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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

American Institute Of Ultrasound In Medicine To Host 2009 Annual Convention In New York

Registration is open for the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) 2009 Annual Convention and Preconvention Program to be held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City, New York, Thursday through Sunday, April 2-5, 2009.

Initial registration numbers indicate that 2009 will prove to be better attended than the 2007 meeting at this same location, regarded as the AIUM's most successful convention in history. During the 4-day meeting, attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the latest research in medical ultrasound, connect with colleagues from around the world, enhance their professional skills, and view the newest advancements in ultrasound technology while earning up to 33.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (accepted by the ARDMS) or ARRT Category A Credits.

source: Medical News Today

Study Finds Survival Benefit Among Hospitalized Patients Undergoing Definity®- Enhanced Echocardiography

Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc. a worldwide leader in diagnostic imaging, announced recently new data from a retrospective, multicenter, cohort study of over four million hospitalized patients that shows similar unadjusted mortality rates for patients receiving DEFINITY® Vial For (Perflutren Lipid Microsphere) Injectable Suspension enhanced resting echocardiography exams when compared with patients who did not receive DEFINITY®. Although the patients that received DEFINITY® were sicker on average and had a higher baseline mortality risk prior to the exam, following DEFINITY® administration these same patients exhibited a 24% reduced risk of mortality over 24 hours compared to the those patients who received only echocardiography without the ultrasound contrast agent. These study findings were published in the December 2008 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.

"As the largest retrospective, observational study to date to examine the short-term safety profile of perflutren-containing ultrasound contrast agents, the data highlight the relatively low incidence of adverse safety reactions associated with DEFINITY® and demonstrate a significantly lower risk of acute mortality for patients receiving DEFINITY®-enhanced echocardiograms," said Mark Hibberd, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Medical Director, Global Medical Affairs, Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc. and co-author on the study.

source: Lantheus

Groundbreaking, Inexpensive, Pocket-sized Ultrasound Device Can Help Treat Cancer, Relieve Arthritis

Newswise — A prototype of a therapeutic ultrasound device, developed by a Cornell graduate student, fits in the palm of a hand, is battery-powered and packs enough punch to stabilize a gunshot wound or deliver drugs to brain cancer patients. It is wired to a ceramic probe, called a transducer, and it creates sound waves so strong they instantly cause water to bubble, spray and turn into steam.

Tinkering in his Olin Hall lab, George K. Lewis, a third-year Ph.D. student in biomedical engineering and a National Science Foundation fellow, creates ultrasound devices that are smaller, more powerful and many times less expensive than today's models. Devices today can weigh 30 pounds and cost $20,000; his is pocket-sized and built with $100. He envisions a world where therapeutic ultrasound machines are found in every hospital and medical research lab.

"New research and applications are going to spin out, now that these systems will be so cheap, affordable and portable in nature," Lewis said.
The development of one of his portable devices is detailed in the journal Review of Scientific Instruments (79-114302), published online Nov. 11

source: newswise

Acusphere Announces Results of FDA Advisory Committee Meeting

Acusphere, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACUS) today announced that the Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advised that the diagnostic benefit of contrast enhancement using Acusphere's ImagifyTM (Perflubutane Polymer Microspheres) for Injectable Suspension is not sufficient to justify the risks associated with the product. The vote was sixteen against, one in favor and one abstention. The Committee also discussed concerns that they would like addressed to support approval of the product for the detection of coronary artery disease.

"We appreciate the support Imagify has received from a wide variety of cardiologists, who are eager for FDA to enable them to use the drug in their practices to improve accessibility, reduce costs and avoid exposure to radiation," said Sherri C. Oberg, President and CEO, Acusphere. "We continue to believe in Imagify for its intended purpose and will work with FDA through the completion of the review process to determine what additional information might be required for approval."

