I mentioned in an earlier post that I was wondering about the actual attendance for RSNA this year. My colleague, associate editor Elaine Sanchez got the numbers to me recently.

 Yes, there was indeed a dip in attendance; but not a nosedive, as some in the indy predicted.

 Attendance at this year’s RSNA fell 5% compared to last year, according to unaudited totals released from the organization.

 Exhibitor attendance represented the biggest drop. The numbers show that 24,683 vendor registrants were in the halls, a 12% drop from 2007. Furthermore, 726 technical exhibits took up 516,100 square feet, which is 4% less than last year.

 Professional attendance fell 1% to 27,586, while guest attendance increased 7% to 6,526.

A total of 58,795 people attended the 2008 RSNA meeting – last year, it was nearly 62,000.

 The “more the merrier” is the usual mantra. Even so, the folks I’ve talked with – both vendors and attendees – were pleased with what they saw and learned this year. …How about you? Comment and let us know if this RSNA was rewarding to you.

A basic knowledge of PACS is a given in the medical imaging profession. But as the technology continues to evolve and the needs of organizations change, radiologists and PACS administrators still have much to learn. It’s no surprise then that this year’s RSNA hosted 183 informatics events!

The informatics demonstration areas of RSNA showcased computer applications in radiologic education and information management. The topics of these demos, workshops and classes provide a good idea of what’s “hot” in PACS right now.

Data storage, disaster recovery, and archiving solutions were plentiful on the RSNA floor this year, highlighting the demand from healthcare customers to organize increasing amounts of patient information. Before the show opened, I chatted with Buzz Walker, vice president of marketing and product management at ProStor Systems, about the Boulder, Colo., data storage company, and he provided me with a helpful overview of the booming industry. Healthcare institutions, he said, are trying "to solve the exploding need to store more and more information." His company offers the medical community " a way to replace technology that are becoming obsolete," in a way that is compatible and consistent with what is used already. The ProStor InfiniVault-DICOM is removable disk technology that serves as an intelligent long-term archive for images, as well as patient files, with a shelf life  of 30 years. Addressing cost savings, ProStor says its product reduces power consumption by up to 75%, eliminates expensive technology migrations, and protects images with multiple removable copies.

Replacing an x-ray room to implement digital radiography is a costly undertaking. Thanks to Carestream’s new wireless, cassette-size DRX-1, there’s a better, more cost-effective solution. Visitors to Carestream’s RSNA booth were enthusiastic about this work-in-progress system that fits into both wall stand and table-based Buckys. The industry’s first wireless DR detector means a rapid, affordable conversion for those with film or CR systems. The DRX-1 consists of a console and a wireless 14- by 17-inch cassette-size digital radiography detector. RSNA attendees applauded this wireless beauty because it represents real innovation and an understanding of provider’s cost concerns. Kudos to Carestream! 

Remember last RSNA? The splashy launches of all those sexy CT machines like the Aquilion One and Brilliance iCT and so on?  Remember the excitement about the 256- slice, lower dose, capture an organ in a single rotation and all that? …. Well, this year, the focus is on the opposite…sort of “less can be more…. eventually.” Take Philips for example. The company is offering their Brilliance iCT SP (scalable platform) this year. It’s a 128-slice machine…but with the ability to upgrade to 256-slices when needed. And, it’s more affordable, of course, than the 256-slice we met last year. …We talked rationale for this debut. A Philips spokesperson said it’s all about the economy – providers are cautious about investing; yet they don’t want to buy something that works for 2009 only. So the upgradeable solution makes sense. Invest less now…and when times get better you have the flexibility to get more – the full 256-slice capability. …Economics rule in the CT arena. 

A woman walked into Compressus' booth the other day and described her department's trouble managing all the disparate PACS on site. Her staff faced challenges in looking up patient information timely and efficiently amongst the multiple systems in house.  "Can you help?" she implored. Compressus was happy to inform her about the next generation MEDxConnect Version 2.5, a thin-client solution that Product Manager Ed Schuler says offers complete interoperability. Just last week, the company finished installing the single enterprise-wide worklist solution at Seattle Radiologists, APC. The technology enables physicians to read from anywhere, automatically pre-fetch prior exams, and transmit messages and cases between sites.

The system can be integrated with GE Centricity PACS, Centricity IW, Philips iSite, Hologic SecurView, Visage Imaging, PowerScribe speech recognition software, and Merge e-FILM.

During these hard financial times, no one can resist a good sale. Knowing this, CoActiv is selling a $15,000 PACS for almost half price, at $7,995, as an RSNA special. The EXAM-Essentials plug and play PACS is ideal for facilities without big budgets, said Ed Heere, the company's president and CEO. It installs in just minutes and is compatible with a full spectrum of imaging modalities and associated DICOM data sets, including radiology, cardiology, orthopedics, radiation oncology and radiation therapy. Essentially, the turnkey system offers an economical upgrade path to accomodate a practice's expanding imaging needs.

Also announced, CoActiv's EXAM-PACS now supports a range of emerging modalities and new imaging-related workflow, including the following:

MIMVista radiology/nuclear medicine files for fusion imaging

MedImage nuclear medicine/radiology fusion

PeerVue applications

Dragon Naturally Speaking 

Dilon Technologies BSGI files

Digital mammography

Breast ultrasound

Breast MRI

Hurry over to Booth 7336 in the North Hall to enjoy the sale while it lasts!

Shuttle buses transporting attendees to and from McCormick Place are outfitted with these promos from GE: