Nov-Dec 2009
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GE exhibits new nuclear cardiology platform

GE Healthcare exhibited its new nuclear cardiology system – Discovery NM 530c and Discovery NM/CT 570c – featuring Alcyone Technology at the ESC (European Society of Cardiology) Congress (29 Aug – 2 Sept) in Barcelona, Spain.

Harnessing four leading nuclear-imaging innovations, GE says Alcyone Technology has the potential to open new perspectives in nuclear cardiology. Alcyone Technology combines Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) detectors, focused pin-hole collimation, 3D reconstruction, and stationary data acquisition, to reduce scan time, improve workflow, dose management, patient care and overall image quality and diagnostic confidence.

“The use of a similar technology in our pre-clinical eXplore speCZT/CT imaging system demonstrates the potential to develop new clinical applications with the Alcyone Technology, thus giving nuclear cardiology access to new indications,” says GE.

The company points out that the Discovery NM/CT 570c features the high-speed, high-resolution capabilities of GE’s LightSpeed VCT in conjunction with the groundbreaking Alcyone technology. This revolutionary system ushers in the first generation of volume SPECT/CT technology, opening the door to new procedure possibilities in non-invasive cardiac imaging beyond those offered by conventional SPECT or SPECT/CT scanners.

The system has the ability to perform a complete cardiac scan in less than five minutes acquisition time including myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI), Attenuation Correction, Computed Tomographic Angiography (CTA), and calcium scoring (CaSC). The speed and comprehensive nature of this procedure represents a significant improvement in patient care and diagnostic confidence.

Professor Philipp Kaufmann, director of nuclear cardiology at Zurich University Hospital, one of the first hospitals to have the system installed, says: “For hybrid exams, positioning the patient only once into the scanner is a great benefit and can minimise patient time in the department. With Alcyone technology, combining a high speed nuclear device with a CT will give cardiac centres the opportunity to optimise their SPECT/CT cardiac protocol and offer a complete assessment which is critical to evaluate the relevance of an invasive treatment.”

The Discovery NM/CT 570c provides the flexibility to manage dose more effectively by taking advantage of advances in both SPECT and CT technology. It reduces registration and motion artifacts by positioning the patient on the same table, and enables more convenient patient scheduling in comparison to separate, conventional SPECT and CT exams.

The Discovery NM/CT 570c is the second in the family of Alcyone cameras. The Discovery NM 530c was introduced in March this year.

● For more information visit: www.gehealthcare.com

Dräger introduces its next generation infant incubator

Dräger has introduced Isolette 8000, the next generation infant incubator in the company’s Isolette range of infant incubators.

The latest member of the Isolette family builds on proven design, while incorporating advanced features to facilitate the best possible care for the fragile neonate.

It is designed with many ergonomic and practical features to optimise clinical processes and enable efficiency in the NICU.

The Isolette family of infant incubators has several innovations like the patented Dual Air Curtain. This thermal management capability, reduces radiant heat loss from the infant and contributes to a cocoon-like environment, where the neonate can thrive. In addition, the Isolette 8000 offers continuous monitoring of both central and peripheral body temperature enabling caregivers to better anticipate the changing needs of the baby. A compact evaporation chamber provides precise regulation of humidity and a new condensation management system removes the condensate from the incubator compartment and separates it from the clean water supply. This feature supports infection control practices.

The Isolette 8000’s compact shape and small footprint was designed to fit a typically congested and busy NICU. The incubator can be easily manoeuvred in tight spaces and allows caregivers to attend to critical babies and access them for minor and major interventions.

Because the Isolette 8000 was designed with fewer parts, cleaning time is reduced, enabling quicker turnaround of the incubator in a busy NICU. Its humidity system can easily be autoclaved and sterilised to comply with the latest infection control practices.

● For more information visit: www.draeger.com

NEC extends it MDview series of displays

NEC Display Solutions has extended its MDview series of medical imaging displays with two wide-format colour devices. The new NEC MDview242-2 and MDview262- 2 are equipped with IPS colour panels, which deliver a resolution of 1920-by-1200 pixels (2.3 megapixels) and accompany a pixel defect free central working area for superior image representation.

The devices are factory-delivered with a preset DICOM curve, the required standard for medical digital imaging. This means that both NEC MDview242-2 and NEC MDview262-2 are ready “out of the box” as referral displays for PACS workstations. Additionally, its innovative ‘X-Light Pro’ feature eliminates variations in brightness and colour over the entire lifespan of the monitor.

