Industry

Molecular Imaging


RSNA: Siemens demonstrates molecular CT, client-server SPECT/CT

Conference News | Thursday, December 10 2009
Siemens Healthcare highlighted its Biograph mCT, as well as other technologies, at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago last week.
 

RSNA: Philips highlights PET/CT, SPECT/CT scanners

Conference News | Thursday, December 10 2009
Philips Healthcare unveiled Gemini TF PET/CT and BrightView XCT SPECT/CT scanners at the 2009 Radiological Society of North America annual conference in Chicago last week.
 

RSNA: GE unveils molecular imaging applications, additions

Conference News | Tuesday, December 08 2009
GE Healthcare introduced improvements in predictability, efficiency and confidence across the Discovery PET/CT 600 series portfolio at the 2009 Radiological Society of North America in Chicago last week. The company announced dual-detector capabilities and an enhanced application suite for the Discovery PET/CT 600 series scanners, as well as launched Discovery PET/CT 690 with BrightSpeed Elite CT.
 

Survey: Meaningful use standards deadline worries CIOs

Industry News | Friday, December 04 2009
CIOs are concerned about their ability to implement the standards recommended by the Health IT Standards Committee in time to meet currently established deadlines, according to a recent survey conducted by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME).
 

CMS could expand coverage for PET bone metastasis—last day for public comment

Top Stories | Thursday, December 03 2009
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), in a Nov. 30 draft memorandum, has proposed that “the evidence is not sufficient” to determine that the results of NaF-18 PET imaging to identify bone metastases improve health outcomes of beneficiaries with cancer, and therefore, is looking to stop reimbursements for the procedure.
 

JNM: Molecular imaging effective for diagnosing pulmonary embolism

Clinical Studies | Tuesday, December 01 2009
Research published in the December issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine suggests that SPECT, when combined with low-dose CT, can provide an accurate diagnosis for pulmonary embolism.
 

RSNA: PET Reimbursement: The NOPR Effect

Conference News | Tuesday, December 01 2009
Written by Lisa Fratt
CHICAGO--Eight years after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services first covered PET for an oncologic application, molecular imaging’s main modality is edging toward more comprehensive coverage. That journey has been a long, slow ride, recalled Valerie Cronin, CNMT, chief operating officer of DENT Neurologic Institute in Buffalo, N.Y., during Tuesday morning’s Molecular Imaging: Here to Stay educational session at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) conference.
 

RSNA: Techs prep to embrace future of molecular imaging

Conference News | Tuesday, December 01 2009
Written by Lisa Fratt
CHICAGO--Molecular imaging is here to stay, posed David Gilmore, MS, CNMT, program of director nuclear medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Yet, molecular imaging continues to evolve and impact the technologist. Gilmore peered into the crystal ball to help techs better understand the coming molecular imaging revolution and its impact on them during a Tuesday morning educational session at the annual 2009 Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) meeting.
 

Lawson nets $1M for medical isotope research

Industry News | Monday, November 23 2009
Lawson Health Research Institute will receive more than $1 million of the $5.4 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada to support research into medical isotope alternatives.
 

MTCT: PET monitors gene therapy in glioma

Conference News | Sunday, November 22 2009
PET strategies are very useful in monitoring the distribution and kinetics of vector-mediated gene expression, as well as the response to therapy in malignant glioma, according to a presentation last week at the Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics (MTCT) conference in Boston.
 

JNM:PET/CT can identify treatment options for Crohn’s

Clinical Studies | Thursday, November 19 2009
The use of FDG-PET/CT on patients with obstructive Crohn’s disease can provide physicians with information about whether surgical or medical therapy is the preferred treatment option, according to a study in the November issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.
 

MTCT: MRI, NMR detect early cancer treatment response

Conference News | Wednesday, November 18 2009
BOSTON--Novel targeted cancer therapies could benefit from nuclear MR (NMR) and spectroscopy imaging to obtain an early indication of drug efficacy and guide personalized medicine, according to a presentation Tuesday at the Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics (MTCT) conference.
 

