Human body emits all kinds of signals that, if analyzed with the proper sensors and computers, can help us develop completely new diagnostic and therapeutic modalities. Most medical technology advancements are improvements of existing devices, but some people try for bigger leaps. Analytics 4 Life is a company based in Toronto, Canada, that is developing […]
Tag: Radiology
UCLA Trials Ambulance Equipped with CT Scanner for Rapid Stroke Treatment
According to the AHA (American Heart Association), when it comes to stroke, it’s all about acting FAST (face, arms, speech, time). And while comprehensive stroke centers have gotten pretty good at triaging and imaging and treating patients, the time it takes for the ambulance to transport the patient to the hospital eats up precious minutes. […]
Varian’s New Flagship Radiotherapy System Now in Europe
Varian has released its Halcyon image-guided volumetric intensity modulated radiotherapy system (IMRT) in Europe at University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium. The system, recently FDA cleared, is designed to be speedier during prep, while delivering therapy, and providing an assessment of results. The number of steps that technicians have to undertake for each patient have been reduced […]
Esaote Unveils Its Flagship MyLab9 Ultrasound System
Esaote, the Italian ultrasound manufacturer, has just unveiled its brand new high-end MyLab9 ultrasound system. The device is designed for all sorts of diagnostic imaging procedures and clinical environments. The MyLab9 features non-composite single crystal probe technology and “Ultra-engine” platform that together generate high quality images in a variety of cases from OB/GYN to cardio to […]
EchoPixel Lets Surgeons See CT, MRI, and Ultrasound Scans in 3D
Since the invention of the X-ray machine in 1895, medical imaging technology has improved dramatically, but the visualization of those images hasn’t changed enough to keep up. Even though CTs and MRIs capture 3D data, the consumption of that data by physicians is still almost entirely in 2D formats. EchoPixel, a company based in Mountain […]
Ultrasound Identifies Hand Gestures, May Lead to Hands Free Control of Surgical Systems
At the University of Bristol in the U.K., researchers have managed to use ultrasound to detect the hand gestures that a person is displaying. While there are many consumer applications of the technology, such as playing video games and controlling devices around the house, this new “physiologic”‘way may end up being used by surgeons to […]
FDA Gives First Clearance to Siemens High-Field 7 Tesla MRI Scanner
Siemens Healthineers won FDA clearance to introduce its 7 Tesla MRI scanner, the MAGNETOM Terra. The device won European regulatory approval in August, kicking off an age of high-field MRI scanning that produces imaging details previously unavailable in a clinical setting. Previously, only scanners with a field strength of 3 Tesla were the most powerful […]
LivaNova’s New SenTiva Neurostimulator for Epilepsy FDA Approved
LivaNova, a UK firm, won FDA approvals for its newest vagus nerve stimulation system for treating epilepsy in patients as young as four years old. The system, which includes the SenTiva implantable neurostimulator and the VNS Therapy Programming system, monitors brain activity and delivers therapy when it believes a seizure may be imminent. During therapy […]
Remedē Implantable System FDA Approved to Treat Moderate to Severe Central Sleep Apnea
The FDA has granted Respicardia, a company out of Minnetonka, Minnesota, approval to introduce its Remedē implantable sleep apnea treatment system. The Remedē treats sleep apnea by stimulating one of the phrenic nerves that regulates the activity of the diaphragm. People with central sleep apnea exhibit shallow breaths and/or pauses in breathing that can have a terrible effect on […]
New Intravascular Catheter Views Plaques with Ultrasound and Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging
At University of California, Davis engineers managed to combine intravascular ultrasound with fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIm) inside a single catheter. The combined imaging modalities provide a new look inside of arteries, offering both a morphological picture as well as one that gives insight into the composition of plaques. While cath-lab techniques are now commonly used […]
New Intravascular Catheter Views Plaques with Ultrasound and Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging
At University of California, Davis engineers managed to combine intravascular ultrasound with fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIm) inside a single catheter. The combined imaging modalities provide a new look inside of arteries, offering both a morphological picture as well as one that gives insight into the composition of plaques. While cath-lab techniques are now commonly used […]
Hologic’s SmartCurve Device Helps Reduce Discomfort During 3D Mammographies
Hologic is releasing a new device that helps to make mammographies a bit more comfortable for women. The SmartCurve breast stabilization system is compatible with Hologic’s Genius 3D Mammography system, a product that the FDA has deemed to be even better at detecting lesions than traditional 2D mammography. The company hopes that a less painful […]
Abbott’s Ellipse ICD and Accompanying Leads Approved by FDA for MRI Scans
Abbott won its first FDA approval for a magnetic resonance-conditional labeling for one of its implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD), the Ellipse. Additionally, Tendril MRI pacing lead, as well as Durata and Optisure high voltage leads that are compatible with the Ellipse, are also approved to be safe inside an MRI machine as long as certain precautions are […]
New Contrast Agent Points to Tumors, Helps Identify How Aggressive They Are
Differentiating between tumor types can be very important when choosing the right tools to fight a given cancer, but contrast agents that make tumors pop on MRI scans don’t provide much info other than where the target is. That may soon be changing, as researchers at Case Western Reserve University have developed a new MRI contrast […]
Mazor X Robotic Spinal Surgery System Cleared in Europe
Mazor Robotics, an Israeli firm, announced that its Mazor X Surgical Assurance Platform has received the European CE Mark of approval. The system, used to perfect spinal surgeries, is being co-marketed by Medtronic, which just invested $40 million into Mazor Robotics. The Mazor X consists of a pre-op software package that helps to establish a surgical […]
New Siemens MRI for Radiation Therapy: MAGNETOM RT Pro Edition for MAGNETOM Vida
Siemens Healthineers has just unveiled their brand new MAGNETOM RT Pro edition for MAGNETOM Vida, a 3 Tesla MRI scanner specifically designed for planning radiation therapy procedures. It has a new magnet, a pretty large 55x55x50 field of view, and an optional 60/200 XT gradient system that the firm believes may improve geometric distortions. The new device sports […]
Medtronic Unveils Concerto 3D Detachable Coil System for Peripheral Vasculature
At the ongoing Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe (CIRSE) meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, Medtronic has unveiled its new Concerto 3D Detachable Coil System. The device, which is now available to physicians in the U.S. and Europe, is intended to be used for embolizations in the peripheral arteries and veins. The device folds into a […]
Hitachi’s Compact Supria True64 CT Scanner Cleared in U.S.
Hitachi has announced that the FDA granted the company clearance for its Supria True64 CT scanner. The device is designed to take less room in a busy clinical environment and to provide a 64-slice image quality using a 40 mm detector and 64 separate detector and electronics processing channels. Hitachi notes that many compact CT scanners […]
LessRay Radiation Reduction System for ORs Using Fluoroscopes
NuVasive, a company based in San Diego, California, is now making available its LessRay radiation dose-reduction system. It consists of a computer cart that connects to an operating room’s fluoroscopy system. The fluoroscope can be set to a lower level of X-ray exposure, and the LessRay, using its proprietary software algorithms, then corrects the image […]
Endomag Magseed Breast Tumor Marker Now Cleared in Europe
Endomag, a company with offices in Cambridge, UK and Austin, Texas, obtained the European CE Mark to introduce its Magseed injectable marker, a product already available in the U.S. It’s intended to be used by radiologists to mark the location of a tumor within the breast so that the surgeon can easily spot during the […]