Industry News

Medicare pays out $36M for PQRI; only 16% of eligible radiologists partake
More than 56,700 health professionals who satisfactorily reported quality information to Medicare under the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 2007 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative have received more than $36 million in bonus payments.

Scientists hunt for x-ray source in lightning
Researchers are using an array of electric field and x-ray detectors at a University of Florida and Florida Institute of Technology lightning research facility in north Florida to discover the source of x-rays emitted by lightning strokes.

Clinical Studies

MDCT, virtual gastroscopy, MPR efficacious in malignant gastric ulcer diagnosis
Multidetector CT using virtual gastroscopy and post contrast-enhanced multiplanar reformation (MPR) images can be useful in differentiating between malignant and benign gastric ulcers, according to a study in the June issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

Prior x-rays could lead to young-onset prostate cancer
Researchers at the University of Nottingham in England have shown an association between certain past diagnostic radiation procedures and an increased risk of young-onset prostate cancer, according to a study published online in the May issue of British Journal of Cancer.

New Products

Covidien launches Optistar Elite contrast delivery system
Covidien's Imaging Solutions segment is launching the Optistar Elite contrast delivery system, designed to inject contrast media-related drugs into a patient's vascular system for MRI.

Philips debuts SpeechMagic report management for Finnish hospitals
Royal Philips Electronics has released its SpeechMagic Executive Advanced, a report management solution for Finnish hospitals.

Regulatory News

FDA clears Misonix HIFU soft tissue ablation system
Misonix, a developer of minimally invasive ultrasonic medical device technology, has received 510(k) clearance from the FDA to market its Sonatherm 600i high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) soft tissue ablation system in the United States.

Partnerships & Alliances

Siemens inks NCR reseller deal
Siemens Healthcare is offering the MediKiosk from NCR to its North American customer base.

Contracts & Installations

Dilon nets three-year gamma imaging deal with GPO
Dilon Technologies, a manufacturer of a gamma imaging system for early breast cancer detection, has signed a three-year agreement with Amerinet, a national group purchasing organization (GPO).

Caritas Christi selects Orthoview
The Caritas Christi Health Care network of acute care hospitals has chosen Orthoview's orthopedic planning and templating software as an integrated part of its PACS in all six of its Massachusetts hospitals.

Executive Announcements

ACR names assistant executive PR director
The American College of Radiology (ACR) has hired Ronald E. Freedman as assistant executive director for education, socioeconomic research, marketing, communications and public relations.

IDC appoints new VP for Latin America
Imaging Dynamics Company (IDC) has appointed Rodolfo Gutierrez as vice president and general manager for Latin America.

Health Imaging News (ISSN #1941-6873) is your source for the top medical imaging and healthcare IT stories of the week. Health Imaging News provides a comprehensive journal of mergers and acquisitions, new technologies, partnerships and alliances, calendar of coming events and executive announcements to make your week complete. Look for a new edition of Health Imaging News every afternoon Monday through Friday.

UPDATE your subscriber profile | Unsubscribe from this newsletter