In 1998, the radiology department of the Kopernik hospital had to be modernized. The owner of the hospital, the province of Lodz, couldn't afford such an investment and as a public institution the hospital itself couldn't take up a loan. Dr. Tazbir came up with the idea to found a limited liability company in order to be able to raise the money.
Spiral computed tomography first allowed the seamless acquisition of entire volumina without first separating them into individual slices. With the newest generation of MSCT devices having the 16-slice technology, short gantry rotation time of < 0.5 seconds, and a high performance processor, it is now possible to acquire large amounts of data in a short period of time with high spatial and…
Modern imaging modalities are increasingly playing a role in planning therapy for aortic diseases and in follow-up exams after surgery or endovascular intervention. The methods employed for minimally invasive endovascular therapy have been continually improved in recent years and are now being used by vascular surgeons or radiologists to treat thoracic, thoracoabdominal and abdominal aortic…
Modern oncology with its improved options holds out prospects for many novel curative and palliative procedures. By adopting a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care these prospects can become reality, with radiology playing a pivotal role. This role encompasses imaging diagnostics for all tumour entities as well as diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.…
Australia - The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has reported a 26% decrease in the breast cancer mortality rate among women aged 50-69 years between 1990 and 2004.
In the Caucasian population, subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) due to a ruptured intracranial aneurysm is seen with an incidence of 6 to 8 per 100,000. In some specific countries such as Finland and Japan these numbers rise to 20 per 100,000. 60% of patients presenting with an aneurysmal SAH are female. The presenting symptoms are: thunderclap headache in combination with (temporary) loss of…
Toshiba introduces its new 1.5 MR system in Europe VISIONS: After a period of relative silence Toshiba' MRbusiness division is about to introduce a new system. What is the reason for this increased attention? Hans Baartman: In 2003 a new MRI product, the EXCELART Vantage, was introduced in Japan and the USA where it has become very successful. Because the MRI community is very internationally…
For the last six months we have been using the Aplio system in sonography for children and adolescents. The following report describes our experiences with this system using a wide range of probe and special applications.
Echo-enhanced ultrasound is a newly available imaging modality for use in the differential diagnosis of pancreatic tumours. Ductal carcinomas are often hypovascularised compared with the surrounding tissue. On the other hand, neuroendocrine tumours ar hypervascularised lesions. Tumours associated with pancreatitis have a different vascularisation pattern depending upon their inflammation and…
Breast cancer is the most frequently occurring malignant tumour worldwide. Of the more than one million newly diagnosed cases each year, the incidence among women in Germany alone is more than 50,000. That means that every tenth woman is stricken by breast cancer at some point in her life. It numbers among the most frequent causes of death by cancer 1,2,3 , with the average age of onset being…
Besides sophisticated imaging technologies, biomarkers are the key to molecular medicine. Therefore, the development of new and more specific biomarkers is the primary aim of researchers around the world and - since this June - it is also the aim of the new founded European Institute of Molecular Imaging, a cooperation project of the University Münster, Germany and Siemens Medical Solutions.…
Combining a scientific research laboratory with specialised clinic, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, in the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital (NKI-AVL), in Amsterdam, aims for a unique interaction of scientific research and clinical application.
BMI Healthcare is installing Toshiba's Aquilion 64-slice CT scanners in five of its 49 acute care private patient hospitals (The Alexandra Hospital, Cheadle; Bath Clinic, Bath; Blackheath Hospital, London; Meriden Hospital, Coventry; Priory Hospital, Birmingham) as part of a £7.5 million spend on diagnostic imaging technology.
Pediatric cardiovascular disorders are extremely complex in nature and present with a widely variable array of abnormal anatomy. Imaging these disorders presents a unique set of challenges for the cardiovascular team. Complex anatomical variations require detailed volumetric image interpretation with high spatial and temporal resolution. In addition, the patients are invariably young. They may…
A 152-bed private hospital in a small town as the first Austrian hospital to invest in an Aquilion 64 CT scanner for routine operations? That seems unusual - but only at first sight. So let's have a closer look and see what happened in scenic Villach in Carinthia. The investment by the Villach Private Hospital (Privatklinik Villach) - a member of the HUMANOMED Group - in state-of-the-art medical…
It was the perfect tournament. The crowd cheered enthusiastically, the players gave their best, and there was no lack of celebrities. With a 93,000 strong audience, this year's Beach Volleyball A1 Grand Slam Tournament in Klagenfurt, Austria, proved to be a top-level sporting event. Top beach volleyball players such as Clemens Doppler delivered exciting games and ensured maximum audience…
Patients of the Slotervaat Hospital in Amsterdam, Netherlands, now benefit from state-of-the-art Toshiba MRI technology: In May, the hospital commissioned a brand new MRI Vantage System and thus now disposes of premium technology the MRI market currently offers. For Toshiba this new installation is an excellent opportunity to present the companys most recent MRI development on the European market.…
63-year-old male with stable angina. The coronary angiogram showed vessel disease with significant stenosis in the proximal LAD and in the middle of the LCX. PCI with stent performed the day before the CT Angio. The patient was referred to the Aquilion 64 for follow-up.
For decades, non-invasive cardiac assessment has been at the center of interest. Non-invasive imaging modalities, such as MSCT, MRI, SPECT, PET, and echocardiography, provide valuable cardiac information, and all have been used to measure cardiac morphology, function, perfusion, viability of myocardium, and coronary anatomy for clinical management and research. The last decade brought major…
Among invasive cardiac catheterization diagnostic methods selective coronary angiography is the gold standard for directly visualizing the coronary system. It allows a definitive and precise diagnosis of coronary heart disease and thus serves as the rational basis for further revascularization procedures.
In the last 25 years, fetal echocardiography has become established as an integral component of prenatal medicine. Structural heart defects are found in approx. 0.8% of all foetuses. They are consequently comparatively frequent and head the list of isolated fetal organ malformations. Routine screening of the four-chamber view and the outflow tract allows the experienced investigator to detect…
Ultrasound examination of the renal tract is one of the primary imaging methods to verify the presence of urinary obstruction, calculi, neoplasms, and other focal findings. This short article summarises important aspects of sonography for some typical renal abnormalities without claiming to be a comprehensive treatment. Since sonography is frequently nonspecific, clinical laboratory findings are…
In 1981 the company embarked on a path of very rapid growth. Already in the first year of operation 30 million euro were realized mainly with ultrasound equipment. At that time, 150 people were working for the company which was active in several European countries.
The Aquilion LB (Large Bore) sets yet another milestone in the success story of computed tomography, providing a new dimension in diagnostics and treatment.
In Germany, a comprehensive reimbursement system designed around Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) was introduced following the Health Reform Act of 2000. The previous method of payment, wherein the number of treatment days was multiplied by the amount allowed per treatment day, was discarded. The new DRG-based payment system requires the optimization of patient treatment, from admission to…