GE Healthcare announced today at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics annual meeting that the FDA gave 510(k) clearance for the Innova 3131IQ and 2121IQ digital flat panel biplane imaging systems, for use in cardiovascular imaging, diagnostic and interventional procedures and three-dimensional imaging of vessels and soft tissue.

Philips announced today it is introducing non-invasive triplets monitoring using ultrasound tracing, as it extends its Trace Separation technology for its line of obstetrical care fetal and maternal monitors.

Clinical studies conducted in the U.S. and Belgium reveal that endoscopy procedures using sedation can be performed with high physician and patient satisfaction using minimal or moderate propofol sedation. The results, which were presented on Wednesday, October 18 at the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) 2006 Annual Meeting, are from stage I of studies with the first computer-assisted personalized sedation (CAPS) technology, an investigational system intended to administer propofol sedation.

Onmark, a national group purchasing organization (GPO) for community-based practices, has announced the launch of Onmark Regimen Profiler, a new Web-based tool that helps community oncology practices and patients gain a better understanding of clinical and financial information for commonly-used oncology treatment regimens.

Viking Systems Inc., a designer, manufacturer and marketer of 3-D and 2-D vision systems for use in minimally invasive surgical (MIS) procedures, has entered into an original equipment manufacturing (OEM) supply agreement with CompView Medical of Beaverton, Oregon, for the company's NuBOOM product, image management software and related accessories.

Medline Industries Inc. has joined the Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) to announce increased outreach to consumers in addition to ongoing work with hospitals and other healthcare providers to make surgery safer across the country. Medline is providing key support and resources toward this effort to help ensure that surgical care is improving nationwide.

Getting patients to take their medications as directed can cut health-care costs, but improving their pill-taking habits can be difficult, researchers say.

As part of their research into the issue, a team at the University of Chicago conducted two studies. The first found that patients with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis who consistently took a prescribed medication — 5-aminosalicyclic acid (5-ASA) — had 12.5 percent lower medical costs than patients who did not comply with the therapy.

Healthcare employers facing aggressive organizing scored a victory last week with a federal labor ruling that blocks certain nurses from joining the rank-and-file. For hospitals and health systems, the new ground rules will likely emerge as a flash point in organizing campaigns and contract talks. This may create new legal challenges for employers already having trouble with organized labor.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and congestive heart failure (CHF) are two of the most common medical reasons for hospitalization among middle-aged and older patients. Both have accepted standards for diagnosis and management, supported by large bodies of scientific evidence and international practice guidelines; yet a new study from Boston’s Caritas St Elizabeth’s Medical Center, published in the October issue of Respiratory Care, shows that the use of the primary confirmatory tests—recommended both for diagnosis and assessment of severity—differs substantially in the two dise

GE Healthcare announced today at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics annual meeting that the FDA gave it 510(k) clearance on the new Snapshot Cine, a multislice computed tomography (CT) feature designed to enable clinicians to obtain quality images of a patient’s heart with up to a 70 percent reduction in dose per exam independent of heart rate.

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