TruePoint SPECT/CT from Siemens (above) and the Precedence SPECT/CT from Philips (below) are hybrid systems that combine the functional sensitivity of SPECT with the rich anatomic detail of multislice CT for diagnostic confidence.

SPECT/CT imaging has the potential to drastically change the way diseases are diagnosed and treated. The types of images produced using the SPECT/CT can assist with identifying tumors, analyzing appropriate treatment, delivering targeted therapy to precisely destroy target cells, and assessing treatment effectiveness. This advancement in imaging will provide an alternative to chemotherapy and radiation.

“Nuclear medicine is a unique imaging modality in that it is used for diagnosis, dosimetry, and therapeutic delivery of effective radiopharmaceuticals. The addition of diagnostic CT will improve all aspects of SPECT imaging, and minimize the ‘scientific guesstimates’ we’ve relied upon previously,” said Homer Macapinlac, MD, deputy chairman of the department of nuclear medicine at the MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston). “In fact, nuclear medicine has been nicknamed ‘unclear medicine’ in the past. Having the ability to fuse and register SPECT images with the anatomical images of diagnostic CT scans will make it the clear medicine for the future.”

Philips’ Precedence SPECT/CT system is a hybrid SPECT with multislice diagnostic CT system that combines SPECT and CT images into a single data set to characterize pathology. The system provides new opportunities to manage some of the world’s most challenging medical conditions, particularly in oncology and cardiology.

“This hybrid technology offers some unique benefits for all parties: better, quicker exams for patients; higher levels of confidence for physicians; and a competitive advantage, long-term investment, and reduced costs for hospitals and research facilities,” said Ian Farmer, VP of SPECT and PET for Philips.

Siemens’ TruePoint SPECT/CT also combines the functional sensitivity of SPECT with the anatomical detail of diagnostic multislice CT, providing clinicians with improved imaging clarity and diagnostic confidence.

TruePoint SPECT/CT integrates Siemens’ e.cam SPECT imaging technology with the company’s CT technology. The system maximizes molecular information in combination with precise anatomical detail. The technology enables users to pinpoint the exact location, size, nature, and extent of diseases anywhere in the body. With a single scan, the TruePoint SPECT/CT quickly captures comprehensive, accurate diagnostic information both on the molecular and anatomic levels, and enables physicians to detect changes in molecular activity even before structural changes become visible.

In cardiac applications, TruePoint SPECT/CT will provide information about cardiac functions and overall health. With earlier and more accurate diagnosis, physicians will be able to plan treatment more effectively and provide feedback on treatment efficacy—not to mention avoid unnecessary invasive surgery and reduce the risks of necessary surgery.

“The introduction of new technology, like TruePoint SPECT/CT, offers the opportunity to reexamine how the diagnostic process works—the order in which studies are performed and the order in which the whole care pathway is constructed,” Macapinlac said. “It could be that a hybrid imaging device that’s capable of high-quality scans in both modalities—SPECT and CT—will offer all the diagnostic and therapeutic advantages you might expect, as well as getting closer to one-stop shopping for the patient, who only has to make one appointment and undergo a seamless procedure.”

Philips’ Precedence and Siemens’ TruePoint SPECT/CT systems both have been FDA cleared. Installations are planned for later this year.

Brendan Gaughan, with his mother (Paula Gaughan, left) and sister (Katie Gaughan), is promoting breast cancer awareness from the heart, as his grandmother (right), Margot Crowe, is a survivor.

“Women’s interest in NASCAR has increased dramatically over the past several years,” said Pamela Benkert, general manager of the mammography and oncology business segment and VP of Kodak’s Health Imaging Group. “The amount of women watching these races represents a great way for us to help raise awareness about the importance of annual mammograms.

Recent NASCAR data shows that more than 30 million women across the United States are NASCAR fans. Of these women, an estimated 25% will attend a NASCAR event within the next 2 years, and nearly 50% expressed strong interest in attending a race.

“In addition to the women actually present at the races, millions more women racing fans watch NASCAR on television,” Benkert added. “Therefore, they will be exposed to important messages on breast health.”

NASCAR and Kodak: Driving breast cancer awareness.

