News - Products - Services
New Ultrasound System from ATL
ATL has announced the introduction of the Apogee 800PLUS ultrasound system.
The system includes premium features and capabilities for general imaging,
OB/Gyn, cardiac, vascular, and urology applications.
A number of new features have been added to those already standard on its
predecessor, the Apogee 800 system. Many of these features also are available
as upgrades for Apogee 800 customers. New features of note include enhanced
image quality, Doppler and colour Doppler sensitivity; and six broadband
scanheads are now available. The company claims a new system architecture
increases system speed, while the new keyboard has dedicated keys and knobs
allowing easy and quick selection of imaging modes, dual display, scrolling
and trackball function. New calculations and analysis packages and new measurement
and display tools also are also included. Contact: ATL,
22100 Bothell Everett Hwy, P.O. Box 3003, Bothell, WA 98041, USA. Tel; +1-206-487-7000;
Fax: +1-206-487-8151.
Leopard Ultrasound Scanner
A new ultrasound scanner - the Leopard - is being launched by B&K Medical.
The company claims the Leopard System 2001 represents the 'fourth generation'
of ultrasound equipment. Designed primarily for surgeons and urologists
the Leopard can be adapted to a variety of different applications. "The
Leopard is the result of a targeted development process", says Marketing
Director Carl Simony. "It was stressed from the beginning that the
Leopard and our System 3535 should have the same basic features p; they
are both very mobile, easy to use, have good image quality and a unique
design". Contact: B&K Medical, Sandtoften
9, 2820 Gentofte, Denmark. Tel: +45-45-97-0100; Fax: +45-45-97-0199. B&K
Medical, 10936 portal Drive, Los Alamitos, CA 90720, USA. Tel:
+1-310-493-4514; Fax: +1-714-826-3875.
HiCube PACS
The HiCube family of products provide complete solutions for medical Picture
Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS), and for Computer Assisted Radiological
Diagnosis (CARD). HiCube PACS is an advanced solution for integrated management
of medical diagnostic imaging. HiCube PACS features include: digital acquisition,
with autorouting directly from primary diagnostics equipment; full support
of DICOM; real multimodality diagnostic reporting environment; integrated
real-time and deferred Teleradiology functionality, with full support of
audio-video link; distributed architecture which allows flexible layout
and lets high performance and expensive resources to be shared on the LAN/WAN.
The HiCube PACS also includes an Image Reference Library, available on Kodak
Photo-CD, allowing users to browse images and information about significant
clinical cases in accordance to ACR Index for Radiological Diagnoses. In
addition, the HiCube CARD provides several HiCube PACS add-on applications
with advanced diagnostics in Heart diseases (HiCube CARDIO), and Liver diseases
(HiCube LIVER). HiCube products range from single-user workstations up to
multi-user LAN/WAN systems. Each workstation is user-tunable and may provide
all PACS functionality. High-speed networking, based on ATM technology,
provides a suitable LAN throughput, a direct interface with other WAN distributed
facilities, and an easy link with ATM networks. Contact: INTECH,
Via Degli InnoCentI, 2, Figline Valdarno, FI 50063, Italy. Tel: +39-055-9544173;
Fax: +39-055-9544788; E-mail: staff@intech.it
Surgery Simulation
Computer visualisation specialists Engineering Animation, Inc., have
released Virtual Hysteroscopy, a new software tool used to train gynaecologists.
The company claims Virtual Hysteroscopy is the first realistic computer
simulation of the common, yet complex, hysteroscopic procedure.
Virtual Hysteroscopy enables gynaecologists to learn, practice and master
the intricacies of hysteroscopy. Procedures such as fibroid-tumor removal,
IUD retrieval and uterine lining examination can be simulated and perfected
inside Virtual Hysteroscopy's 3D environment, before the medical practitioner
performs it on a live patient.
EAI have also announced the release of
CardioViewer 3D, a low-cost, multimedia tool for studying detailed cardiac
anatomy and cardiac structures in a realistic, interactive context. Based
on detailed medical images from an actual human cadaver, CardioViewer 3D
can present a useful alternative to dissections of real cadavers. In addition,
the CD-ROM includes footage of diagnostic imaging techniques such as cineangiography
and echocardiography and live video footage of open heart surgery. The package
is aimed at both medical students and surgeons. For more information contact:
Engineering Animation, Inc., ISU Research
Park, 2625 North Loop Drive, Ames, Iowa 50010-8615, USA. Tel: +1-515-296-9908;
Fax: +1-515-296-7025.
