Based on Mindray’s Living Technology, the Resona 7 (Sapphire), ZS3 (Diamond) and TE7 (Crystal) new ultrasound upgrades offer significant enhancements in support of the company’s commitment to providing state-of-the-art ultrasound imaging. Maher Elhihi, director of marketing, North America Ultrasound, summarizes the key benefits included in the company's Gem Series introduction.

This is a walk around of the new Spectrum Dynamics Veriton SPECT-CT nuclear imaging system introduced at the 2018 Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) meeting. 

This is a walk around of an innovative new SPECT-CT nuclear imaging system shown at the Radiological Society Of North America (RSNA) 2018 meeting this week. It's CT system with comes in 16, 64 or 128 slice configurations. It has 12 SPECT detector robotic arms that automatically move toward the patient and use a sensor to stop a few millimeters from the skin to optimize photon counts and SPECT image quality. It also uses more sensitive CZT digital detectors, which allows either faster scan times, or use of only half the radiotracer dose of analog detector scans.

Read the article “Nuclear Imaging Moves Toward Digital Detector Technology.” 

Read the article "Spectrum Dynamics Sues GE for Theft, Misappropriation of Trade Secrets and Unfair Competition."

Stamatia Destounis, M.D., FACR, associate professor, University of Rochester School of Medicine, and attending radiologist, Elizabeth Wende Breast Care, explains the details of a new study showing the benefits of mammography in elderly women at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2018 annual meeting.

Radiation therapy has become increasingly effective and safe as vendors continue to innovate technologies that benefit the patient. At ASTRO 2018, this patient-centric approach was exemplified and demonstrated not only in ways that match treatments to patients, but in how technologies can adjust to patient movement and anatomical changes, and to increase the precision of treatments. ITN Contributing Editor Greg Freiherr showcases several new technologies that are helping to advance this field.

For additional patient-centered care coverage, see:

Conversations with Greg Freiherr: The Accuray Philosophy

ASTRO Puts Patients First

This is an example of the FDA-cleared OpenSight augmented reality (AR) system for surgical planning from NovaRad at the Radiological Society Of North America (RSNA) 2018 meeting. It uses a Hololens headset to register an overlay of the patient’s MR or Ct scan in the patient. The operator can use hand movements to slice through and manipulate the images.

The vendor gained an FDA indication for AR to be used in surgical planning in 2018. NovaRad is working with the FDA for a second indication for use of the AR in the operating room during procedures.

This video is jerky, slightly misaligned and the hand movements did not always respond because itwas shot with an iPhone inside the visor. The image quality and hand movements are much better when actually wearing it on your head and aligned for the specific user.

Read more about this technology

This is an example of how artificial intelligence (AI) can help improve patient care by pulling together patient data from numerous sources n the elect if medical records that are specific to a patient’s diagnosis and treatment for a specific disease state. This is Siemens’ AI-Pathway Companion introduced at the Radiological Society Of North America (RSNA) 2018 meeting this week. In this examples. A prostate cancer patient has all their data on a single time line that can be accessed by single clicks on the points to open reports, images, procedures or labs.

At the end of the time line it integrates AI driven clinical decision support that recommends the next course of action based on clinical guidelines. The guidelines cited can also be opened for review by the clinician.

Here is an example of how artificial intelligence (AI) is helping radiologists with faster workflow to improve care. This example from the Philips Illumeo system shows a spine CT and how the radiologist can use the tool bar to gain one-click, immediate access to three prior CT studies that will open with the exact slate slice view and orientation as the current exam. This was shown at the 2018 Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) meeting.

Read more in the article “How Artificial Intelligence Will Change Medical Imaging.”

Watch the VIDEO AI Technogy Report from RSNA 2017.

At the 2018 Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) meeting, Hitachi showed a new computed tomography (CT) scanner designed for larger sized patients. The Scenaria View offers both 64 and 128 slice versions (it is also field upgradable from 64 to 128 later on). It has an 80 cm bore and the table has a weight capacity of 550 pounds. The X-ray tube also can achieve high energies up to 700 mA.  The system has clearance in Japan and Europe and will be submitted for FDA clearance soon.

Read more about the system.

An interview with A. M. Niser Syed, M.D., medical director, radiation oncology and endocurietherapy, MemorialCare Cancer Institute, Long Beach, Calif. At the American Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ASTRO) 2018 annual meeting, he presented a study of 1,200 patients using a single session of intra-operative radiation therapy (IORT) using the Xoft X-ray emitting brachytherapy system. 

Genomics can be used to assess a patient's radiosensitivity, which can be used to increase or decrease the radiation that needs to be delivered to treat the tumor and spare surrounding healthy tissue. Javier Torres-Roca, M.D., associate professor of radiation oncology, Moffit Cancer Center, and co-founder of the genomics company Cvergenx, spoke on this topic at the ASTRO 2018 conference. 

Find more news, videos and late-breating studies from ASTRO 2018.

Kristin Higgins, M.D., medical director of radiation oncology at the Emory Clinic at the Winship Cancer Institute, and associate professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, explains how the use of a novel positron-emission tomography, computed tomography (PET-CT) system combined with a linac in a single gantry might offer a new approach to real-time adaptive therapy. She spoke to ITN at the 2018 ASTRO conference.

Read the article about the technology displayed at ASTRO 2018 — Biology Guided Radiotherapy May Improve Physician Confidence in Treatment of Multiple Tumors

Read more about the start-up company that created the system.

Elizabeth Chabner-Thompson, M.D., MPH, radiation oncologist, Northern Westchester Hospital, Northwell Health, Mt. Kisco, N.Y., and CEO of Masthead, explains an FDA-cleared bra she designed for improved patient positioning of women undergoing radiation therapy. She spoke to ITN at the 2018 ASTRO conference. 

A discussion with Ehsan Samei, Ph.D., DABR, FAAPM, FSPIE, director of the Duke University Clinical Imaging Physics Group and head of the Duke medical physics graduate program. He spoke on this topic at the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) 2018 meeting.

Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) President Vijay Rao, M.D., the David C. Levin professor and chair of radiology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, spoke to ITN at the 2018 AAPM meeting. She said artificial intelligence is by far the most impactful new technology in radiology and it will be by far be one of the hottest topics at the 2018 RSNA annual meeting.

ITN Editor Dave Fornell takes a tour of some of the innovative new technologies on the expo floor at the 2018 American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) meeting.

Click here for more coverage of the 2018 AAPM annual meeting.

A discussion with Matthew Freeman, Ph.D., scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico. He spoke about his research using direct proton imaging on the treatment table without the need for other external or on-board imaging systems. He spoke at the 2018 American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) meeting.

Lawrence Tanenbaum, M.D., FACR, vice president and director of advanced imaging at RadNet, discusses the latest research on the effects of gadolinium contrast retention following magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exams, and how facilities can best manage its use.

Sheila Sferrella, president of Regents Health Resources and Bill Finerfrock, president of Capitol Associates, discuss the new proposed rule for site-neutral imaging payments from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Sferrella is the chair and Finerfrock is a member of the AHRA Regulatory Affairs Committee.

Watch part 1 of the conversation with Sferrella and Finerfrock on clinical decision support updates

Watch part 2 on the CR to DR transition

Ehsan Samei, Ph.D., DABR, FAAPM, FSPIE, director of the Duke University Clinical Imaging Physics Group and head of the Duke medical physics graduate program, explained this new program at the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) 2018 meeting.

Additional AAPM news and videos