Driver Gaughan, who won six races in the 2003 series, said, “Early detection, diagnosis, and treatment for breast cancer are important to me on a very personal level. My grandmother is a breast cancer survivor, thanks to early detection and medical follow-up. If women NASCAR fans watching the race at Watkins Glen or on television notice the special design on our car and stop to think—even for just a minute—about the importance of an annual exam, then we have made a positive contribution in the fight against breast cancer.”

Throughout the course of his career, Blumberg published more than 300 articles and papers on the service industry and lectured extensively in the United States, Canada, Europe, and the Far East on topics related to service. He earned the Certified Management Consultant accreditation from the Institute of Management Consultants (Washington); Blumberg won the Patton Service Publication Award for best book and best article as well as the Dr S.B. Ross Award for distinguished achievement in the service industry.

As one of the lowest priced ultrasound units on the market, the Mobilsonic VUE100 mobile, handheld ultrasound scanner from Bierley Ultrasound allows users to reduce operational costs.

Barco’s (Kortrijk, Belgium) CRT-based 5-megapixel MGD 521M display mammography system has received FDA 510(k) clearance. This approval comes just weeks after the introduction of the industry’s first LCD display system for digital mammography, which also has been filed for FDA clearance. The MGD 521M medical-grade grayscale display has been used in life-critical decision-making environments for several years. The system’s contrast ratio of 2000:1 allows users to detect subtle details in digital mammograms. The MGD 521M also incorporates a luminance uniformity correction function, which ensures that the displayed medical image has the same brightness level across the entire display surface, even in the corners.

The FDA also has cleared the Mobilsonic VUE100 mobile, handheld ultrasound scanner from Bierley Ultrasound (San Jose, Calif). Weighing less than 3 lbs, the VUE100 has the ability to perform the key functions of standard ultrasound machines while providing complete mobility with its compact, lightweight, and durable format.

The Barco CRT-based 5-megapixel MGD 521M display is equipped with a digital focus and astigmatism correction, offering visual sharpness combined with precise geometry across the screen.

Toshiba America Medical Systems (TAMS of Tustin, Calif) has obtained FDA marketing clearance for its cardiac flat-panel detector C-panel FPD on the Infinix-I series vascular imaging systems. The system delivers high-resolution imaging for cardiovascular intervention and diagnostic exams while providing greater flexibility for dose reduction. The C-panel FPD is a field-upgradable component for TAMS’ Infinix CC-i System.

Finally, US Electronics Inc (USEI of Minneapolis) has received 510(k) clearance to market the ME511L for use with PACS in the United States. This 5-megapixel, monochrome LCD flat-panel display is manufactured by Totoku Electric Co Ltd (Tokyo). Its 21.3-inch screen is optimal for multiple modalities, and the ME511L offers viewing angles of 170° in all directions. With a 600:1 contrast ratio and a dual-digital video input, the system can be used in both portrait and landscape. Also, congratulations are in order for USEI, which was named Totoku’s Distributor of the Year, based on worldwide unit sales in 2003.

Two main types of postoperative radiation therapy are available for prostate cancer: adjuvant and salvage. Adjuvant is administered after the primary treatment (in this case, surgery) has been completed and the cancer cells appear to have been killed. Salvage is administered if prostate cancer has started to come back and the physician is trying to save the patient by treating the disease with radiation therapy.

Conducted by researchers from the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Medical College of Virginia Hospital (Richmond) and the Department of Radiation and Oncology at the University of Florida School of Medicine (Gainesville), the study examined which type of postoperative radiation therapy was best for men with prostate cancer. Between 1989 and 1997, 69 patients were referred for adjuvant radiation therapy, and 88 patients with evidence of a recurrence were treated with salvage radiation therapy. The men in the salvage group received radiation, on average, 40 months after surgery; patients in the adjuvant group were treated with radiation an average of 3 months after surgery. According to the study, salvage radiation therapy was significantly less effective when the patient’s prostate specific antigen (PSA) level rose over 1.

“The PSA level was the key factor in this study,” said Michael Hagan, MD, PhD, the lead author of the study. “Today, practitioners follow prostatectomy patients very closely. As a result, salvage radiation therapy is usually initiated quite early. The results from the study were excellent when radiation treatment was initiated while the serum PSA level was less than 1 ng/ml.”