Immersion Probe
The Immersion Probe is a 6 d.o.f. human interface tool which allows users
to manipulate a pen-like stylus in 3D space. The system reports to stylus
position and orientation through a standard serial port. The mechanical
tracking system is immune to the noise, interference, and shadowing problems
which plague ultrasonic and magnetic based systems. With resolution as high
as 0.015" and latency as low as 1 millisecond, the Immersion PROBE
is ideal for controlling virtual fly throughs, for allowing manual control
in virtual medical procedures, even for controlling telerobots. Contact:
Immersion Corporation, 2158 Paragon Drive, San Jose, CA 95131, USA. Tel:
+1-408-467-1900; Fax: +1-408-467-1901; E-mail: immersion@starconn.com
Image-Guided Neurosurgery
The SNS-Stereotactic Neurosurgery System simulates the surgical approach
to a region in the brain. A 3D reconstruction of the patient anatomy, coming
from a set of CT/MRI scans, is displayed together with the surgical tools
in order to choose the best trajectory to the target point. Interaction
with 3-D surgical pointer, stereostactic microscope and stereostactic ultrasound
probe is currently under way. Contact: Division of Neurosurgery,
Univ. of Maryland, 22 South Green Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
Tel: +1-410-328-6034; Fax: +1-410-328-0507.
Siemens Go for Gold
Siemens Medical Systems will be providing a mobile MRI system and an ultrasound
imaging system to The Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG) for
use by the medical staff during the 1996 Olympic Games. "With the help
of Siemens, we are a giant step closer to achieving our goal of providing
the best medical care possible to the participants and guests of the 1996
Olympic Games," said Elizabeth Martin, program director of medical
services for ACOG.
MR imaging is an ideal choice for sports medicine applications, as it allows
physicians to simultaneously inspect all the tissues of the joints and assess
damage to athletes non-invasively. The joints include knees, shoulders,
wrists, and elbows -- as well as hips and spine. MRI can visualise torn
ligaments, tendons or cartilage, slipped disks, and swelling.
Ultrasound, the fastest-growing type of imaging system in the world today
and is used in sports medicine for diagnosis of muscle, ligament, and tendon
injuries such as those to the patella and Achilles tendon -- which can occur
during sprinting or jumping.
Siemens claim the mobile Magnetom Impact to be the first high-field MRI
system capable of being transported over U.S. roadways while "ramped"
at full field strength. Its actively-shielded magnet and components allow
the Mobile Impact to be placed in an area as small as 384 square feet (8.6
x 48 feet). For ultrasound imaging purposes, Siemens will be providing its
Sonoline Elegra, the company's new all-digital ultrasound imaging system.
Contact: Siemens Medical Systems.
Philips Offers DICOM Implementation Consultancy
Philips Medical Systems is announcing its validation consultancy services
for DICOM implementations, making it among the first in the medical equipment
industry to offer rigorous and independent testing of DICOM compatibility.
The validation consultancy service is part of Philips' Inturis for Radiology
program, an integrated information management program for radiology departments
that helps reduce costs by optimising the work flow in the department.
Philips Medical Systems has developed a sophisticated set of over 1,000
test cases to check the DICOM compatibility of multi-vendor systems. The
Philips testing protocol is independent of its own DICOM implementations
and commercially available software libraries. These objective test cases
ensure that an independent test is done on any DICOM implementation, covering
DICOM file format, media and services (currently store, query/retrieve,
print, and media storage). In addition, Philips has licensed the test cases
to Merge Technologies Inc. (Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA), which also provides
DICOM testing and consultancy services worldwide
Utilising the results of these test cases, the validation process can significantly
increase the effectiveness of DICOM implementation prior to tests with other
vendors, as well as boost customer confidence in the quality of system implementation
-- before installation in the hospital. The validation consultancy service
provides a review of the DICOM conformance statement, execution of the test
cases, logging of error conditions, advice on solving problems, and a detailed
test report. Contact: Philips
Medical Systems.
DICOM Interface for Cardiac Cath Lab Systems
General Electric Medical
Systems and the Health
Imaging Division of Eastman Kodak Company have announced the first DICOM
network interface linking the imaging systems of different vendors in the
cardiac cath lab market. The interface connects the GE AdvantxLC/DLX cardiac
cath lab system, which incorporates an industry standard DICOM ATM output,
and a cardiac archiving station, under development by Kodak, which supports
the DICOM ATM protocol.
An alpha site for the interface has been installed in the United States,
and initial clinical trials have validated the ability of a cath lab with
DICOM output to support a DICOM-compatible archive and review system made
by another manufacturer. "We recognize the business risk inherent with
providing an industry standard output to our cath lab (system)," says
John Nealon, GE's global product manager for the GEMnet system. "Competitors
will be able to connect via standard protocols to our DICOM output. However,
we believe that this open system will provide customers with more options,
increased competitive offerings and a better upgrade path--all of which
will ultimately result in improved health care at reduced costs."
Both GE and Kodak are promoting the need for direct digital DICOM links
between cath lab digital x-ray systems and image archive and review systems.
"These systems have to be able to communicate," says Terence Rourke,
director of digital products marketing for Kodak's cardiology business.
"The adoption of CD-R as a permanent patient record for interchange
between hospitals is critical; however, we believe the hard-wired digital
communications between vendors' systems must also be DICOM."
There are several commercially available archive and review systems on the
market which claim to be DICOM compliant while using proprietary interfaces
between their cardiac cath lab equipment and archive and review stations.
Proprietary systems limit customers' options," says Kevin Hobert, vascular
marketing manager at GE. "We have seen the benefits of DICOM networking
and open systems in the radiology field, and we want our cardiology customers
to experience the same benefits in the area of digital image communication."
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