Mammography: What really counts?
The fact that the female breast is one of the most radiation sensitive organs in the human body is a major driver for all those searching for low radiation alternatives - one of these routes lies in photon counting.
Clinical applications of advancing high frequency ultrasound techniques
High frequency ultrasound (US) techniques continue to improve with better resolution and exquisite B-Mode imaging, particularly with improved compounding techniques seen with the Aplipure product.
CT: Optimising dosage
AquilionONE is the first CT scanner capable of imaging whole organ regions up to a width of 16 cm in one rotation and within a split second. Based on the raw volume data, rapid dynamic processes within an entire organ (e. g. heart, pancreas, kidney or brain) may be diagnosed with a time interval of 50 ms, i.e. with a rate of 20 volumes per second.
'More knowledge — less dose'
X-rays are made up of high-energy photons. This type of radiation follows the physical laws of electromagnetic waves as well as of particles.
Tracking equipment performance is vital to control radiation dose
Although there should always be concern about radiation in a facility that uses X-ray to image patients, that concern is perhaps not as vocal as for CT or interventional radiology, according to physicist Jacqueline Gallet, Global Manager of Clinical Studies at Carestream Health.
The German Society for Senology 28th Annual Conference
In a pre-conference discussion with this year's President, Professor Hans-Heinrich Kreipe, Director of the Institute for Pathology at Hanover Medical School, he outlined the significance of MRI in breast cancer detection, and highlighted other topics for the event.
The joint AACC/AACB conference
The American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) and the Australasian Association of Clinical Biochemists (AACB) are joining together for the second time for a conference on major changes facing laboratorians in coming years, under the banner Laboratory Medicine - Into the Future.
World isotope shortage threatens scans
Due to its short "lifespan", molybdenum 99 (used to form technetium-99m which, when injected into patients is used as a tracer to help diagnose heart disease or bone cancer) cannot be stockpiled.
Integrated Diagnostic Imaging with Biograph mCT
Siemens Healthcare introduces molecular CT, a new concept in integrated imaging that provides a premium imaging platform, and is a practical solution for today's shrinking healthcare budget.
EU-Funded R-Bay Project
Carestream Health is a major technical infrastructure provider to the EU-funded R-Bay validation project, which aims to address the uneven spread of radiologists across member states.
Two for one - and one for two
Philips and Steris join forces to provide hybrid surgical rooms: a flexible environment for optimal imaging during open and minimally invasive cardiovasculare procedures that will optimise workflow and streamline room planning.
Radiofrequency Ablation: Minimally invasive and flexible
Tumour ablation - and Radiofrequency (RF) ablation in particular - is getting more and more important in oncology. The therapy option offers benefits in terms of costs, ease of set-up and flexibility so that experts see the need to expand the applications of it.
Will there be a lack of radiopharmaceuticals?
The shortage of radiopharmaceuticals due to the planned shutdown of some nuclear reactors will now be discussed by the European Medicines Agency (EMEA). The European Commission (DG Enterprise and Industry) asked EMEA to analyse the extend and to develop potential approaches to address any problems.
NICE renewed flu guidance
The next flu season will come. To prevent high-risk people from infections, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recently published a final guidance on the use of the drugs oseltamivir, amantadine and zanamivir for the prophylaxis of influenza. "But vaccination is the main way to prevent flu", says Gillian Leng, NICE Deputy Chief Executive.
Carestream Health Unveils First Wireless, Cassette-Size DR Detector
Carestream Health, Inc., recently announced the industry`s first wireless DR detector that is the size of a standard cassette and can be used with existing wall stand or table-based Buckys. The CARESTREAM DRX-1 System, currently a work in progress, is expected to be available in many parts of the world during the first quarter of 2009.
Mystery of complicated plaques
Until recently, physicians believed that stenosis was responsible for strokes. But new investigations show that the composition of complicated plaques are the major cause. Canadian researchers now used 3-D MRI to accuratly detect bleeding by those plaques within the vessel walls.
Research to prolong the retention time in the blood
The University of Urbino and Philips Research will jointly research the encapsulation of magnetic nanoparticle contrast agents inside living blood cells to prolong the retention time of these agents in the blood. Injected as free particles, magnetic nanoparticle contrast agents are quickly excreted from the blood via the patient's liver, which limits their application.
Better images for X-ray mammography with new tool
Fighting breast cancer is always a race against time - early detection of breast carcinoma an essential condition for cure. Now Scientists from Finland, Germany and France developed a promising new CT technique with high resolution and contrast that visualises tumours that are even diffusely growing or those in dense breasts.
Eat Mediterranean to stay healthy
Mediterranean diet protects against chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. Italian scientists bolstering one more time the idea that low intake of meat, dairy products and alcohol, but high intake of vegetables, fruits, nuts, olive oil, grains and fish servers as a model of healthy eating, according to a study in the British Medical Journal.
Care of the elderly varies widely within the EU
Drug access by older citizens varies widely across 25 EU member countries, according to a new study by IMS Health. Per capita usage of drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease in the five EU countries where utilization was highest was 20 times greater than in the five lowest-use countries.
Breast cancer: new method is more effective than mammography in women with dense breasts
“Molecular breast imaging” (MBI), a new scintigraphy method developed by US researchers, might improve early detection of breast cancer in women with dense breasts. The results of an initial clinical study were recently presented at the Breast Cancer Symposium of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Washington, DC, USA.
PET scans save colorectal cancer patients' lives
Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers to cause death. A PET scan improves prognosis and changes management of recurrent colorectal cancer in more than half of patients according to a latest study from Australia. Therefore, the data suggest to conduct nuclear imaging in cancer treatment more often.
Seasonal mood changes visualised by PET
Seasons change - and so does our mood. When days become shorter and hours of sunlight become fewer some of us suffer from seasonal depression. Brain scans taken at different times of the year brings it to light: sun makes happy.…
New concept in the treatment of aortic valve disease
Transapical aortic valve implantation (TA-AVI) is a new therapeutic strategy, which has been implemented successfully into clinical practice in several hundred patients suffering symptomatic aortic stenosis and an increase perioperative risk during the past two years. The Edwards SAPIEN™ prosthesis has been used.
Robotic navigation in catheter ablation
Catheter ablation is still associated with a substantial amount of complications, and more failure then sometimes reported. Perforation with catheters is especially important in atrial fibrillation. Robotic navigation could reduce these complications.