Hagan added, “The study shows that the policy for salvage radiation therapy is likely to be as effective as adjuvant radiation therapy only when the institution or practitioner monitors the patient’s PSA level very closely after prostatectomy.”

This CCD from e2v Technology (above) is out in space, collecting the first glimpses of comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko aboard Rosetta (left). Comet photos courtesy of the European Space Agency.

It’s been 7 months since the mission vehicle, Rosetta, launched from its French Guiana spaceport, and the CCD image sensors from e2v technologies have recently captured and sent home their first scientific images.

Incorporated into the mission’s optical, spectroscopic and infrared remote imaging system (OSIRIS) science camera, e2v’s CCDs have provided exciting high-resolution pictures of comet Linear.

Rosetta is a decade-long, comet-chasing mission with a final target destination of comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko. During its early commissioning stage, the opportunity arose to observe and image another comet en route—comet C/2002 T7 (Linear)—from a distance of 95 million km. The images provided by the e2v CCDs in OSIRIS reveal details that clearly identify the comet’s nucleus and a section of its characteristic tail.

According to e2v, the images obtained from the CCDs’ observation pave the way for future scientific activities that Rosetta will undertake on its 10-year journey.

“Rosetta is the first of its kind,” said Ralph Holtom, PhD, e2v business sector manager. “Never before has a space mission been launched to orbit and landed on a comet. We are all extremely proud to be involved in such a challenging project.”

Not only did e2v design and supply custom CCDs for the science camera, the company also provided star trackers that were essential to the spacecraft’s navigation system. Once Rosetta reaches its chosen target, it will travel with comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko for 12 months to study and record changes to its nucleus en route to the Sun, further relying on CCDs from e2v to capture the images.

“We look forward to the future growth opportunities for our employees and customers by joining the Intertek Group,” said Entela President Kim Phillipi, who will continue to manage the business.

The new company, Intertek ETL Entela, will offer customers an expanded scope on services within traditional service lines of testing and engineering, product certification, and automotive certifications.

The two-report series, “2004 IT strategy in US Healthcare Providers” and “2004 IT Infrastructure Trends in US Healthcare Providers,” reveals that 66% of healthcare providers expect to grow their IT budgets by more than 10% between 2004 and 2006.

Currently, IT investments are focused on leveraging existing IT assets to maximize return on investment and reduce supply-chain costs. Datamonitor’s survey has established that high US mid-tier healthcare institutions (500–999 beds) are the most advanced and aggressive in terms of new technology investment. Remote access for clinicians, in- and outpatient systems integration, and PACS are key issues specific to high mid-tier providers. Other top priorities include computerized physician order entry and electronic medical records. Low mid-tier providers are focusing IT efforts on integrating clinical information into a single, enterprise-wide information repository.

Other key findings from Datamonitor’s report series reveal:

• 62% of respondents cited wireless enabling of the clinical trial documentation process as a top-of-mind priority.

• 44% of providers have implemented some form of storage solution already.

• More than 60% of respondents have no plans to outsource in healthcare; however, two thirds of those who would are undecided as to which technology areas to outsource.

Agfa also was selected by the group purchasing division of Premier Inc (San Diego) for its PACS solution. The 3-year, multi-source contract—which encompasses Agfa’s entire line of IMPAX hardware, software, professional services, and maintenance—will be available to Premier’s almost 1,500 member hospitals and affiliated imaging center alternate sites.

AmeriNet AmeriNet Inc (St Louis) has signed a 5-year, sole source agreement with the Ohio Valley Hospital Consortium (OVHC of Evansville, Ind) that will activate efficiencies in the areas of contracting, surgery, radiology, environmental sciences, nutrition, and pharmacy. The OVHC will link four independent regional healthcare facilities with AmeriNet and suppliers to provide custom contracting options.

