Medical Imaging News

August 30, 2006

Tool Proven to Help Visualize Entire Colon

A proprietary tool makes it possible to efficiently examine practically the entire colon surface, according to a recent study published in Gastroenterology by Perry Pickhardt, MD, and his colleagues at the University of Wisconsin, who screen an average of 40 asymptomatic patients each week with CT colonography (CTC).

Available as part of the Viatronix V3D-Colon created by Stony Brook, NY-based manufacturer of 2D/3D clinical solutions Viatronix Inc, the study indicates that the system's "missed region" tool provides complete lumen coverage.

The study looked at 223 asymptomatic adults undergoing primary CTC screening and was intended to study the important issue of colon lumen coverage, said Pickhardt, an associate professor of radiology.

Even after flying in both directions—antegrade and retrograde—with traditional techniques, the researchers found a portion of colon lumen that was missed simply because of the shape of the colon.

"The Viatronix V3D-Colon system provides several other tools that are seamlessly embedded within the software and provide for efficient workflow and lead to better outcomes," Pickhardt said, noting that the same technology was used extensively as part of the clinical trial conducted by the Department of Defense and published in the December 2003 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

Other tools incorporated into the Viatronix system include automatic postprocessing, electronic cleansing, automatic centerline, and translucent rendering.

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