
Malta needs to nurture collaborations
Imaging has progressed at vertiginous paces since X-rays were invented, not only as a diagnostic tool but also as an invaluable partner in the realm of non-invasive medical intervention.

Imaging has progressed at vertiginous paces since X-rays were invented, not only as a diagnostic tool but also as an invaluable partner in the realm of non-invasive medical intervention.

The significant benefits of cardiac catherisation remain undisputed. However, cross-sectional imaging modalities are serious competitors when it comes to arriving at the right diagnosis.

At this year’s meeting of the German Radiological Society (DRK), Dr Mathias Langer, Head of the Radiology Clinic at Freiburg University Hospital and the society’s 2013 President, assured EH that CT is still the be all and end all in trauma surgery.

Imaging procedures are rarely used to diagnose and treat asthma – but this may well change in the future.

Ultrasound is playing an increasing role in the management of the upper and lower airways, particularly in interventional procedures and emergency situations. It is also used to enhance patient safety.

You never know what you’re going to see in the Emergency Department (ED); but, more and more the first evaluation of a trauma patient’s condition will be with ultrasound.

Even a giant must learn to walk by taking small steps first. Founded in 1998, and as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Neusoft Corporation, Neusoft Medical has moved deliberately to build its strengths, becoming the premier developer and manufacturer of advanced medical equipment in China – and the first in that country capable of building a computed tomography (CT) scanner.

About four years ago, Samsung Electronics Co. – specialist in electronic components and mobile phone sets, was recognised by its revenues as the world’s largest IT company, displacing Apple Inc.

Royal Philips today announced that it has signed a partnership agreement with the Stockholm County Council (SCC) to jointly innovate in health care.

The European Congress of Radiology (ECR), the biggest radiology meeting in Europe, was held March 6–10 in Vienna, Austria. Over 20,000 delegates from more than 110 countries attended the annual meeting of the European Society of Radiology (ESR), which took place for the 20th time at the Austria Center Vienna.

Approximately 1.7 billion people worldwide carry Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), i.e. about one-third of the population. The rate of new infections is highest in Africa, followed by certain Asian regions, including areas in Russia.

Given the ever more complex radiological examinations, the need to provide care in sparsely populated regions, or new labour law provisions such as the EU working time directive, radiologists are under increased pressure to find solutions to provide imaging services during off-hours.

For the sixth time, Alain Blum MD has invited the French CT community to Nancy to attend a symposium on multi-detector CT. The last invitations, two years back, drew several hundred radiologists and every CT manufacturer to Nancy for two days of debate, discussion and demonstrations.

‘A precursor in Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) imaging, NewTom is the unrivalled benchmark in radiology thanks to highly effective research standards, flawless reliability and sheer quality,’ the manufacturer reports.

How does spectral – or dual energy – imaging work? Very similar to red and green light used in black-and-white photography. A black-and-white camera provides information on the colours of the photographed objects: an object that is black under red light is actually green.

With low tube voltage, reduced radiation and contrast agent dose, the system delivers sufficient and meaningful data

That’s what the annual RSNA meeting is all about: meeting friends and learning all about new devices, explained Jeff Immelt, GE CEO, in his keynote address at the company booth.

Within many exhibitors’ booths at the RSNA, mobile computing devices are in use, a sales tool augmenting the vendor’s display. They are like bunnies running rampant. They are proliferating, and their intelligent use is aiding complex sales presentations.

For Pablo Ros, MD, the decision to use the new IQon Spectral CT system from Philips Healthcare is a no-brainer. The head of the radiology department at the prestigious University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio, and the co-director of Case Center for Imaging Research, introduced the new technology on the first day at the congress of the Radiological Society of North America…

The ‘world’s best scanner’ just got even better. While Toshiba Medical Systems’ Aquilion ONE has impressed radiologists in recent years further enhancements and technical innovations have taken it onto a new level of performance and added yet another dimension to CT imaging.

With MRI and CT scanners widely available in clinical routine, radiologists cull increasingly precise and relevant functional tumour information for diagnostics and monitoring purposes. Both modalities offer technological and methodological approaches, initiated by the discipline itself, that have become indispensable for certain frequent tumours.

New technological opportunities make it continuously easier to use medical devices anywhere, for in- and out-patient care. The technology has become mobile – and so have the patients. In-patient monitoring can be carried out wirelessly, independent of a patient’s respective location.

Whole-body CT scans during shock room treatment of polytrauma patients are on the increase since their advantages are obvious: they are a fast and comprehensive examination that allows immediate therapy-relevant decisions.

Somatom Force – the new computer tomograph (CT) from Siemens – recently had its first public presentation worldwide at the University Medical Centre Mannheim, Germany.

Adding high quality, dynamic ultrasound for hybrid imaging enables clinicians to improve detection of a range of lesions or to intervene better for improved clinical outcomes. ‘We can no longer be fascinated with pictures; what we need is proof of the clinical benefit from tools and techniques,’ said Professor Jose Zamorano MD, Director of Cardiology at Ramón y Cajal University Hospital in…