AMICAS AMICAS Inc (Ridgefield, Conn) signed 12 new contracts for implementation of its enterprise PACS during the first quarter of 2004. The results represent records in both total value of new contracts and total number of PACS contracts in a single operating quarter for AMICAS. The contracts include five hospitals and hospital groups, one large multi-specialty physician group, two high-volume radiology groups, and four imaging center groups that have contracted to utilize both AMICAS’ Vision Series PACS and VitalWorks’ (Waltham, Mass) RadConnect RIS.

Confirma Confirma Inc (Kirkland, Wash) announced that its CADstream product has been chosen by the Center for Diagnostic Imaging (CDI of Minneapolis) as the center’s exclusive CAD solution for breast MRI. CDI has 28 centers located throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, Missouri, Washington, and Florida. The agreement between Confirma and CDI includes an immediate sale and installation of four CADstream systems with the option to buy additional systems as CDI adds more sites throughout the United States.

Dynamic Imaging Dynamic Imaging Inc (Allendale, NJ) has been selected by Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH of Suffolk County, NY) to implement IntegradWeb—a Web-driven PACS that provides fast and efficient image communication and management—throughout the enterprise as well as to authorized users worldwide. IntegradWeb will allow SBUH radiologists, referring physicians, and other authorized users to access the same image archive, databases, and tool sets, regardless of location.

Fujifilm Fujifilm Medical Systems USA Inc (FMSU of Stamford, Conn) has been awarded a 3-year contract for its Synapse PACS by Premier Purchasing Partners LP, the group purchasing division of Premier Inc (San Diego). This contract, which is in addition to both the comprehensive medical film/imager and the cassette-based CR contracts that FMSU currently holds with Premier, enables Premier members to transition from an analog to a DR department through one vendor. The contract includes all software and hardware components as well as related professional services and technical support offerings.

InSiteOne Fischer Imaging Corp (Denver) and InSiteOne Inc (Wallingford, Conn) have announced a sales, marketing, and support agreement that will bring the benefits of a fully integrated storage service provider and data archive management service to Fischer’s digital mammography customers. InSiteOne will provide its InDex product line to Fischer, allowing hospitals and imaging centers to leverage digital imaging technologies while reducing capital costs for storage equipment, maintenance, and IT professionals.

MDS Nordion MDS Nordion (Ottawa) and Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals (Cambridge, Mass) have signed a development and contract manufacturing agreement to produce BMIPP—Molecular Insight’s lead molecular imaging pharmaceutical. BMIPP is currently in a multicenter phase IIb clinical trial in the United States for the detection of cardiac ischemia in the emergency department setting. The cardiac imaging pharmaceutical is labeled with MDS Nordion’s high-purity iodine 123 for imaging quality, and will be manufactured at MDS Nordion’s cyclotron facility in Vancouver, BC, Canada. BMIPP has demonstrated the ability to detect ischemia in chest pain patients at rest as many as 30 hours after the cardiac event occurs.

Philips Philips Medical Systems (Andover, Mass) has entered into a long-term research agreement with the University of Chicago Hospitals. The agreement brings imaging equipment, such as CT scanners, MRI scanners, diagnostic X-ray systems, nuclear medicine equipment, and patient monitoring systems as well as medical information and image processing technology to the hospitals. In exchange, Philips gains access to the hospital’s experience in computer-assisted detection and diagnosis. Additionally, the hospitals will serve as a national reference site for Philips. Installation of the new equipment has already begun and will continue through 2005.

Siemens Siemens Medical Solutions (Malvern, Pa) has signed an agreement with the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn) to implement Siemens’ Sienet PACS. The solution supports the ability to diagnose across various modalities and lab systems.

Siemens also has announced a 15-year strategic alliance with the University of Iowa (Iowa City). As part of the alliance, experts with UI Health Care will have access to the medical imaging technologies from Siemens, including MRI, CT, PET, and oncology treatment solutions. The alliance also includes cooperative research and development activities. Future opportunities could expand the agreement to include healthcare IT solutions, building technologies, and information network and communications services.

Finally, Siemens will continue with its ongoing research and development agreement with Biosense Webster (Diamond Bar, Calif) to create 3-D images of the heart as a diagnostic and interventional tool for electrophysiologists. The goal of combining the technologies of the two companies is to create accurate images that will serve as road maps for procedures used to identify and treat cardiac arrhythmias, thereby improving both treatment planning and outcomes. To create these kinds of images, the research team will combine real-time electroanatomical mapping data from Biosense Webster’s Carto XP EP Navigation and Ablation System with preprocedural anatomical cardiac images provided by Siemens’ MR and CT technologies.