Vertilon develops sensor interface for fluorescence detection

New Products | Tuesday, November 10 2009
Vertilon has begun production of the SIB232 sensor interface board for fluorescence detection applications including flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, and bioaerosol detection.
 

ACRIN to open study on FDG-PET/CT staging for neck cancer

Industry News | Friday, November 06 2009
The American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) is seeking clinical trial sites to study the predictive value FDG-PET/CT staging on clinically-defined negative neck cancer patients.
 

Medical isotope bill breezes through House

Top Stories | Friday, November 06 2009
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed HR 3276—the American Medical Isotopes Production Act of 2009—by a roll call vote of 400-17. The legislation will help to fund projects for producing the medical isotope molybdenum-99 within the United States.
 

AMIC accelerator technology looks positive for Mo-99 production

Industry News | Thursday, November 05 2009
Advanced Medical Isotope Corporation (AMIC) has achieved "encouraging results" from initial tests of its accelerator technology for the domestic production of molybdenum-99 (Mo-99).
 

Spectrum gets CMS nod for radiotherapeutic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma drug

Industry News | Thursday, November 05 2009
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will allow reimbursement for Spectrum Pharmaceuticals radiotherapeutic antibody Zevalin (ibritumomab tiuxetan) for the treatment of patients with previously untreated follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
 

JACC: SPECT+calcium scoring may be superior predictor of heart risk

Top Stories | Wednesday, November 04 2009
Adding coronary artery calcium score testing with CT in patients with a normal SPECT scan could help to identify those at high long-term risk for cardiac events, in whom an earlier focus on aggressive risk factor modification and other medical therapies may be beneficial, according to new findings published in the Nov. 10 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
 

Neoprobe books $25 million loss in Q3

Financial News | Tuesday, November 03 2009
Dublin, Ohio-based Neoprobe has posted its 2009 third quarter results, showing a net loss of more than $25 million.
 

ASTRO: PET before radiation not ideal for determining boost radiation doses

Conference News | Tuesday, November 03 2009
PET imaging of non-small cell lung cancer prior to receiving radiation therapy should not be the basis for determining areas that may benefit from higher doses of radiation, according to research presented today by investigators at the 51st American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) annual meeting in Chicago.
 
Web Exclusives

Feature: U.S. needs national strategy to curb imaging overutilization

Medical imaging overutilization--a growing concern in the U.S.--exposes patients to unnecessary radiation, while also adding to rising healthcare costs, according to a study published online Aug. 24 in Radiology. In an interview, William R. Hendee, PhD, lead author, reviewed various methods by which medical imaging could be curtailed.

Radiology: Prelim study shows CE breast CT outperforms CT, mammo

Dedicated contrast-enhanced (CE) breast CT delivered significantly improved conspicuity of malignant breast lesions, including ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), compared with unenhanced breast CT and mammography, according to a study published in the September issue of Radiology.

Radiology: Rad role may evolve as image-guided biopsies trend up

CT, ultrasound and MRI have helped shift biopsy techniques away from more invasive approaches toward image-guided percutaneous techniques, according to a study published in the September issue of Radiology. The trend toward less-invasive approaches translates into enhanced safety and efficiency and could lead to more interaction between patients and radiologists.

CMS Webinar: Incentive payments to offset EHR adoption, not reimburse

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) EHR incentive payments are not considered reimbursement for money expended on EHR technology, but are intended to offset the cost associated with adoption and ongoing meaningful use, according to CMS during an Aug. 12 webinar.

CMS webinar: Eligible professionals can expect EHR incentives in 2011

Funding incentives for EHR use is the main goal of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) meaningful use initiative, and there are incentive programs for both hospitals and eligible professionals, according to Elizabeth Holland, health insurance specialist at the Department of Health and Human Services, who spoke during a CMS-sponsored webinar Aug. 8.

Webinar: Stage 1 of meaningful use is for quality reporting acclimation

Stage 1 requirements for meaningful use incentives aim to strike a balance between the overall goal of EHR use and widespread adoption, while avoiding added work, said Jonathan Teich, MD, PhD, chief medical informatics officer at Elsevier Health Services, during a HIMSS webinar titled “Meaningful Use: Safety and Quality of Care.”

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