“As a system that is crucial to managing medical images, such as film archives, displays on PACS workstations must be able to handle multiple high resolution images,” pointed out Ian Gobey, the General Manager of NEC Display Solutions Middle East. “It is important for hospitals in the region that image quality assurance and even everyday clinical viewing of medical images be done using a display capable of a specific resolution range. Most of the newer medical imaging modalities have the ability to create large volumes of high resolution images; increasing the demand for high resolution medical grade displays such as the new NEC MDview242-2 and MDview262-2.”

According to Gobey, currently the standard for viewing/interpreting diagnostic radiography images is 1.2 to 2 megapixels, while the standard for CT, MRI and other multi-image exams is 2 megapixels. “Medical professionals who work with hardcopy images know that small detail difference can dramatically affect diagnosis. The specifications for pixel defects are more stringent for medical grade monitors than for PC-grade monitors. Hence, NEC’s new MDview242-2 and MDview262- 2 come with IPS colour panels, and feature a resolution output of 2.3 megapixels,” he explained.

● For more information visit: www.nec-display-solutions.com

Invivo launches MR prostate solution

Invivo, a pioneer in innovative RF coils, Advanced Image Visualisation Systems and MRIcompatible interventional instruments, has launched the first-to-market MR prostate solution for analysis, planning and interventional biopsy.

This complete clinical MR solution for prostate combines new DynaCAD for Prostate, an Advanced Clinical Visualisation System, and new DynaTRIM (Trans-Rectal Interventional MRI), a device for the first MRguided intervention application. The combined solution offers a truly new imaging and intervention option for many patients with elevated and/or rising PSA levels.

Clinical sites in the US and the Netherlands have assisted Invivo in evaluating the software over the past five years.

DyanCAD for Prostate provides a comprehensive set of advanced prostate image visualisation tools for performing real-time image analysis and interventional procedure planning, increasing operation efficiency and enabling the radiologist to interpret the 3,000 images that constitute a dynamic contrast enhanced prostate MRI.

DynaTRIM enables the physician to conduct targeted MRI-guided interventions of the prostate gland reducing the number of cores acquired during biopsy.

● For more information visit: www.invivocorp.com

Intersurgical introduces new CPAP flow generator

Intersurgical has launched a new InterFlow CPAP flow generator to compliment the existing range of the company’s products for CPAP therapy.

CPAP can be effective in many different applications, reducing the burden on conventional positive pressure ventilation resulting in cost savings, less intubations and permitting early extubation.

The InterFlow flow generator is a precise, reliable device requiring minimum maintenance. Its simplicity of use and easy set-up ensures the clinician has complete performance confidence.

Features include variable flow rates from approximately 0 -120 litres/min and oxygen concentrations from 33% to 100%. It is designed with the end user in mind incorporating integrated patient airway pressure and oxygen monitoring.

The Intersurgical CPAP Therapy range includes the InterFlow CPAP flow generator, CPAP breathing systems, twin-port masks and C-PEEP valves.

● For more information visit: www.intersurgical.com

Philips unveils PageWriter TC50

Philips unveiled the PageWriter TC50 cardiograph at the ESC Congress early September. Its key advance over other heart disease detection devices is its ability to use gender-differentiated criteria in the diagnosis of heart disease, where symptoms may be different between men and women.

Tests for diagnosing coronary artery disease have been traditionally developed and tested in men. For example, women make up only 38% of the participants in cardiovascular studies funded by the US National Institutes of Health.

Women with coronary artery disease often complain of different symptoms from men and show clinical differences as well, with damage more often occurring in smaller blood vessels with fewer arterial blockages.

The PageWriter TC50’s sophisticated analysis programme, the DXL Algorithm, uses different criteria for men and women to help clinicians interpret cardiac symptoms, including identifying acute global ischemia, the restrictions of blood supply to large areas of the heart.

● For more information visit: www.medical.philips.com

Siemens introduces IM-RealART for adaptive radiotherapy

At this year's Conference of the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ESTRO) Siemens showed off their new IMRealART Solution for adaptive radiotherapy.

IM-RealART enables treatment plans for radiotherapy to be rapidly adapted to changes in the shape and position of tumours. The treatment plan is revised while the patient is lying on the treatment table. This means that the radiation fields and dose are recalculated directly before the next fraction is irradiated.

With IM-RealART, Siemens Healthcare offers a new solution for rapid replanning of treatment plans in adaptive radiotherapy. The solution includes the Siemens products Artiste Solution (linear accelerator), the 550TxT treatment table, the CTVision System for diagnostic CT imaging and the RealART planning system from Prowess Inc.

Siemens says that one of the advantages of IM-RealART is CTVision, which enables high quality images of tumours to be captured directly in the treatment room using a CT scanner running on rails. While the patient lies immobilised on the treatment table, the current scans are can be compared to the original ones on which the treatment planning was based and evaluated.

