Hitachi shows enhancements to the Sceptre P3, introduces new cardiac app. for AVIA
Hitachi Medical Systems America (HMSA) showcased new capabilities to its Sceptre P3 PET/CT imaging system as well as the new Emory Cardiac Toolbox PETtools, a new software package for AVIA, the company's multi-modality workstation at last week's 52nd Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNM) annual meeting in Toronto, Canada.
   
First introduced at SNM 2004, the Sceptre P3 now includes three new capabilities that have been developed to address some of the challenges in PET/CT.
   
"One of our focuses was to address the operation of PET/CT but also the data management aspects," said Ray Wtulich, Product Manager, PET Systems.

One such typical challenge with the hybrid systems is the artifacts that occur with metal implants such as pace makers or spinal hardware. Through processing, the Sceptre P3 has the ability to rid the images of the artifacts without a loss in overall quality.

Another development in the Sceptre P3 is Non-rigid Fusion 7D an elastic algorithm that is designed to correct for mis-registration in PET/CT due to respiration, said Wtulich. Basically, the algorithm corrects the differences between the PET and CT studies.
Hitachi has also set out to help organizations that are struggling with the data management issues associated with PET/CT.

"We have integrated the PACS architecture in the PET/CT which controls the operation," said Wtulich. "Very simply, we've gone to a two monitors and one keyboard operation, rather than having multiple monitors and multiple keyboards that are connected to different boxes and different modalities. We've been able to streamline the operation with the PACS."

"Also, to be able to have strong connectivity nuclear medicine is a challenge for PACS because a lot of the data does not integrate well," added Wtulich. "Having the PACS architecture allows for increased connectivity into existing PACS. But also, in the imaging center market, it gives our customers a mini-PACS type capability."
   
Additionally at SNM, Hitachi gave attendees a look at Emory Cardiac Toolbox PETtools, a new software package for the AVIA workstation. Combined with AVIA Software Release v.5.6, the software will provide advances in clinical utility for the Sceptre P3 and is distributed under license from Syntermed, Inc..

The optional PETtools can broaden capabilities for quantitative PET evaluation of cardiac perfusion to the Sceptre P3/AVIA system. The software offers databases with normal limits specifically for Rubidium and Ammonia PET studies and tools to evaluate FDG match/mismatch for cardiac PET that enables physicians to conduct a more comprehensive cardiac evaluation.

Another feature of the software release is the new AVIA Lite Viewer, which allows users to burn cases directly to DVD/CD, along with providing a built-in viewer for physician review. AVIA Lite Viewer expands the broad viewing capabilities of the multi-modality workstation to any PC, Hitachi said.
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