+ imagingbiz newswire

Discovering Bacteria, FDA Orders Seizure of Tainted Ultrasound Gel

April 19, 2012

Acting on orders from the FDA, federal marshals siezed a quantity of ultrasound transmission gel from its New Jersey manufacturer after the product was found to have been tainted with dangerous bacteria.

The Newark-based Pharmaceutical Innovations, Inc., makers of Other-Sonic Generic Ultrasound Transmission Gel, previously had run afoul of the federal government in July 2011, when the company was Read More »

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Posted in ultrasound , safety

HIFU Entails Fewer Side Effects, Lower Cost in Prostate Lumpectomies

April 17, 2012

A new study in The Lancet Oncology reports that high-intensity, focused ultrasound treatment not only improves prostate cancer patient outcomes, but does so at a third of the cost.

Researchers at the University College London have discovered that high-intensity, focused ultrasound (HIFU) provides a more accurate tool for targeting prostate tumors, one that offers fewer side effects. Traditional treatments typically involve the irradiation or surgical removal of the gland, which promises either or both impotence and incontinence for patients.

Read More »

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Posted in ultrasound , mri , research

JAMA Publishes Study on Effectiveness of Ultrasound and MRI Breast Cancer Screening Tests

April 05, 2012

Legislative efforts to require information about breast density on mammography results provided to patients have raised awareness about the varying effectiveness of mammography. However, up until recently, there has been little data on what, if anything, women with dense breast tissue should do to improve their odds of early detection of breast cancer.

A study in the latest issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) partially answers this question. It shows that additional breast cancer screening with ultrasound and MRI can indeed catch a percentage of cancers missed on mammograms, but the researchers stopped... Read More »

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Posted in ultrasound , mri , research , breast_imaging

GE Challenge Winner to Study Breast Cander in Uganda with $100K Prize

April 02, 2012

Thanks to a $100,000 GE research award, Seattle radiologist Constance Lehman is taking her practice overseas.

Lehman was selected as one of five winners of the international GE Healthymagination Cancer Challenge,”, which rewards innovative breast cancer research methods with seed money.

Lehman’s proposal centers on the use of portable ultrasound to examine the emergence of triple-negative breast cancer among women in rural Uganda. She will work to raise awareness of early detection methods for breast cancer while training local... Read More »

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Posted in ultrasound , ge_healthcare , research , breast_imaging

Virginia, Utah Join States Considering Breast Density Notice Laws

February 10, 2012

A growing number of states are considering new laws that require radiologists to notify women of their breast tissue density as part of a routine mammogram.

Studies show cancers are less likely to be detected in dense breast tissue. Although physicians have known about the issue for years, relatively few women are notified when they receive a mammogram.

Connecticut became the first state in 2009 to pass a law that urges women with dense breast tissue to consider additional screening such as ultrasound or MRI. The law came about following the experience of Nancy Cappello, who received a... Read More »

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Posted in ultrasound , breast_imaging

Analog Corporation Launches Three New Ultrasound Devices

February 08, 2012

Analog Corporation announced this week the launch of three new ultrasound devices by its subsidiary BK Medical.

The new ultrasound devices incorporate the company’s Quantum Technology is said to “improve contrast resolution, as well as new gray scale maps and new image pre-sets, making it easier and quicker to obtain the highest quality images,” according to a press release.

The devices also provide “angle independent visualization of blood flow, and an advanced color Doppler mode,” based on the release.

Analog Corporation... Read More »

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Posted in ultrasound , imaging_vendor_news

Non-radiologists Drive High MSK Ultrasound Utilization

February 02, 2012

Nonradiologists accounted for much of the higher utilization rates of musculoskeletal ultrasound from 2000 to 2009, based on a study in the February issue of the Journal of American College of Radiology.

The study looked at Medicare payment records and found musculoskeletal ultrasound volume increased from 56,254 procedures in 2000 to 233,964 in 2009. The increase was highest among non-radiologists, especially podiatrists, and for those physicians in office settings.

Richard E. Sharpe, MD, MBA, lead author of the study, says the findings raise concerns about self-referral, based on a press... Read More »

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Posted in ultrasound , utilization_management

Focused Ultrasound Could Push Out Kidney Stones

February 01, 2012

Space researchers are developing an interesting new ultrasound technology that could push out a kidney stone with far less pain than traditional methods of passing a stone naturally.

