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| Mammogram displayed using the IntelePACS Mammography Module from Intelerad Medical Systems. image/courtesy Intelerad |
The following products and/or services are on tap to be introduced or showcased at RSNA '09.
Agfa Featuring IMPAX for Breast Imaging, DX-S Neonatal Solutions
Agfa HealthCare, a provider of diagnostic imaging and health care IT solutions, is featuring research studies regarding its digital mammography review station technology and neonatal imaging technologies at RSNA 2009.
Cherie Kuzmiak, DO, director of the breast imaging division at the department of radiology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, will present a study that used Agfa HealthCare's IMPAX for Breast Imaging solution to compare the interpretation times of screen-film mammography and soft-copy digital mammography.
Using Agfa HealthCare's IMPAX for Breast Imaging, Dr. Kuzmiak and her team conducted the study to track changes in workflow and patient throughput as their division transitioned from film-screen to digital mammography. In a three-phase study that included 295 patients, Dr. Kuzmiak's team found that digital mammography decreases the amount of time needed by radiologists for image interpretation.
IMPAX for Breast Imaging is a diagnostic digital mammography solution that combines high-contrast, state-of-the-art review stations with powerful automation tools that improve mammography workflow and radiologist efficiency.
Dr. Kuzmiak's presentation will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 2 at 3:40 p.m. in McCormick Place's Arie Crown Theater.
Also, Mervyn D. Cohen, MD, the Eugene C. Klatte Professor Emeritus of Radiology at Indiana University, will present the results of a research study that evaluated Agfa HealthCare's new thick-needle phosphor plate technology as a replacement for existing powder phosphor plates for neonatal chest imaging using computed radiography (CR).
Thick-needle phosphor plate technology, proprietary to Agfa HealthCare, was developed for use in the DX-S CR system to address the challenges of neonatal radiography, such as minimizing radiation dosage and enhancing image detail.
In the two-phase study, radiologists compared the images of infants who had undergone chest X-rays using standard and reduced exposure techniques from both the old and new systems. Dr. Cohen and his team found that radiologists expressed a significant preference for images obtained with Agfa HealthCare's new needle phosphor technology compared to the older powder technology.
The DX-S is a high-throughput, compact, portable CR solution that allows for lower radiation dose while providing high image quality and faster patient throughput, the company says. The improved sensitivity of the DX-S can decrease the number of exposures due to repeats caused by inadequate exposure technique, according to Agfa.
Dr. Cohen's presentation will be held on Sunday, Nov. 29 at 12:30 pm at McCormick Place's Lakeside Learning Center.
Amicas Showcases Mammo PACS Capabilities
AMICAS Inc. will showcase the intrinsic mammography capabilities of AMICAS PACS at the 2009 RSNA annual meeting. AMICAS will be in the North Hall in booth #7124.
AMICAS PACS Version 6.0 delivers intrinsic mammography workflow and visualization tools, which helps drive a solid return on investment and increased productivity for radiologists, according to the company. With intrinsic mammography and high-end tools for reading all radiology studies, AMICAS PACS provides for all of a radiologist's needs in a single, Web-based workstation.
"When AMICAS was developing its intrinsic mammography capabilities, they reached out to me-and other radiologists-to ensure that their radiology PACS fits into the real world of mammography," says Randy Hicks MD, radiologist and owner of Regional Medical Imaging of Flint, Mich. "AMICAS actively solicits feedback from practicing radiologists, and I have found that this collaborative process delivers a superior PACS solution for my practice."
Dr. Hicks will be in the AMICAS booth to discuss his productivity gains and return on investment associated with AMICAS PACS.
Barco Demos Dedicated Mammo Compliance Test
Barco, a designer and developer of visualization products, is demonstrating its new, easy-to-apply quality assurance (QA) test for digital mammography imaging at Booth #8335 in Hall B at RSNA '09. The new test bundles various standalone checks into a single automated procedure, ensuring worry-free compliance with the latest Mammography Quality Standards Act and Program (MQSA) guidelines.
The MQSA was put in place by Congress to regulate the quality of care in mammography. In practice, it requires mammography facilities nationwide to meet consistent quality standards. From a technology perspective, MQSA demands that all mammography imaging devices, including displays, are run through a series of well-defined quality checks on a regular basis.
"To optimize this process for our customers, we consolidated these recurring quantitative checks into a specific Mammography Compliance Test for all the diagnostic displays on a mammography workstation," says Danny Deroo, Barco product manager. "The output of this test is a clear, conclusive result with full details of every measurement. These results are evidence that recommended quality control is performed, compliant with the MQSA directive."
