michael Brock, president of BK Medical. "The patented design of the Flex Focus system is compact with an intuitive user interface. Its large, high-resolution monitor offers clinicians an elegant, premium-performance diagnostic imaging system for medical procedures."

source: BK Medical

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Mindray Announces Significant New Upgrades for M7 and DC-7 Ultrasound Platforms at RSNA

MAHWAH, N.J., Nov. 29, 2010 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- Mindray Medical International Limited (NYSE: MR), a leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of medical devices worldwide, today announced two significant upgrades for its premium M7 ultrasound and high performance DC-7 platforms at the Radiology Society of North America (RSNA) being held in Chicago, November 28 – December 2, 2010. The hand carried M7 unit (HCU), which was recently introduced in North America, will be available with an extensive variety of new transducers.

"The M7 platform has been well received since our first shipment to customers in June earlier this year," said Michael Thompson, Vice President of Ultrasound Sales, Mindray North America. "The M7 system elevates the HCU performance standard to a new level. Due to our highly upgradeable technology architecture, we are already introducing significant new enhancements for the M7 system as well as the DC-7 platform at this year's RSNA."

Other ultrasound systems, such as the M5 will also be highlighted. Two black and white systems, a cart-based and a portable, will be on display as well. All have gained growing popularity in North America as Mindray continues to build its support infrastructure in this key geographical market.

source: PR Newswire