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Readers choose radiology’s most valuable products and services

Advanced Visualization
Quadro FX 5800 NVIDIA

NVIDIA’s Quadro FX 5800 is transforming the way medical professionals solve complex visualization challenges. The advanced feature set provides the right set of tools to deliver results that push visualization beyond traditional 3-D.

Offering 10-bit gray scaling, the industry’s first 4 GB of graphics memory, and 240 CUDA parallel processing cores, the Quadro FX 5800 provides scalability to swiftly visualize and interpret massive datasets with high degrees of precision and realism. It enables visualization and interactivity of large-scale models and allows for interactive 4-D modeling.

The Quadro FX 5800 combines high-performance graphics and computation to provide visual supercomputing directly from the desktop, revolutionizing the way radiologists process large datasets, leading to faster time-to-diagnosis.

“The advanced textured graphics capabilities of the Quadro FX 5800 enable CyberHeart to provide 3-D radiosurgical target visualization and definition tools for treating cardiac arrhythmias,” says Thilaka Sumanaweera, chief technical officer of Menlo Park, Calif.-based CyberHeart Inc., a medical device company developing a noninvasive radiosurgical system for cardiac applications. “The Quadro FX cards provide us with the extreme bandwidth necessary to support our cutting-edge technology, and essentially, save lives.”

For more information, visit www.nvidia.com.


CAD
R2 Digital CAD
Hologic Inc.

R2™ ImageChecker® CAD helps with reading analog and digital mammograms by identifying regions of interest on mammography images and bringing them to the radiologist’s attention in order to decrease false-negative readings.

“CAD helps us direct our eyes to certain areas of the image that we should examine more closely,” says Julianne Greenberg, MD, director of mammography at Fairfax, Va.-based Washington Radiology Associates, “and this enhances our ability to detect early breast cancer.” She adds, “The R2 CAD system is great because it integrates seamlessly into the digital workfow at the radiologist’s workstation.”

ImageChecker CAD was the first FDA-approved mammography CAD system. Being a pioneer in this technology has provided a growing database of clinical cases to effectively identify masses, architectural distortions, and microcalcifications in a diverse screening population.

The R2 ImageChecker algorithm has been refined over the last 15 years. The algorithm looks for characteristics commonly associated with cancer – specifically, calcifications and masses, including architectural distortions. The algorithm ranks its findings by prominence of features, places marks on those regions above a fixed threshold, and then sends the results to the review workstation.

For more information, visit www.hologic.com.


CR & DR
EasyDiagnost Eleva and DRF Room Solution
Philips Healthcare

The EasyDiagnost Eleva and digital radiography/fluoroscopy (DRF) room solution creates a two-in-one examination concept – all in one room – to help increase workflow efficiency, speed exam times, and better utilize space.

“Having radiography in the same room where you are able to provide fluoroscopic evaluation is a tremendous advantage in terms of efficiency. It allows much more efficient use of technologists’ time and control of patient flow,” says Donald Frush, MD, chief of pediatric radiology at Duke Children’s Hospital and Health Center in Durham, N.C.

The EasyDiagnost Eleva is designed to perform a wide range of applications, from gastrointestinal procedures to standard radiography. Features include a fold-out cassette holder with an internal grid and automatic exposure control for fast available lateral exposures.

There are three configurations available for the DRF room, which extends the EasyDiagnost Eleva’s application by combining it with a high-end digital vertical stand and/or in-table detector. At Duke Children’s, when the fluoro unit is not needed, the control tower can be moved out of the way, allowing routine radiographic studies.

For more information, visit www.philips.com/healthcare.


Coding/Reimbursement
Velocity Billing
CBIZ Medical Management Professionals Inc. (MMP)

With its combination of technologies, processes, personnel, and quality assurance, the proprietary Velocity Billing system can materially improve the revenue streams of physician groups in radiology and other specialty areas. It identifies and efficiently addresses essential billing principles commonly overlooked by physician groups or their current billing service providers.

“MMP created consistent processes by installing new electronic billing, coding, and reimbursement technologies with on-the-job staff education. Thanks to MMP, we are now comfortably equipped to meet ever-evolving industry standards and positioned for tangible, lasting success,” says Patrick W. Barr, MD, president of Dallas-based Southwest Imaging and Interventional Specialists.

Velocity Billing allows MMP to perform the billing process in a more efficient and effective way, specifically by focusing on data management. The overall process is designed around eight core steps, including reporting and data management, to increase collections, with the ultimate goal of allowing physicians to focus on improved patient care. A comprehensive quality assurance process assures consistent application across the board.