The Advisory Committee's recommendations, while not binding, will be considered by the FDA in its review of the New Drug Application (NDA) of Imagify. The expected FDA target action date for Imagify under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) is February 28, 2009.

source: Acusphere

ICON Medical Imaging Launches New Cardiac Echocardiography Analysis Software

DUBLIN, December 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ICON plc (NASDAQ: ICLR)(ISIN:IE0005711209), a global provider of outsourced development services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries, today announced that its Medical Imaging division has launched a new cardiac echocardiography analysis software solution. The software, MIRA-ECHO, enables cardiac echocardiography (ECHO) images to be viewed, measured and interpreted in clinical trials and is the latest addition to ICON Medical Imaging's proprietary MIRA(TM) (Medical Imaging Review and Analysis) platform.

Dr. Jonathan Goldman MD, Chief Medical Officer at ICON Medical Imaging, and a recognised expert in echocardiography commented: "MIRA-ECHO satisfies an important unmet need in clinical trials that involve ECHO. For the first time we have a solution that allows us to adjust and fine-tune traced cardiac measurements stored in the eCRF against a moving source image, whilst maintaining regulatory compliance and an audit trail. Combining MIRA-ECHO to the existing MIRA-QCA module for quantitative coronary angiography allows us to offer clients unparalleled capabilities for cardiovascular assessments."

source: PR Newswire

Ultrasound screening helps prevent stroke in children with sickle cell disease

Screening with an ultrasound machine has proved highly successful in preventing stroke among children with sickle cell disease, by identifying children who are then preventively treated with blood transfusions. Over an eight-year period at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, researchers found that the technique, transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD), along with regular transfusions for children found to be at high risk, reduced stroke to one-tenth of the incidence found before TCD was introduced.

"We studied the impact of using TCD starting in 1998, when the technique became routine at our hospital and many other centers," said Janet L. Kwiatkowski, M.D., a pediatric hematologist at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Kwiatkowski presented her group's results today at a press conference during the 50th annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology.

Childhood stroke has long been known to be a devastating complication of sickle cell disease, an inherited condition in which abnormal hemoglobin deforms red blood cells into sickle-shaped bodies that do not pass smoothly through blood vessels.

TCD is a noninvasive tool that uses ultrasound waves to measure the speed of blood flow in large vessels in the brain. An abnormally high speed is a marker of a narrowed vessel, and a sign of high risk for stroke.

source: EurekAlert

Ultrasound Transducer Disinfection in many Cases insufficient - New ‘Trophon EPR’ Device offers unique Solution

(openPR) - Hamburg, December 5, 2008: Current methods of ultrasound transducer disinfection are in many cases not sufficient for clinical practice. This is the latest alarming result issued by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the leading US public health agency, in its recently published Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities (1). The guideline is the CDC’s response to the rapidly evolving epidemiology of hospital-acquired infections such as Clostridium difficile (2) or MRSA (3).

In light of this global threat, and with regard to the millions of ultrasound examinations conducted each day, Nanosonics’ newest product innovation represents a long-needed milestone in the development of medical devices: due to its unique technology, the Trophon EPR completely satisfies all requirements of the new CDC guideline.

source: openPR.com

Toshiba Showcases New Women's Ultrasound Imaging Techniques and Transducer at RSNA

CHICAGO, Nov 30, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- To help improve diagnostic confidence in breast imaging and women's health, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. has developed a new and exclusive ultrasound technique - MicroPure(TM), which helps physicians detect breast lesions and micro-calcifications more clearly. In addition, Toshiba will also be showcasing its new 18 MHz high resolution Dynamic Micro Slice transducer for breast imaging, its quantitative sonoelastography suite, ElastoQ (works-in-progress), and Spatio-Temporal Image Correlation (STIC). Toshiba will showcase these advances at this year's Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting in Chicago, Nov. 30 - Dec. 5, 2008 (Booth #3429, South Hall).

"Increasing the ability to use ultrasound to image the breast is a significant development," said Gordon Parhar, director, Ultrasound Business Unit, Toshiba. "We believe these advances will benefit many women across the country."

source: MarketWatch