Astronauts are more susceptible to kidney stones because it’s difficult to hydrate and zero gravity degrades bone putting more salt in the urine. If a kidney stone doesn’t pass, surgery could be needed and performing surgery in space isn’t easy. That’s where the interest of space exploration comes in.

Scientists with the National Space Biomedical Research Institute are developing the new technology that... Read More »

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Posted in ultrasound , research

iPhone, Skype Used for Remote Ultrasound

January 18, 2012

In another remarkable application of the iPhone, researchers have confirmed that at least two life-threatening conditions, apnea and pneumothorax, can be ruled out remotely using an iPhone with an ultrasound attachment.

The ultrasound images can be streamed from the iPhone using Skype and remotely accessed by a sonographer on a full-size monitor, according to a study published in The Journal of Trauma.

Sonographers are able to rule out sleep apnea or pneumothorax by watching for respiratory motion during sleep known as lung sliding. Researchers at... Read More »

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Posted in ultrasound

Fujifilm Acquires U.S. Ultrasound Maker Sonosite

December 16, 2011

Japanese-based Fujifilm Holdings announced an agreement this week to buy SonoSite Inc, a U.S.-based maker of ultrasound and cardiograph equipment, for nearly $1 billion

The boards of directors of both companies are said to have endorsed the deal, which still awaits shareholder approval. Shares of Sonosite on the NASDAQ shot up 27% with the news on Thursday, while Fujifilm stock on the Tokyo exchange dropped slightly.

Naohiro Fujitani, president and CEO of FUJIFILM Medical USA, tells imagingBiz.com that the acquisition puts Fuji in position to expand its line of business into the “point-of-care” market... Read More »

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Posted in ultrasound , imaging_vendor_news , fujifilm_medical_systems_usa

Global Medical Ultrasound Market to Reach $6.9 Billion by 2017

November 14, 2011

The global market for medical ultrasound equipment is projected to reach $6.9 billion by 2017, reveals a report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc., San Jose, California.

Several factors will drive the market, the report says, including applications in such new segments as administration of emergency medicine and introduction of portable, hand-held ultrasound devices.

Moreover, while demand for ultrasound equipment from developed regions is primarily expected to emanate from the need for replacement, nstrong economic growth and increasing health care spending in developing markets are expected to spark louder cries for new equipment, the company’s research indicates.<... Read More »

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Posted in ultrasound

Radiologists Remain Primary POC Ultrasound Users, Study Shows

November 02, 2011

Non-radiologist physicians have contributed to the widespread use of point-of-care (POC) ultrasound, but radiologists remain the primary users, according to a study in the November issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

David C. Levin, MD, the study’s lead author, cites a recent paper authored by Christopher L. Moore, M.D., and Joshua A. Copel, M.D and published in the New England Journal of Medicine. In that paper, Moore and Copel indicate that miniaturization and a drop in costs have facilitated the growth of non-cardiac POC ultrasound by clinicians and that the... Read More »

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Posted in ultrasound , research , imaging_statistics_and_trends

Proposed Rule Would Limit Multi-Procedure Payment Reductions

October 31, 2011

A rule that strikes back against imaging cuts advocated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) was introduced last week in the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. Pete Olson (R-TX) and Betty McCollum (D-MN).

Co-sponsored by 31 House members, the proposed rule — known as the Diagnostic Imaging Services Protection Act (Bipartisan H.R. 3269) — would take effect next year and would prohibit any multiple procedure payment reduction to the “professional component” of CT, MRI, and ultrasound exams received by the same patient, on the same day, in the same setting. It is a... Read More »

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Posted in medicare , ct , reimbursement , acr , ultrasound , mri , health_care_policy_news , legislation , medicaid , physician_compensation

Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Enhances Microvascular Perfusion Deficit Detection

July 28, 2011

Microvascular perfusion deficits and reduced arterial perfusion reserve are clearly detectable in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) when dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is used after transient arterial occlusion, report the authors of a feasibility study published online and in the August issue of Investigative Radiology.

The study involved 20 patients with PAD, Rutherford classification grade I, category III, and 20 healthy volunteers. Low-mechanical index CEUS (7 MHz; MI, 0.28) was performed to the dominant lower leg after start of a continuous automatic intravenous injection of 4.8 mL suspension with micro-bubbles containing sulfur hexafluoride. Perfusion of the calf muscle was monitored by... Read More »

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Posted in ultrasound