The new Mammography Compliance Test will be a standard feature of Barco's MediCal QAWeb software, which comes with every 5 MP Barco diagnostic display system. On the Coronis 5MP and Coronis 5MP Mammo displays, the new software runs fully automated and intervention-free via the integrated I-Guard front sensor. If the tested workstation is connected to the MediCal QAWeb Server, a full test report is available via a user-friendly Web interface.
Together with the introduction of the new Mammography Compliance Test, Barco has incorporated other usability improvements in the MediCal QAWeb software solution, which will result in an even more intuitive operation of the system, the company says.
Broadwest, Three Palm Partner in Breast Imaging Workstation Pact
Broadwest and Three Palm Software have signed a partnership agreement in which the former company will distribute the latter's WorkstationOne product to U.S. customers. Three Palm Software will display its full-featured breast imaging workstation at RSNA 2009 (see announcement below).
"We are looking forward to a long and prosperous cooperation with Three Palm Software," said Jack Donovan, CEO of Broadwest. "This partnership will allow us to offer a state-of-the- art digital mammography viewing station to our customer base."
"Broadwest has a long history providing equipment for analog mammography," said Patrick Heffernan, CEO of Three Palm Software. "This agreement is a good match for both companies-WorkstationOne allows Broadwest to expand upon [its] experience in analog mammography and to help [its] customers transition to a digital environment."
Carestream Details Women's Imaging Portfolio
At RSNA 2009, Carestream Health will detail the expansion of its portfolio of imaging and information management solutions for women's health care with the announcement of new "work in progress" screens for its CR mammography imaging systems. The new EHR-M3 screens will feature reduced noise and a higher DQE for improved image quality. Availability is slated for first quarter of 2010.
These screens will be available for use with all existing and new KODAK DIRECTVIEW CR Systems that are equipped with the company's Mammography Feature. The Mammography Feature is available in Canada, Europe, South America, Australia, Asia and other regions of the world where approved for use.
Carestream Health's CR mammography system now offers two additional mammography image processing preference settings that reduce noise for improved reader confidence. To date, the company has sold more than 3,000 CR systems with its Mammography Feature worldwide.
Carestream's solutions portfolio also includes a vendor-neutral, multi-modality CARESTREAM Mammography Workstation that offers improved radiologist productivity along with the ability to display surgical files, clinical images and patient data in any format at one workstation, says the company. It enables diagnostic review of all breast imaging exams (FFDM, ultrasound, MR, CR and others) as well as all general radiology exams-eliminating workflow bottlenecks created by the need for radiologists to read FFDM exams on each vendor's proprietary workstation, and then switch to additional workstations to review other types of breast and general radiology exams.
User-defined display protocols, advanced reading tools and a choice of ergonomic navigation devices further expedite reading of images. Diagnostic confidence also can be enhanced through the display of mammography CAD markers, integration of breast MRI CAD, and decision support tools. In addition, the mammography workstation can be integrated with RIS/PACS and reporting systems from various vendors via standard industry protocols.
The company's mammography workstation can be integrated with RIS/PACS from multiple vendors and allows rapid access to images for remote diagnosis when combined with the new CARESTREAM SuperPACS platform.
Carestream also offers mammography-specific modules on its RIS and PACS platforms that deliver specialized reading tools, time-saving patient scheduling and communications techniques and streamlined reporting capabilities.
The new CARESTREAM RIS utilizes a productive role-based interface with mammography functionality, including support for double-blind screening. This RIS also can be used to capture patient history, current exam findings, pathology reports, patient follow-up and tracking and help automate radiology reports. Letters to patients and referring physicians can be quickly customized, generated and tracked. Available reports include: MQSA basic audit data, initial diagnosis statistics, patient follow-up and patient status. The new RIS will be available for order by the end of 2009.
A work-in-progress patient portal for the RIS mammography module will allow screening mammography patients to make and change their own appointments on-line. This not only can reduce administrative costs, it also can optimize productivity in a mammography facility by reducing "no-shows."
Hologic Highlights SecurView DX Diagnostic Workstation Software, Intros Selenia Dimensions 2D
Hologic Inc., a developer, manufacturer and supplier of premium diagnostics, medical imaging systems and surgical products dedicated to serving the health care needs of women, is highlighting its new SecurView DX multimodality diagnostic mammography workstation software at RSNA 2009.
