Health Imaging & IT - May 2008 - (Page 10)

news updaTe Clinical Studies Single CT scan could diagnose heart disease Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston, S.C., developed a dual-source CT scanner technique that enables comprehensive diagnosis of heart disease based on a single CT scan, according to a study in Circulation. “This technique could be the long coveted ‘one-stop-shop’ test that allows us to look at the heart vessels, heart function and heart blood flow with a single CT scan and within a single breath-hold,” said U. Joseph Schoepf, MD, associate professor or radiology and cardiology, MUSC.  business buZZ new york awards $105m in health iT grants Governor David A. Paterson has awarded $105 million in grants to 19 community-based health IT projects, to help guide medical decisions and support the delivery of more coordinated, patientcentered care. Grants range from $1 million to $10 million each, and are for a two-year contract period. The New York eHealth Collaborative is facilitating the statewide process with the Department of Health.  [ Source: Siemens ] FDA ultrasound contrast warning challenged The FDA should reconsider a strong warning it issued on ultrasound contrast agents, according to study results presented by Melda Dolan, MD, at the 2008 American College of Cardiology (ACC) Scientific Sessions in Chicago. Last October, the FDA placed a black box warning on ultrasound contrast agents used to improve the quality of echocardiograms. The warning was issued after reports of four deaths and serious reactions occurring shortly after or during the infusion. The findings indicate that withholding use of the agents, as a result of the FDA warning, could lead to failure to detect life-threatening cardiac events and that the added benefits of agents are both improving left ventricle outflow and detecting myocardial perfusion. siemens to market Carestream mammography digitizer Siemens Healthcare has added a mammography digitizing system from Carestream Healthcare to its Accessory Solutions product portfolio. The digitizer, which enables mammography facilities to transition to digital imaging, is offered through Siemens to U.S. healthcare providers. CT more cost-effective than SPECT in diagnosing CAD Patients who underwent coronary CT angiography, without a prior diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD), incurred costs $603 lower (per patient average) than those who underwent myocardial perfusion imaging or SPECT, according to a study presented by James k. Min, MD, at the 2008 American College of Cardiology (ACC) in Chicago.  medtronic eyes europe’s telemedicine market Medtronic plans to extend its presence as a telemedicine provider, with the launch an entire series of new products in Europe in 2008 that will all be tailored for remote monitoring. The line-up will include new-generation ICD and pacemaker systems capable of wireless data transfer. mergers & aCQuisiTions Nuance to buy eScription for $00M Nuance Communications has entered into an agreement to buy eScription, a provider of computer-aided medical transcription technology, for approximately $400 million. Nuance said the deal would enhance its ability to provide advanced transcription solutions. GE expands critical-care offerings with VersaMed acquisition GE Healthcare has completed the acquisition of VersaMed, a provider of portable critical-care ventilators for respiratory care. VersaMed’s product offering will expand GE’s capabilities in respiratory care management, offering healthcare professionals a choice of life-support ventilators to meet a variety of patient needs and care settings. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.  Cardiomedix partners with Cdp medical for paCs distribution Cardiomedix, a provider and developer of ambulatory cardiac services and telemedicine technologies, has signed a distribution agreement with CDP Medical for its PACS solutions in the United States. Philips to acquire CVIS developer TOMCAT Philips will acquire TOMCAT Systems, a developer of cardiovascular information systems that collect and aggregate data relative to the cardiac care of patients to give a patient-centric presentation of data to caregivers. STAY CONNECTED: For daily news, log onto HealthImaging.com 10 Health Imaging & IT | May 2008 HealthImaging.com http://HealthImaging.com http://HealthImaging.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Health Imaging & IT - May 2008

Health Imaging & IT - May 2008 Contents On the Web The Enterprise News Update Convention Spotlight: SIIM 2008 Healthcare IT Salary Survey Survey Findings Inside the Transition to Next-Generation Image Management Blurring the Lines: Interfaced vs. Integrated RIS/PACS The Insider's Primer: Taming the Workflow Beast - Five Facilities Tell How Availability, Applications Drive New Archive Strategies Modality Review Managing Technology Inside Technology Reader's Resource Stat Sheet

Health Imaging & IT - May 2008

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