The new EVIS EXERA III
Major developments in endoscope technology were at the top of the agenda when European Hospital editors visited the European headquarters of Olympus in Hamburg, Germany.
Article • cTCA vs. cardiovascular diseases
CT coronary angiography
Cardiovascular diseases, the most common cause of death in the West, includes diseases for which early detection is an important objective in cardiac imaging – particularly for coronary artery stenosis. Diagnosis is often made in the cardiac catheter laboratory. Now, however, CT scanning advances provide a lower impact alternative to that invasive exam. PD Dr Thomas Schlosser, Consultant at the…
MRI brings a new beat to rhythmology
More anatomy details, real-time visualisation of catheter movement, and reduced exposure – MRI has promising potential in rhythmology, explain Professor Matthias Gutberlet and PD Dr Christopher Piorkowski, at the Heart Centre, University Hospital Leipzig, Germany.
Fame 2 rates FFR as a new gold standard
John Brosky reports on a ground-breaking trial and how CT-FFR may change the practice of invasive cardiology and cardiac surgery.
CIED patients can have MRI examinations
A new generation of cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) includes the Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD), Cardiac Resynchronisation Therapy Defibrillator (CRT-Ds) and Cardiac Resynchronisation Therapy Pacemakers (CRT-Ps). Professor W R Bauer at University Hospital Würzburg has been significantly involved in their development, EH Editor Ralf Mateblowski to ask him about…
Nanotechnology
Over the last five years the tiniest particles have attracted large attention in relation to the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Indeed, as in other medical disciplines, nanotechnology is advancing in cardiology despite as yet insufficient research on the extent of its effect and double blind studies to confirm findings
Teamwork works well in Hamburg
One heart – One Team, the motto for this year’s German Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Congress emphasises that cardiac surgeons and cardiologists must now work more in tandem for their mutual patients. This is not just a short-lived three-day slogan, but a daily reality at the University Heart Centre Hamburg, as EH correspondent Holger Zorn reports
Learning from the deceased
The case-based approach holds considerable promise for medical science. In a way, it’s a return to the roots, since this approach was common at the dawn of modern medicine. A case serves as a narrative that can be explored interactively in order to draw a conclusion, determine a course of action, or debate issues in a realistic context. Spanish cardiac imaging consultant Dr Rafael Vidal Perez,…
China to Account for One Fifth of Global Ultrasound Revenue by 2016
Following a period of vast investment in healthcare, the outlook for China’s ultrasound imaging equipment market remains very positive. A new report from InMedica, part of IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS).
New National Screening Program for Men in Scotland
NHSScotland has selected the international IT services company Atos, in partnership with IMAGE Information Systems, to support the roll-out of a new national screening program’s IT system for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (AAA). Currently, there is no existing vascular screening system worldwide.
Carestream’s X-Factor
Carestream Health brought fresh innovations to ECR 2012, among them the DRX-Revolution that shares the same DRX-1/DRX-1C wireless detectors as others in the firm’s DRX family. In our recent European Hospital discussion, Ulf Andersson, Director of marketing and development at Carestream Health in Europe, explained why he considers this mobile X-ray device and the firm’s DRX series to be so…
CT angiography best for low-risk patients
Incorporating coronary CT angiography (CCTA) into the initial evaluation of low-risk patients coming to hospital emergency departments (EDs) with chest pain appears to reduce the time patients spend in the hospital without incurring additional costs or exposing patients to significant risks. The report of a study conducted at nine U.S. hospitals appears in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Girl builds artificial ‘brain’ to detect breast cancer
An artificial “brain” built by a 17-year-old whiz kid from Florida is able to accurately assess tissue samples for signs of breast cancer, providing more confidence to a minimally invasive procedure. The cloud-based neural network took top prize in this year’s Google Science Fair.
Article • The future of radiology
Viewing the lung in 2022
To avoid any misunderstanding, ten years from today CT and MRI will still be the pillars of lung imaging. However, Hans-Ulrich Kauczor, Professor of Radiology and Medical Director of the radiology clinic at Heidelberg University Hospital, is convinced the emphasis will have changed.
Now they can talk to each other
For radiologists and radiology technologists, this development will mean advantages in workflow and documentation of injection parameters.
Don’t be complacent With few experts, we need to raise awareness about TB
With few experts, we need to raise awareness among physicians and undertake research to upgrade our knowledge of this disease
Predicting the future of neuroradiological imaging
As this decade ends we’ll be watching the brain think. Although anticipating very important technical developments, Professor Olav Jansen MD (right), President of the German Society for Neuroradiology (DGNR) and Director of the Institute for Neuroradiology at Schlewwig-Hostein University Hospital in Kiel, Germany, foresees even more important crucial advances in stroke therapy
Future radiology infrastructures
When asked about his vision of imaging in the year 2020, Professor Bernd Hamm MD, director of the three radiology clinics at the Charité University Hospital in Berlin, qualified his focus: ‘Technology is always only a vehicle. When we talk about road traffic, we don’t talk about the design of cars but about structural issues’
Liver Imaging
For his Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen Honorary Lecture at ECR 2011, Professor Richard Baron MD, from the Radiology Department at the University of Chicago, USA, focused on Detecting liver tumours: the search for the Holy Grail. Why does he compare this aim with that of the medieval knights?
Tackling cancer information overload
Cancer specialists everywhere increasingly face new findings from molecular biology. Genetic profiling of tumours opens up entirely new perspectives on the disease. How to cope with and integrate new insights into cancer diagnosis and treatment was among key issues discussed at the 2nd European Forum on Oncology, held in Berlin this May
The impact of imaging on personalised cancer medicine
Enormous technical developments over recent decades, along with greater understanding of tumour biology, have made imaging, pathology and laboratory medicine indispensable tools in personalised cancer treatments.
German breast screening
Germany’s mammography screening programme, introduced in 2005, was rolled out across the country in 2009 for women between the ages of 50 and 69 years. The mammo screening coordination office, which heads up and monitors the country’s 94 screening units, has published for the first time an evaluation report with follow-up examinations after a twoyear period.
Breast MRI The (non-)beloved gold standard
Magnetic resonance imaging is a long-established, highquality and safe examination tool. Why, therefore, do German gynaecologists and radiologists question its value in breast cancer diagnoses? Indeed the question ‘Breast MRI - yes or no?’ has split the medical community. One ardent champion of breast MRI is Professor Christiane Kuhl MD, director of the diagnostic and interventional radiology…
E-Cube 9 convinces with powerful features, outstanding transducer technology and value for money
Following 13 years at the University Hospital Erlangen, in January this year radiologist Dr Boris Adamietz became a partner in the radiological group practice at Herkomerplatz in Munich. So far he has no regrets about his role change. Along with more intense patient orientation and the end of weekend and night shifts, he is pleased with the innovative ultrasound solution in the practice, which is…