The Hologic SecurView workstation is the most popular platform for review of digital mammography images in the U.S. market. With the release of version 7-0-0, the workflow benefits of the SecurView workstation have been extended to the multimodality viewer. Radiologists may now review breast images from any modality in concert with review of mammography images. The ability to define the orientation and sequence of views in an exam can now be defined for different modalities, and Hologic's workflow keypad has been integrated with the multimodality viewer to allow for more efficient case reviews, the company says.
In addition, the company's new software builds on the strengths of the Hologic SecurView workstation by offering a greatly expanded set of functions designed to improve mammographic reading workflow. One of the functions, a new visualization tool called Advanced Image Enhancement (AIE), is used to apply proprietary wavelet-based image processing within the magnifier window. In a clinical study, AIE processing improved the ability to visualize abnormalities, especially in dense breast tissue.
The multimodality viewing options can be expanded with Hologic's new MR-CADWorks package for advanced review of breast MRI images, including a full suite of tools to allow for analysis of kinetics, or wash-in and wash-out of contrast agent over time. All processing of MRI images is done locally so that images can be displayed in different presentation formats dynamically. With the addition of Hologic's new multimodality and MR-CADWorks options to the SecurView mammography software, the SecurView workstation offers comprehensive review of all breast imaging modalities in a single integrated platform, the company says.
"We are excited to be introducing the new multimodality and MR-CADWorks options as part of the rollout of Hologic's SecurView version 7-0-0," says Dave Mislan, product manager-breast imaging for Hologic. "These new features--along with ongoing advances in workflow efficiency, ability to view mammography images from all vendors, and advanced R2 CAD features--uniquely position SecurView as a comprehensive breast imaging workstation."
In related news, Hologic is displaying its new Selenia Dimensions 2D full-field digital mammography (FFDM) system at RSNA 2009.
Selenia Dimensions 2D is designed to provide superior image quality and can be configured for 3-D breast imaging when and if breast tomosynthesis is approved by the FDA. Selenia Dimensions 2D also has an ergonomic gantry and acquisition workstation designed to improve comfort, productivity and workflow.
iCAD Showcases SecondLook Digital CAD Solution
At this year's RSNA, iCAD will showcase its latest SecondLook Digital CAD solution at booth #6224, South Building, Hall A. The solution has been designed and developed using a 100 percent digital image database, providing improved digital CAD performance, says the company. SecondLook Digital is optimized for leading digital mammography systems, including GE Healthcare, Siemens Medical Systems, Fujifilm Medical Systems, Sectra, IMS Giotto and Agfa Healthcare. In addition, iCAD's SecondLook Digital provides a powerful flexible DICOM connectivity solution that enables universal compatibility with leading PACS and review workstations.
Intelerad Unveils its Integrated Mammography Module
Intelerad Medical Systems is introducing its IntelePACS Mammography Module, a fully integrated mammography viewer that optimizes productivity and eliminates the need for dedicated mammography workstations, at RSNA 2009 in Booth #6251, Hall A.
Fully integrated with Intelerad's IntelePACS solution, the Mammography Module allows radiologists to access the entire patient record, optimize productivity and collaboration, and support quality management practices. Compliant with IHE and the FDA, this viewer offers best-of-breed functionality and ease-of-use for the most demanding workloads.
The Mammography Module includes an array of essential viewing tools that meet the needs of radiologists who wish to read from a single, true multi-modality viewer. Viewing workflow is optimized with the individual radiologist's preferred viewing sequences.
To enhance screening efficiency, users can customize their viewing protocols, selecting their preferred sequence of the different views. Mouse clicks are minimized, allowing radiologists to step through sequences to rapidly detect pathology at the touch of a button. The Intelerad Mammography Module also integrates with a variety of CAD systems.
Oshkosh Showcasing New Mammo Vehicle
Oshkosh Specialty Vehicles (OSV) is debuting a dedicated mobile mammography examination vehicle at RSNA 2009.
The vehicle incorporates a state-of-the-art GE Senographe Essential digital mammography system. OSV is offering this unit in an entry-level package with a starting base price in the $160,000 range. Customers also have the opportunity to select from a wide list of optional features to configure the vehicle to fit their specific situation and budget.
"We're enthusiastic about this vehicle's potential, and it is a direct result of OSV responding to our core customers' desire to provide digital mammography examinations in the most cost effective way possible," says Tony Ellis, Oshkosh Specialty Vehicles vice president and general manager. "OSV engineered this vehicle especially for shared service providers that intend to operate the unit as an independent profit center."
