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Bracco Diagnostics
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With medical imaging use on the rise, contrast media use is expected to grow as well, according to a May 2016 report from market research firm GlobalData.
At the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA 2016), Bracco Diagnostics Inc. showcased a review of key milestones the company has achieved this year in diagnostic imaging and contrast media.
Bracco Diagnostics Inc. announced that CT Exprès — the first and only multi-dose, multi-patient, syringe-less injector for computed tomography (CT) according to Bracco — is now available in the United States. The CT Exprès 3-D Contrast Media Delivery System is designed to streamline workflow and optimize patient care within the CT department.
The global market for contrast media is set to rise from just over $4.3 billion in 2015 to over $6 billion by 2022, according to research and consulting firm GlobalData. This represents a compound annual growth rate of 4.9 percent.
Bracco Diagnostics Inc. announced that Lumason was approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for pass-through status under the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (HOPPS). Lumason is an ultrasound contrast agent indicated for use in adults with suboptimal echocardiograms to opacify the left ventricular chamber and to improve the delineation of the left ventricular endocardial border.
Bracco Imaging announced that the first echocardiography imaging procedure with Lumason was performed in May at Morristown Medical Center, part of the Atlantic Health System, in New Jersey. This is the first administration after the development of the agent (sulfur hexafluoride lipid-type A microspheres) in the United States and approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The announcement was made through Bracco Imaging’s affiliate Bracco Diagnostics Inc.
Bracco Imaging, through its business unit Bracco Injeneering SA, announced the availability of its EmpowerCTA+, an advanced engineering contrast injection system.
Cardiac imaging accounts for about one-third of the source of X-ray radiation dose for all medical imaging. Expanding use of computed tomography (CT) for cardiac evaluations, use of nuclear imaging for myocardial perfusion exams and more complex transcatheter procedures in the cath lab have all increased patient exposure in recent years.
There have been several recent advances with contrast media injector technology, including cutting costs by reducing contrast waste and automated data collection for the dose a patient receives. Automated injector systems not only precisely control the amount of contrast used; vendors have moved into the software/IT arena by offering personalized doses for patients using information pulled from an electronic medical record (EMR) or picture archiving and communication system (PACS). Contrast dose recording software also offers new possibilities for radiology departments looking to streamline and document their contrast media usage. Some vendors have now integrated X-ray radiation dose recording capabilities as well.
Bracco Diagnostics Inc. announced the availability of its Isovue (iopamidol injection) Imaging Bulk Package (IBP), a specific combination multi-patient, multi-dose compliant contrast medium approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for point-of-care use in the computed tomography (CT) suite.