Surgical planning is complex. Today’s surgeons can utilise information from various sources – including CT and MRI images, as well as f-MRI, PET or electro-physiological signals. For minimally invasive surgery (MIS) these additional imaging data are of particular importance, in that they enable precise navigation within the body.
Intra-operative MR imaging is still uncommon in Europe – particularly in neurosurgery. One of the first neurosurgery departments to work with a 3-T MR is in the Central Military Hospital in Prague. The experience and initial clinical findings from treating more than 300 patients, over a two-year period, was reported at this year’s ECR.
A key development at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH), east of England, has seen a change in the role of radiology assistants: They now help to prepare patients for radiology scans and look after them -- work previously undertaken by radiographers. The change now allows radiographers more time to concentrate on scanning patients, resulting in faster scanning with quicker…
Increasingly, hospitals have to find ways to optimise the capacity, efficiency and utilization of their MRI services. David Wormald, Integrated Assistant Vice President for Diagnostic Services at Hamilton Health Sciences & St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, Canada, knows this problem in and out – and a few solutions on top of it.
"The problem between information technology and medical engineering may stem from sequential processing and intermeshing", Peter Gocke, MD, said. Sounds difficult? But the real difficulty in the “Cooperation between IT and Medical Engineering (ME)” is something seemingly mundane: “At the end of the day collaboration is the target achievable”, Gocke, who is IT director at the University…
How can speech recognition become a workflow improver instead of a road to frustration? Kaye Bonython, Programme Manager, Imaging Informatics & OSL, HCA’s Portland Hospital for Women and Children, really knows: She has driven a series of PACS-related enhancements in HCA organisation, including group-wide speech recognition reporting – that was in 2006. Now, 99.98 per cent of reports at HCA…
The key to implementing PACS installations networked to multiple hospitals is fully to establish in advance exactly what clinical scenario needs to be satisfied. In her lecture, Dr Nicola H Strickland BM BCh, at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK, spoke about the several possibilities, as well as the requirement and challenges which have to be considered in each scenario.
Nuance Communications, Inc, provides a comprehensive family of speech-driven clinical documentation and communication solutions that enable healthcare-provider organisations to reduce operating costs, increase reimbursement, and enhance patient care and safety. Two of Nuance's healthcare customers presented the results of their speech recognition implementations at the ECR in Vienna.
Although small, Vscan is a prescription device for ultrasound imaging, measurement and analysis in the clinical applications of abdominal, cardiac (adult and paediatric), urological, foetal/OB, paediatric and thoracic/pleural motion and fluid detection, as well as for patient exams in primary care and special care areas.
Patients attending a radiology practice in Demmin, Germany, benefit from state-of-the-art ultrasound, mammography, X-ray, CT and MRI technology. Owned by Drs Uwe Kairies and Frank Rosenbaum, the practice has also introduced a RIS/PACS. Soon after the latter installation they switched from imaging plates, replacing their entire X-ray system with a new, direct digital radiology system with two…
The equation is simple: Hospital IT data is growing exponentially, hospital funds are not. Facing enormous data volumes and less chance of increasing equipment or staff, IT managers inevitably suffer headaches. ‘Cloud is really IT being delivered as a service over the Internet,’ Mark Clark explained.
In June 2009, IBM introduced the industry’s first set of commercial cloud services. Based on two years of research and hundreds of client engagements, the IBM Smart Business ‘cloud’ portfolio aims to help clients turn complex business processes into simple services. How does IBM explain what cloud services are? Cloud Computing is a form of IT use where the end user can utilise…
With syngo.via, Siemens’ new imaging software for multimodality reading of clinical cases, the company is placing special focus on reading efficiency through automated case preparation and structured case navigation across multiple specialties, including cardiology, oncology, and neurology.
At this year´s RSNA Siemens Healthcare introduced a new generation of its Tim (Total imaging matrix) technology and its new Dot (Day optimizing throughput) engine. Both technologies are introduced in the new Magneton Aera 1.5 Tesla (T) and the new Magneton Skyra 3T scanners. These two new scanners are the first to incorporate both Tim and Dot technology. The combination of Tim and Dot delivers…
Draeger Medical showcases its new component for the Infinity Acute Care System, the M540, at this years Medica. The system makes it possible to seamlessly monitor and record vital signs data while moving through the hospital. It is fully integrated with Infinity C700 or C500 Medical Cockpit, which display vital signs data together with networked clinical information.
Long transports, ramps, slopes and heavy patients can all increase the risk of back and shoulder injuries to caregivers. The global company Stryker, among the world´s top 12 medical devices manufacturers, produces a huge range of orthopaedics products, including implants, powered surgical tools and operating theatre equipment, as well as products for other healthcare specialties, including…
The Sykehuset Telemark HF hospital (STHF) in Norway reports that it has been saving 900,000 euros a year on transcription costs since implementing Nuance SpeechMagic within its EMR system. The hospital, which also reports that it exceeds the nations´s target regarding the availability of medical reports, has released a study that shows all of this has been achieved in parallel with an…
The new seca 874, a highly mobile electronic flat scaless is ideal for weighing infants, children and adults, the manufacturer reports. Healthcare consultants and development aid workers in particular will appreciate the reliable scaless's performance in on-site mass screenings. The double display of the measured weight was especially designed to satisfy their requirements.
In the operating room, a surgeon typically is surrounded by 11 different medical devices, « and they all keep beeping at us, » complains Dr. Martin Schuster at Charité University Hospital in Berlin. «Which one of these alarms is important, » he asks, adding that blood pressure, oxygen saturation and ventillator alerts can sound between 10 and 12 times during each case.
Roche Diagnostics presents nine new products at this year’s Medica. Three of them were the focal point of today’s launch event at which customers and visitors had a chance to find out more about state-of-the-art systems for PCR and high throughput laboratories.
GE Healthcare is presenting its new Venue ultrasound product line at Medica. The Venue 40, the first product launched, provides visualisation for needle guidance procedures and rapid diagnostics in real-time at the bedside. These point-of-care (POC) settings are the fastest growing in ultrasound internationally (USA growth: 30% average in the last four years. Source: industry report by Klein…
Mirror 2, the all-digital colour Doppler ultrasound system, produced by Landwind International Medical Science Pte Ltd, incorporates a number of advanced imaging technologies, including powerful multi-beam parallel imaging, premium vascular imaging, real-time dynamic receiving focusing, magic focus, superior aptitude filter, 3-D, and panoramic imaging, the manufacturer reports.
A portable system designed for anaesthetists, the eZono accelerates the learning curve with the manufacturer’s patented Cue Cards, a multi-media learning and workflow tool for vascular access and regional anaesthesia - combined with excellent image quality, the manufacturer points out.
Sonoace, the German distributor for Medison Co. Ltd, has announced the launch of a new, dedicated high performance OB/GYN ultrasound system, the ACCUVIX V20 ‘Prestige’, which features the industry's first multi-rendering 3-D/4-D technology, 3-D MXI (3-D Multi-eXtended Imaging ).
Following fierce parliamentary debates last spring, the newly enacted law on Hospital reform is beginning to show concrete moves. One of these is to modify the remuneration system for doctors, in order to reinforce the attractiveness of public hospitals, which are suffering recruitment difficulties.