For more information, visit www.cbizmmp.com.


CT
Brilliance iCT
Philips Healthcare

The Brilliance iCT features comprehensive technology that combines speed, power, and coverage. Nanopanel detectors quickly render high-resolution 3-D images. A scalable iMRC X-ray tube and generator system improves image quality for obese patients and cardiac imaging. The AirGlide gantry rotates 22 percent faster than current technology, but remains quiet for patient comfort. Patients also benefit from reduced radiation exposure, as this advanced technology allows for faster scanning.

Healthcare providers are leveraging iCT’s intelligent technology and features to provide care across a range of clinical areas and patients. “The iCT has exceeded my expectations in terms of both performance and image quality,” says George Ebert, MD, PhD, director of CT at Fletcher Allen in Burlington, Vt.  “Total scan times for the most demanding examinations are only seconds long. We see image quality benefits in complex procedures like brain perfusion and neuro-CTA, as well as routine body imaging, bariatric, and CVCT.”

Ebert adds, “The installation and training went flawlessly, and we are extremely pleased with the entire experience. The scanner is helping our clinicians gain valuable insights for a wide range of applications, while incorporating the latest dose reduction.”

For more information, visit www.philips.com/BrillianceiCT.


Data Storage & Management
Corepoint Integration Engine
Corepoint Health

The Corepoint Integration Engine offers users enhanced features, such as roles, user profiles, and detailed graphic views. With specific user roles in place, IT departments are able to permit only designated users access to the interface environment based on organization’s business rules and
operating guidelines.

Graphic views also allow users to monitor queue depths, idle time, active alerts, and message status in realtime, taking needed actions with shorter response times.

“Corepoint Health delivered a robust, simple-to-use interfacing functionality at a reasonable price,” says John Griffith, CIO, director of operations at Portland, Ore.-based EPIC Imaging. “With Corepoint Health’s healthcare integration solution, EPIC Imaging has strengthened its relationships with the referring physician community; furthermore, we have increased our business by doing more professional reads and increasing the number of direct referrals.”

With the Corepoint Integration Engine, users can configure interfaces simply, build data logic quickly, and ensure high quality with a built-in test manager. Corepoint Integration Engine works productively with various data formats and standards, including all versions of HL-7, XML, HL-7 CDA and CCD, X12, DICOM, and delimited files.

For more information, visit www.corepointhealth.com.


Display Systems
MultiSync MD304MC
NEC Display Systems

Whether viewed in a hospital, office, or home, the NEC MultiSync® MD304MC display is truly pleasing to the eyes. This 30-inch widescreen panel, complete with high-resolution (2560 x 1600), color LCD, and 12-bit gamma is ideal for medical imaging and PACS applications. Each monitor comes with out-of-the-box calibration, ColorComp™ technology, and GammaComp™ MD software for image quality and consistency. To ensure proper viewing, NEC has equipped the monitor with an X-Light™ backlight sensor that readjusts color and brightness when necessary.

The MultiSync MD304MC comes with a strong recommendation from its users. David Koch, MD, who practices teleradiology from his home, remarks: “I have been very pleased using these monitors for reviewing radiology images, including demanding use with CR/DR plain film modalities and a large number of color Doppler vascular ultrasound examinations. The large monitor surface allows me to review multiple images at the same time or to review very high-resolution individual images without having to pan the image on the monitor. I have been happy with my experience with NEC through the purchase and delivery process. My calls to customer and technical support were promptly and efficiently processed. “

For more information, visit www.necdisplay.com.


Mammography
Selenia
Hologic Inc.

Image quality is the key to early detection. That’s why Hologic invests millions of dollars each year into research and development to push the boundaries of imaging technology.

The Selenia® full-field digital mammography system uses selenium-based direct capture technology, which eliminates light scatter to provide incredibly sharp images in a matter of
seconds. It incorporates Hologic’s patented HTC® grid technology that delivers higher contrast images by significantly reducing radiation scatter without increasing dose.

A tungsten X-ray tube with rhodium and silver filters reduces radiation dose to the patient while maintaining the quality and contrast of Selenia images. The acquisition workstation features a thoughtful user interface and intuitive display screens, giving users more time to focus on the patient.

“One of the biggest strengths of Hologic is their investment in working with users to develop a product,” says Alan Semine, MD, chief of the breast imaging division at Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton, Mass. “The Selenia system is fully integrated. From the acquisition station to the soft copy workstation there is constructive communication back and forth from technologist to radiologist and back again. Also, importantly, the workstation can be adapted to the preferences of the radiologist effectively.”

