“It will be like a GPS guiding a car.”
– Antwerp University Hospital radiology department chair, Paul Parizel, describing how he expects medical imaging to support (and not replace) physicians.
The Imaging Wire
Neusoft’s Neu CT
Neusoft made a rare appearance in the US press, announcing plans to debut its new 16-slice NeuViz 16 Essence CT at the AHRA meeting later this month. As expected from a Neusoft 16-slice CT announcement, the company touted the system’s low-cost value proposition, calling it the “best value in the worldwide 16-slice market,” and emphasizing 16-slice systems’ much lower acquisition and service costs than 64-slice systems. In addition to low costs, the new FDA 510k-cleared system is built upon the same platform as the previous NeuViz 16 CT, adding (unspecified) applications that Neusoft Medical previously introduced with its still-new NeuViz 128 CT platform. The NeuViz 16 Essence CT also features a range of comfort advancements including a wider bore, optimal gantry tilt, and 43 cm minimal couch height. Neusoft may be a small player in the US, but this launch is still notable given that Neusoft works with a number of major US resellers and the 16-slice NeuViz 16 Essence CT falls right within its US sweet spot.
BioMind 2, Physicians 0
More reaffirming news for the “AI will steal radiology jobs” crowd. The BioMind AI system in China beat a team of 15 doctors in a two-round competition focusing on the diagnosis of brain tumors and predicting the expansion of brain hematomas or bruises. BioMind correctly diagnosed 87% of the 225 tumor cases in 15 minutes (vs. the doctors’ 66% in 30 minutes) and correctly predicted brain hematoma expansion in 83% of cases (vs. the doctors’ 63%). Although this contest is most notable for its role in earning BioMind widespread global news coverage (this was a very effective publicity stunt), the company’s claim of a 90% accuracy rate for common neurological diseases could certainly make it a valuable resource for radiologists.
UCL’s Optical Ultrasound
Researchers from University College London demonstrated the first all-optical ultrasound for video-rate 2D imaging of biological tissue, making some serious claims about how it may evolve the popular modality. UCL suggests optical ultrasound technology could improve ultrasound performance, reduce costs, eliminate the swapping of imaging probes for different modes (e.g. 2D and 3D), and expand potential applications. UCL didn’t stop there, indicating that the new technology may revolutionize image-guided procedures that would use ultrasound in conjunction with MRI scanners. Innovations like these take time to become a reality, but given optical technology’s momentum across modalities and the growing focus on image-guided procedures, UCL’s new all-optical ultrasound technology is worth keeping an eye on.
The Wire
- Major European PET/CT medical imaging provider and radiopharmacy operator, Alliance Medical Group (AMG), acquired molecular imaging agent developer, Piramal Imaging. Piramal Imaging will be combined with AMG’s Life Radiopharma unit, giving AMG a wider integrated portfolio that now includes development, production, and imaging services.
- The ACR submitted comments to CMS calling for changes to Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS). The ACR specifically opposed CMS’ statement regarding patients’ “surprise bills,” suggesting that these bills have more to do with private insurers than Medicare and reveal a bias against physicians. ACR also encouraged CMS to “protect the free flow of clinical information exchanged between users of hospital EHR systems and external medical imaging providers” and warning against separating cost-to-charge ratios for CT and MR cost centers.
- Chinese medical imaging analysis AI startup, Imsight Medical Technology, completed a new 20 million yuan funding round ($3m USD), increasing its 16-month fundraising total to 100 million yuan ($15m USD), and allowing Imsight to increase R&D on new products and clinical applications as it prepares for a global expansion.
- Imaging Biometrics (IB) and Medimsight partnered to provide IB’s MR perfusion and diffusion imaging software to physicians and researchers via the Medimsight AI marketplace platform.
- UK medical imaging company, Serac Life Sciences, announced the creation of its Serac Healthcare subsidiary, focused on developing maraciclatide, a molecular imaging tracer acquired from GE Healthcare to help rheumatologists deliver personalized medicine.
- Avenu Medical received FDA De Novo authorization to market its Ellipsys Vascular Access System, an ultrasound-guided and catheter-based system for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring hemodialysis. The Ellipsys will give US physicians the first new option for arteriovenous (AV) fistula creation, a procedure that hasn’t changed in 50 years.
- A recent study from University Hospital Zurich found that cardiac hybrid imaging using SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) and coronary CT angiography (CCTA) is more effective at predicting heart attack risk than ICA due to its ability to identify both cardiac stenosis and perfusion.
- MILabs introduced its new VECTor6 preclinical PET system, combining PET, SPECT, and optical and X-ray CT imaging modalities, while simultaneously imaging multiple disease tracers at the sub-mm resolution level to translate research from humanized mouse models to the clinic.
- Researchers in Sweden and the Netherlands made advances in combining nanoSPECT/CT with a novel pretargeted radionuclide cancer therapy that appears to be nontoxic to the kidneys and may be particularly efficient by targeting tumors with much higher doses than critical organs.
- Pre-clinical biological irradiation and Image Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT) manufacturer, Precision X-Ray, acquired cell and small animal x-ray irradiator manufacturer, Faxitron Bioptics, creating a new company (DRMC X-Ray) through their combined irradiation business assets.
The Resource Wire
– Future home of sponsored content. Maybe yours.
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- Agfa Enterprise Imaging integrates clinical videos and images into a single application
- Analogic’s BK Ultrasound bkSpecto urology ultrasound system combines image quality, speed, usability, and small footprint
- Canon Aquilion Precision, the world’s first Ultra-High Resolution CT system
- Caresteam touts benefits of weight bearing CT imaging
- Fujifilm’s FDR AQRO mobile x-ray combines high sensitivity with small size and low-dos
- GE’s Every woman. Every body. Every town. roadshow brings the company’s breast health technologies and message to centers across the country.
- Hitachi white paper on the business benefits of high-field MRI.
- Hologic’s 3Dimension Mammography System leads with 3D imaging and patient comfort.
- IBM Watson Imaging Clinical Review cognitive data review tool for more accurate patient records.
- Konica Minolta publishes latest Kontours issue.
- Philips’ new HealthSuite Insights AI platform curates and analyzes healthcare data and offers tools to build and operate AI-based solutions.
- Samsung’s RS85A premium ultrasound combines image quality with advanced ergonomics
- Shimaduz MobileDaRt Evolution MX8 premium mobile x-ray
- Siemens’ new Somatom Go CTs add cardiac and image-guided capabilities