The vehicle is built on a Ford F-750 chassis and comes in under the 26,000-pound gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) threshold, thereby eliminating federal excise taxes for an immediate savings of close to $15,000 over heavier vehicles. The Ford-F-750 chassis features a fuel-efficient 6.7L turbo diesel engine, five-, six- or seven-speed automatic transmission, air conditioning and 130-amp alternator. Among its many safety features are four-channel antilock brakes for more confident stopping power and a rear air suspension for a smooth and stable ride. In addition, the driver isn't required to hold a Class A Commercial Drivers License (CDL).
OSV mobile vehicles are renowned for their ease of operation and maintenance, while also providing a user-friendly experience for both patients and technicians. The interior features a scan room with changing bench seat; entry foyer; lightweight storage cabinets, and air conditioning.
Siemens Showcases MammoTest, syngo MammoReport
Siemens Healthcare will showcase the MammoTest, the company's fully digital prone table biopsy system. With an 11-inch breast aperture, the MammoTest is ideally suited for visualizing the smallest microcalcifications and diagnosing masses and suspicious lesions, optimal contrast and spatial resolution for easy visualization of the entire breast anatomy, according to the company. Its unique polar coordinate system offers unobstructed view to needle/lesion with precise positioning (with +/- 1mm targeting accuracy), and "Target on Scout" capability.
The large aperture lets the breast and axilla fall away from the chest, offering unobstructed access to the region of interest. This more comfortable patient positioning and physician-patient eye contact during the procedure makes it more relaxing for the patient, says the company. For the user, the MammoTest can be utilized with a large variety of needles and wire localization devices. The special table design together with a rotating gantry as well as the lateral arm offer true all-angles and fully 360-degree patient and lesion access. The fully DICOM compatible MammoTest helps increase workflow efficiency for radiology departments in any setting.
In related news, Siemens is demonstrating its syngo MammoReport, the company's reporting workstation for mammography. The workstation is not only fast and efficient for reading mammograms, but also allows to include 2-D ultrasound and MR images into decision, the company says. From the end of 2009 on, syngo MammoReport is also adapting to new applications in breast imaging, by including the ABVS Workplace for the diagnosis of 3-D ultrasound images. With this solution, only one workstation is required for comprehensive breast diagnosis, enabling easy comparison of 3-D ultrasound and mammography images. With this integration, syngo MammoReport is the only system that combines different breast reading tools and applications from one manufacturer, the company says.
In other news, Siemens is also showcasing the syngo MammoReport, Siemens' reporting workstation for mammography, which is not only fast and efficient for reading mammograms, but also enables the inclusion of 2-D ultrasound and MR images into one decision, the company says. From the end of 2009 on, syngo MammoReport is also adapting to new applications in breast imaging by including the ABVS Workplace for the diagnosis of 3-D ultrasound images. With this solution, only one workstation is required for comprehensive breast diagnosis, enabling easy comparison of 3-D ultrasound and mammography images. With this integration, syngo MammoReport is the only system that combines different breast reading tools and applications from one manufacturer, the company says.
Three Palm Displays New Mammo Reading Software
Three Palm Software will display the new version 1.4 of its mammography reading software--WorkstationOne--at RSNA 2009, in Booth 1506.
The 1.4 release of WorkstationOne adds the following capabilities:
· Bidirectional reporting systems integration, with automatic population of the report (requires a companion system, such as that from MRS).
· Ability to display enhanced mammography CAD reports, including dynamic operating points and detailed CAD processing information.
· Expanded suite of plug-in packages, including visualization for MR, CT and nuclear medicine; breast ultrasound CAD (with Medipattern); breast MRI CAD (with iCAD); breast MRI analysis and interventional guidance (with Sentinelle); Web-based document viewing; and dictation system integration.
· Integrated support for display of mammography tomosynthesis images, and associated mammography CAD reports.
· High-speed 10-bit grayscale image display with new graphics cards from NVIDIA and Matrox; and
· Multi-reader/multi-machine peer-to-peer worklist synchronization.
The company also will demonstrate a work in progress version of WorkstationOne in the "Reading Room of the Future" area, highlighting "Communicative CAD." These new capabilities build on the existing WorkstationOne, which was already a full-featured breast imaging workstation, with an emphasis on efficient reviewing workflow and expert viewing methodologies. WorkstationOne supports the IHE mammography image profile and the display of CAD markers as well as GSPS graphic annotation. The WorkstationOne software product can be installed on an off-the-shelf, general-purpose computer with one or two grayscale high-resolution monitors and one color monitor.
*All information provided by individual vendors with minimal editing by ADVANCE. This is not intended to be an exhaustive compilation; nor does a company's presence in this compilation represent an endorsement of the company or its products by Merion Publications Inc. or ADVANCE for Imaging & Radiation Oncology.
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