The Selenia Dimensions 2-D digital mammography system is the newest addition to Hologic’s U.S. family of breast-imaging solutions. Selenia Dimensions 2-D offers the image quality radiologists have come to expect from Hologic and can be configured for 3-D breast imaging when and if breast tomosynthesis is approved by the U.S. FDA.

For more information, visit www.hologic.com/breast-imaging.


MRI Accessories
EcoSlim Luminous SkyCeilings
The Sky Factory

The MRI suite can be an intimidating place, but a serene view of nature can be just the thing to calm patients. Sky Factory EcoSlim Luminous SkyCeilings are realistic images of beautiful skies displayed in an ultra-thin, dimmable, eco-friendly system. Fully compatible with MRI and other RF-free environments, EcoSlim is energy-efficient, non-toxic (zero mercury), and features maintenance-free longevity (50,000-100,000 hour life). EcoSlim is dimmable so it’s perfect for radiation therapy suites and any other locations where precise illumination control is desired.

The advanced EcoSlim LED edge-lit technology illuminates the proprietary sky image panels with uniformity, enhancing the realistic illusion of sky. The low-profile design requires less than 3.5 inches of ceiling clearance, making EcoSlim ideal for renovation and retrofit installations.

“The reason we used the SkyCeiling is because it brings the outdoors in,” says Ted Wolfe, executive director of the new McCreery Cancer Center at Ottumwa Regional Health Care in southeast Iowa. “It appears so natural. When you get in there as a patient you don’t recognize the fact that there are 6 feet of concrete over you. It’s so natural, and it has such an appeal to the mind as you’re lying there with all the technology moving around you. It’s just very, very comforting.”

Evidence-based design research indicates that authentic illusions of nature – such as Sky Factory SkyCeilings – trigger relaxation, alleviate stress and anxiety, increase patient comfort, promote healing, and reduce the use of pain medication in healthcare environments.

For more information, visit  www.theskyfactory.com.


Nuclear Medicine
Biograph mCT
Siemens Medical Solutions

Siemens is making major advances in dual-modality imaging with its Biograph mCT, the world’s first molecular CT. It is born out of the integration of an advanced HD-PET platform and the world’s first Adaptive Spiral CT.

The new technology provides higher resolution images for better detection. It also boasts low patient doses, more comfortable examinations, and is fully scalable and upgradeable. Also, its five-minute whole-body PET/CT scans make the most of shared modalities to improve throughput.
Biograph mCT can enhance high-resolution CT images, when required, with molecular contrast for even greater diagnostic certainty. Its ultra HD-PET technology delivers highly detailed images with up to four times as much contrast as conventional PET/CT scanners.

“We have completely changed our workflow to fully utilize our new molecular CT,” says Marjorie Calvetti, MSW, director of radiology at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, Ill. “With the ability to perform faster PET scans, we maximize use of the scanner by handling both our PET and our busy CT schedules on one system. Despite a higher initial investment, this new shared-service model has helped us to reduce our overall spending. As the economy continues to strangle capital equipment budgets, a game-changing system like Biograph mCT maximizes our return on investment.”

The combination of technologies in one compact system benefits patients and offers referring physicians quality imaging capabilities in less time.

For more information, visit www.medical.siemens.com.


PACS
iSite PACS
Philips Healthcare

A standards-based, single database solution, the architecture of iSite PACS was designed to improve workflow and efficiency across the entire enterprise for clinicians, technologists, the IT department, and administrators. With advanced API functionality, iSite PACS can also image-enable an institution’s Electronic Medical Record (EMR).

 “iSite PACS features an open API that enables us to connect with best-of-breed clinical and IT applications. We’re leveraging that capability to help us make more informed decisions,” says Richard Wiggins III, MD, director of Imaging Informatics at University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
As one of the leading medical image and information management systems on the market, iSite PACS is appropriately scaled for diagnostic imaging centers of various sizes: from small community hospitals to large multi-scale academic institutions.

According to Wiggins: “We recently integrated iSite PACS with STATdx Diagnostic Decision Support System, a reference technology that streamlines workflow by reducing the time required to research and complete a difficult imaging analysis. This powerful combination of images and information at the point of care greatly increases our diagnostic confidence in complicated cases and has been a critical solution in our enterprise.”

For more information, visit www.philips.com/healthcare.

Patient Positioning
Patient Position System
ProCure Treatment Centers, Inc.

Although industrial robots have been used in radiation therapy treatment in the past, the Patient Positioning System (PPS) from ProCure is the first that combines the flexibility and accuracy needed for optimal targeting of the treatment site with advanced clinical versatility and ease-of-use.

