Article • Hybrid Imaging
Fusing PET-MRI – a winning combination
Someone once described the fusion of positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a great technology looking for an application. Report: John Brosky
Cardiology
Article • Cardiac CT
Aquilion ONE delivers ultra-low dose for cardiac CT
An independent survey by the British Society of Cardiac Imaging finds Toshiba Aquilion scanner delivering ultra-low radiation doses for cardiac CT. "This data is possibly the most powerful thing I can show about the Aquilion ONE with the PUREViSION detector," said Russell Bull, M.D., Consultant Radiologist at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital in Dorset, the United Kingdom.
Seeking congenital cardiac defects
Congenital heart defects are the most common congenital disorders found in newborns – around one in a hundred babies are affected. This type of heart defect can be reliably diagnosed with ultrasound, usually during the detailed foetal scan carried out halfway through the pregnancy. Report: Brigitte Dinkloh
Biologised medical technology
New approaches, solutions and outlooks on biologised medical technology developed in the Berlin metropolitan region were presented at this year’s annual 'Medical technology meeting place' in Berlin, which presents the latest research, new product developments and best practice examples from the greater-Berlin area. report: Bettina Döbereiner
Complementary cardiac imaging
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.
News • Research
Seeking radiological routes to cure cardiac diseases
Radiotherapy is being proposed to treat heart diseases, specifically for hypertension and atrial fibrillation (AF).
It’s cool, Man!
Evidence is scant on the cooling of comatose patients who have suffered cardiac arrest, stroke or traumatic brain injuries; nevertheless, new methods for cooling patients are continuously being developed.
Listen to your heart 24 hours a day
The ‘Fire of Life’ developed by Schiller is an intuitive visual presentation of frequency-domain heart rate variability (HRV) that makes the assessment of 24-hour results fast and simple.
Shocked by the Shock trials?
No need to ask who was really shocked by the Halle Shock trial, followed by the multi-centre Shock II trial.
When cardiac catherisation delivers no result...
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.
To pulse or not to pulse
Whether mechanical, temporary cardiac assist systems should pulsate in the same way as a biological heart is a discussion topic, which raises the pulse rates amongst all those involved within the industry and in hospitals.
Vector flow mapping via echocardiography
‘There are aspects of the heart’s physiology that we know about, but now we can see them, and this is absolutely different,’ said Patrizio Lancellotti, President of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging.
3D targeting of the heart
The heart is a structure in three dimensions and today we see it in three dimensions,’ Jose Luis Zamorano Gomez MD declared with satisfaction.
News • Organ Transplantion
Three artificial hearts to be implanted
French authorities have given the green light for continuing the clinical trial for the first fully implantable mechanical heart after a four-month review of the device and the causes of death of the first patient to receive the prosthesis
Bringing surgical quality to TAVR valves
A cardiac surgeon, Wolfgang Goetz MD once stitched together custom aortic valves in the operating room. Today he is CEO of Transcatheter Technologies in Regensburg.
Cardiac resynchronisation
This summer the world’s first implantations of Biotronik’s new ICD and CRT-D series (implantable cardioverter-defibrillators and cardiac resynchronisation therapy defibrillators) took place at the Spedali Civili Hospital, Brescia, Italy.
New imaging for ischaemic heart disease
A session at the forthcoming British Cardiovascular Society annual conference (2-4 June, in Manchester) will hear about the latest imaging techniques for acquired heart disease, with PET technology playing a key role in those advances.
News • Cardiology
Previewing the impact of new technology
As well as this year’s programme being the biggest yet, with 76 plenary sessions, there are also sponsored symposia from Janssen and CamNutra. Additionally, the USA’s Mayo Clinic will provide the Cardiology Review Course, with representatives from Rochester, Minnesota, delivering some sessions.
News • Cardiology
Transcatheter aortic valve implantations (TAVI)
A hybrid operating theatre is considered ideal for TAVI because cardiologists and cardiac surgeons can work hand in hand. Here, in the hybrid theatre at Kerckhoff Heart Centre, Bad Nauheim, a transcatheter aortic valve implant with transfemoral access is being performed. The clean air room features cardiac cath lab equipment and an X-ray system.
First pacemaker with event-triggered IEGM transmissions
Biotronik, a leading manufacturer of cardiovascular medical technology, announced CE approval for its new Eluna pacemaker series. The new generation of pacemakers includes single and dual-chamber as well as cardiac resynchronization (CRT-P) devices.
Researchers Find Protein 'Switch' Central to Heart Cell Division
In a study that began in a pair of infant siblings with a rare heart defect, Johns Hopkins researchers say they have identified a key molecular switch that regulates heart cell division and normally turns the process off around the time of birth. Their research, they report, could advance efforts to turn the process back on and regenerate heart tissue damaged by heart attacks or disease.
Should CTA become a screening procedure?
With low tube voltage, reduced radiation and contrast agent dose, the system delivers sufficient and meaningful data
Promising substitutes for human hearts
Fully implantable mechanical hearts bring hope to 121,000 heart failure patients who will never receive a heart transplant
Small size in early pregnancy linked to poor heart health later in life
Poor growth in the first three months of pregnancy is associated with a range of cardiovascular risk factors in childhood, finds a study published on bmj.com.
News • Research
Deaths higher for heart attack patients at night and weekends
Off-hour presentation and outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction: systematic review and meta-analysis