Toshiba Toshiba America Medical Systems Inc (TAMS of Tustin, Calif) has announced its relationship with Zale Lipshy University Hospital, located on the campus of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. The relationship will be a long-term collaboration between the hospital’s staff of neuroradiology professionals and the TAMS product-engineering team to deliver 3-D imaging applications, such as intraspinal navigation and neuroendoscopy for the Infinix-i series vascular X-ray systems. Zale Lipshy University Hospital is one of the official research and development sites for TAMS’ vascular X-ray imaging technology, and provides clinical evaluations and feedback for future technology improvements.

TAMS also will collaborate with cardiologists at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (Baltimore) to develop applications for high-resolution, multislice coronary CT angiography (CTA) imaging. The collaboration between the two has resulted in the further development of coronary CTA imaging applications using TAMS’ Aquilion 16 CFX and Aquilion 32 CFX multislice CT scanners with ViTAL Images’ Vitrea 2 visualization and analysis imaging software. The new applications enable cardiologists to quickly obtain images of the heart and cross-examine the coronary arteries for abnormalities and blockage.

VirtuRad VirtuRad (Phoenix) will supply the Steadman Hawkins Clinic of the Carolinas (Spartanburg, SC) with medical technology that will allow physicians to promptly and accurately diagnose and treat orthopedic injuries and conditions. The new facility will employ the VirtuRad Solution, an electronic medical imaging technology that will optimize efficiency and productivity by using unique capabilities to manage acquisition, retrieval, interpretation, and reporting of diagnostic images.

The American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT of Albuquerque, NM) now offers a self-service Web site for its members that features the new CE Navigator, a menu-driven task bar that gives members access to their continuing education records. Other features of the site include secure online join or renewal of ASRT membership as well as secure ordering of continuing education materials and other products. Future releases of the site will include a community forum that will enable users to find others with similar concerns and likes through threaded discussions as well as a Learning Management System area that will provide interactive distance education in multimedia formats.

www.medica.de

Messe Düsseldorf North America (MDNA of Chicago) has updated its Web site for the upcoming MEDICA 2004, the 36th “World Forum for Medicine” international trade fair to be held November 24–27 in Düsseldorf, Germany. The portal provides current trend and market information from the international medical sector as well as relevant information about the event, including exhibitors and their products, hotel and city information, and more.

www.privacycertification.org

Healthcare business associates seeking information about the new Privacy Certification for Business Associates (PCBA) program, established by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO of Oakbrook Terrace, Ill) and the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA of Washington), can now access the PCBA Web site. The site offers users such features as information about the program, standards, organizations eligible for certification, and evaluation processes. The site also provides news, status lists, FAQs, and other resources, including links to the JCAHO, NCQA, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange, and the Health and Human Services Administration.

Mike Cassling, president and CEO of Cassling Diagnostic Imaging (Omaha, Neb), was appointed to the advisory committee for Health Care Administration at Bellevue University (Bellevue, Neb). The newly formed committee will develop and keep current the administration’s curriculum of various healthcare programs offered at the University. The Bellevue healthcare program currently has an enrollment of more than 400 students.

Philip Lewis

Philip Lewis has joined Eastman Kodak Co’s Health Imaging Group (Rochester, NY) as national sales manager of professional services in the United States and Canada as well as VP of Health Imaging. In his new position, Lewis will be responsible for direct line management of Health Imaging’s Professional Services sales teams to drive growth of the organization’s professional services offerings. Lewis joins Kodak with more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare IT industry.

Todd VanderVen

Todd VanderVen has been named general manager of programs, marketing, and business development as well as VP of Kodak’s Health Imaging Group. He also will serve on the Health Imaging Executive Leadership team. VanderVen joined Kodak in 1982 and has served as director of business development for the company’s Health Imaging Group, director of marketing for Health Imaging operations, and also held marketing planning positions in Kodak’s Office Imaging organization.