The basic configuration of the robotic PPS is a Selective Compliant Assembly Robot Arm, and combines commercially available robotic sub-systems with custom-designed arms to allow for the specific needs of patient positioning in proton therapy. A unique dual coupler system is attached at the end of the wrist of the robot arm that is used to attach different devices to the PPS, such as a patient table or chair, or a test phantom.

PPS’ advanced design elements enable an increase of the clinically usable area of the proton therapy treatment room, which also makes it suitable for image-guided proton therapy in combination with 3-D imaging capability in the treatment room, and improved ergo-nomics for both patients and therapists.

“The PPS is a great tool for any radiotherapy clinic, whether proton or X-Ray,” says Sameer Keole, MD, from Radiation Medical Associates in Oklahoma City. “The PPS allows us to deliver treatments accurately and interchange treatment devices quickly and seamlessly. I expect robotic positioning taking a greater role in radiation therapy in the future.”


For more information, visit http://procure.com.


Radiation Therapy
Hi·Art Treatment System
TomoTherapy

As both a treatment delivery machine and a CT scanner, TomoTherapy’s Hi·Art system allows doctors to take a CT scan just before each treatment. With the scan, they can verify the position of the tumor and, if necessary, adjust the patient’s position to ensure radiation is directed right where it should be.

The full TomoTherapy treatment takes an average of 10-20 minutes, including the daily CT scanning and treatment time as well as patient set-up, positioning, and image registration to ensure accuracy. It leverages the ring gantry geometry used in CT scanning for the delivery of state-of-the-art intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) from all angles around the patient.

“TomoTherapy uniquely combines CT imaging and radiation delivery for highly precise cancer treatments. Because we can perform CT imaging every day, we can deliver treatment more accurately and limit radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissue,” says Pauline Lausser, radiation therapist at Renown Institute for Cancer in Reno, Nev. “Daily imaging enhances patient confidence that treatment is effectively treating their cancer, and it improves their experience because they have fewer side effects than with other types of treatments.”

TomoTherapy is also completely integrated, providing easy-to-use software for treatment planning, quality assurance, patient set-up, and treatment delivery, all using the same secure centralized database. It includes a powerful, 32-processor computer system that rapidly creates sophisticated IMRT plans, and it stores all patient and plan information in a single location, removing the risk of data transfer errors.

For more information, visit www.tomotherapy.com.


RIS
NovaRIS
NovaRad

A smooth-running department depends on its ability to monitor efficiency and profitability. NovaRIS allows tracking of patient information, procedures, exam status, revenues and insurance payouts. It also allows generation of reports based on CPT or revenue codes. Its admin reports function alerts users to potential problems such as incomplete exams and missing insurance codes. And like all NovaPACS products, NovaRIS seamlessly integrates with PACS or HIS. Featuring voice recognition and transcription, NovaRIS generates reports, measures profitability, and facilitates paperless management of patient records.

“Since installing NovaRIS, all our processes are more efficient, and we have been able to cut our workflow time from days to hours,” says James Shuburte, director at Pemiscot Memorial Health Systems in Hayti, Mo. “The RIS has eliminated the time- and resource-consuming tasks of retrieving folders and pulling archived films. Now, everything is easily accessible on the computer by a single person, which has freed staff to focus on other activities in the department. NovaRIS is also easy to learn and intuitive to use. And when we do have a service need, NovaRad’s support team is always available, and its remote monitoring capability enables any issue to be addressed immediately.”

NovaRad’s NovaRIS received the highest overall performance score in the RIS community hospital market segment of the 2009 KLAS “The Revival of RIS” report.

For more information, visit www.novapacs.com.


Teleradiology
StatRad

Demands are high in the fast-paced world of teleradiology, but hospitals and physicians can be confident with a company like StatRad on their side. StatRad is leading the way for teleradiology providers, offering around-the-clock services and customized solutions, with today’s latest software and technology. Hospitals and healthcare groups rely on their services to save money, supplement staffing, improve patient care, and maintain control of their facilities. StatRad also offers a network of board-certified radiologists able to interpret in all digital modalities.

Robert Benson, MD, of Reliant Radiology in La Mirada, Calif. says: “Previously, we were using a much larger, international company. Since switching providers, we have found that StatRad just does everything right. They are personable and kind and have tailored their operations to meet the specific needs of our particular practice. Their technology far exceeds our prior provider in
overall quality assurance, turn-around times, and the impeccable ability of their radiologists to communicate seamlessly with our hospital&rs