Tickled Pink

by esanchez 12/1/2008 10:38:00 PM

A girly girl through and through, I appreciated Siemens' feminine touch in adding a rosy color to its MAGNETOM Espree to distinguish a new women's health solution. MAGNETOM Espree-Pink offers both feet-first and head-first positioning, a 70 cm open bore, accessibility to perform biopsies, and the shortest magnet on the market. Breast care applications address routine breast imaging needs as well as motion-free imaging results, among other functionalities. The system is equipped with the Sentinelle Vanguard coil, which Siemens reps say allows for superior image quality and faster exam times. Lastly, the system is upgradeable to a fully equipped MAGNETOM Espree with whole-body diagnostic capabilities.

 

Photo courtesy of Siemens Healthcare

"Hot Off the Coils"

by esanchez 12/1/2008 10:10:00 PM

That’s what one Toshiba exec proclaimed as he pointed us to the company’s Radiance Plus Breast Imaging Suite, which is available on the Vantage Atlas and Vantage Titan MR systems. A bilateral, dedicated Radiance Plus Breast Imaging Coil enhances breast image quality through a high signal-to-noise ratio. Additionally, it’s ergonomic, with parts that move up, down, and out of the way, for patient comfort and biopsy access. The system is capable of feet-first breast exams, further addressing patient comfort issues.

 

 

The Vantage Atlas MR system, like the one above, is now offered with a breast imaging package designed with patient comfort in mind.

Photo courtesy of Toshiba America Medical Systems

More Eastern Discoveries

by mmatthews 12/1/2008 11:51:00 AM
Been on the hunt for new Women’s Imaging solutions. Yesterday, I found a few while in the East Building – Hall D. First, an informatics tool. Candelis’ ImageGrid Mammography Tracking Module; it’s an optional feature to the ImageGrid RIS. The goal: Help imaging centers and community hospitals optimize mammo workflow. How? The product tracks exam and pathology results, and does follow-up work like automated letters and statistical reporting. On the modality front, several vendors showed me new ultrasound advancements. Zonare debuted some new software enhancements for its Zone Sonography, including one specifically designed for “difficult-to-image” (read overweight, elderly, or obese pregnant) patients. The company also showcased two new transducers, the C4-1 and the L14-5w high resolution, high frequency transducer for improved imaging of small parts and for better breast imaging. And Siemens rolled out the ACUSON S2000 Automated Breast Volume Scanner. Especially effective for women with dense breasts, it images the entire breast without stitching anything together. One big benefit: The system lets the clinician capture the intuitive, anatomical coronal plane, not available with conventional ultrasound. A better view for radiologists, a better chance for the one out of eight women who get diagnosed with breast cancer each year. …I hear Sony has some exciting stuff happening in Women’s Imaging. I’ll be on the lookout today. More on that later.