If the shape of the tumour has changed, the treatment plan can be adapted immediately in order to correct the shape of the treatment radiation field as well as the dose. This recalculation is usually performed in just seven minutes. Since the patient's position is not changed during this period, it is possible to irradiate the tumour with high precision. Using the 160MLC multileaf collimator from Siemens, the radiation field can be confined to the tumour very precisely, thus saving the surrounding tissue.

IM-RealART can be combined with the Siemens solution IM-Confident Plan, which consists of Artiste with the 160MLC and an intelligent irradiation planning software. These components help reduce the treatment time required for intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to five minutes or even less.

● For more information visit: www.siemens.com/healthcare

Trumpf iLED – well equipped and flexible

Trumpf Medical Systems has been the trailblazer in LED OR lights since the company in 2005 presented the world’s first LED surgical light. Since then more than 8,500 iLEDs have supported the work of physicians whose encouragement and suggestions for optimisation constantly contribute to the further development of the lights. iLED provide the best light specifications and greatest flexibility for adaptation to individual customer applications and requirements. The use of the newest generation of LEDs permits an increased service life of more than 30,000 hours, which corresponds to a period of 10 to 15 years for an average operating room. The unique colour reproduction index of Ra 98 permits natural vision. In addition a new optical system focuses the powerful light as needed. The surgical field is thus illuminated with a more homogeneous and welldefined light, in depth and on the surface.

Energy efficiency has been increased considerably: iLED 3 only needs 90 watts and iLED 5 145 Watts. This reduces energy consumption and thus the environmental burden, as well as heat development, which decreases the load on the air handling system.

To make the many settings, especially on the iLED 5 more accessible to the user, Trumpf optimised the concept of sterile light operation, which allows the surgeon to adjust the illumination more ergonomically and directly.

The iLED OR lights were awarded several design awards such as “Good Design Award 2007” and “iF Product Design Award 2009”.

Novel Plastospray

Plastospray developed by Laboratorios Inibsa of Spain, is a product with multiple uses at a professional and domestic level. Some of them are: protection for wounds, superficial burns, post-operative use, fixation of catheters, punctures, fistulas, warts and vaccinations. Plastospray is elastic, transparent, waterproof, micro-porous and quick and easy to apply.

Laboratorios Inibsa is looking for distributors in the region for Plastospray.

● Visit: www.inibsa.com  Email: international@inibsa.com

Carestream Health launches dedicated cardiology PACS

Carestream Health has launched a new web-based cardiology PACS that offers a single integrated platform for diagnosis, image review and reporting for echocardiography, cardiac catheterisation and nuclear cardiology procedures as well as electrocardiogram management.

Carestream Health says the “cardiology PACS enables providers to consolidate isolated cardiac lab systems into a centralised solution to achieve both greater efficiency and lower costs. The cardiology PACS client also enables productive reading of cardiology data from any on-site or off-site networked PC. Clinicians can access multiple cardiac studies and results as well as prior exams.

The Cardiology PACS integrates seamlessly with Carestream Health’s radiology PACS enabling clinicians to use the same workstation for diagnostic reading and clinical review of cardiology and radiology studies.

If Carestream Health’s cardiology PACS is integrated with the company’s radiology PACS, clinicians on workstation gain access to native 3D functionality for cardiac analysis, coronary analysis, calcium scoring and other specialised cardiac applications.

The new cardiology PACS offers:

Structured reporting templates for all cardiovascular applications (cath, echo, vascular and nuclear) with point-and-click access to predefined statements along with digital signatures. Formatting is user-customizable and reports can be distributed using HL7, email, automatic print or fax transmissions.

Comprehensive measurement tools for echocardiography applications, including the ability to import measurements taken at the modality. The platform also delivers specialised echocardiography features, including automatic quad screen display for stress echo exams, automatic DICOM calibration and the ability to view imported exams and documents from third-party systems. An ECG management solution that includes a timesaving worklist and the ability to integrate to multi-vendor ECG carts.

Catheterisation reporting tools such as coronary tree annotations for stenosis, stent and graft locations to eliminate dictation and provide a single tool for reporting of echo, cardiac cath and nuclear cardiology.

Nuclear cardiology features, including web-based gated SPECT wall motion review, a 3D cine and localiser tool, as well as viewing and reporting tools.

“Most cardiology services providers are hampered by the need for physicians to log onto multiple systems to review patient images and data. And accessing prior exams from DVD or tape libraries is timeconsuming and inefficient. These factors can lead to delayed diagnosis and treatment,” said Diana L. Nole, President, Digital Medical Solutions, Carestream Health. ”Our new cardiology PACS provides rapid access to images, data and reports for clinicians at any location, thus helping improve the workflow and enhancing the decisionmaking process.”

● For more information, visit: www.carestreamhealth.com



 Date of upload: 10th Dec 2009