Nov. 10, 2009--A-Life Medical Inc.(www.alifemedical.com), a provider of computer-assisted coding (CAC) products and services to the healthcare industry, announced today that it has unveiled its new Web site at www.alifemedical.com.

The new Web site reflects the company's broad range of computer-assisted coding products and services while highlighting its proprietary and patented Natural Language Processing (NLP) LifeCode technology, which serves as the platform for all its coding solutions. A-Life is the only computer-assisted coding company that owns its technology and possesses a patented NLP coding engine.

The new, user-friendly site also includes various case studies and scientific papers emphasizing the benefits of CAC and NLP.

Nov. 10, 2009--Arch Enterprises (www.archenterprises.com) expands its X-ray recycling services to include on-site purging of  X-rays and  X-ray refining in eight states including Alabama, Northern Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee, and offers  X-ray recycling services to organizations nationwide through a network of logistic providers.

Instead of having to send in or transport X-ray films, Arch Enterprises has streamlined the entire process by coordinating everything from pick up to post refinery documentation. At no extra charge, Arch Enterprises' professional staff provides complete sorting services and removal of X-ray films. Due to the sensitive information contained in medical X-ray film, Arch Enterprises has been performing HIPPA-compliant recycling services for over thirteen years. Certificates of destruction are available confirming that the proper process was taken to destroy this sensitive information. The company also offers documentation of general liability and environmental insurance policies.

Nov. 10, 2009--Intelerad Medical Systems (www.intelerad.com), an industry-leading PACS solution vendor, has announced that it is the recipient of the 2009 Frost & Sullivan Healthcare Innovation Award for Workflow Solutions for InteleOne, Intelerad's answer to the challenges facing radiologists reading from multiple PACS/RIS systems.

InteleOne is a universal workflow solution that consolidates image and patient data from multiple PACS and RIS systems into a streamlined, single workflow solution. The innovative nature of this technology and Intelerad's ability to deliver such a solution in a cost-effective way gained the attention of Frost & Sullivan and ultimately secured Intelerad as the most deserving recipient of the Healthcare Innovation Award.

Intelerad was able to differentiate itself from key competitors based on criteria such as its ability to deliver a breakthrough approach, product innovation in terms of a revolutionary technology, and significance of innovation in the industry.

Nov. 10, 2009--Oso Healthcare Inc. (www.osohealthcare.com) announces its launch as a premier support provider for ClearCanvas Inc. (www.clearcanvas.ca) open source RIS/PACS products. Oso Healthcare will provide implementation services and remote phone and online support for ClearCanvas software users.

Oso Healthcare is an independent, professional healthcare IT services organization as well as premier support partner for ClearCanvas open source RIS/PACS products and its base of more than 5,000 users who work in hospitals, clinics, imaging centers, physician practices, research facilities and healthcare businesses worldwide.

Oso Healthcare offers ClearCanvas software users a pay-as-you-go remote support model as an alternative to lengthy and expensive service contracts. Instead of annual support costs based on expensive, and often unutilized, software licenses, Oso Healthcare clients pay for support on a per support ticket basis, no matter how many ClearCanvas software licenses are installed. Oso Healthcare offers various bundles and combinations of support tickets that allow customers to customize their support package and realize further discounts. Three types of support tickets are offered with varying levels of response time via online, phone or remote access support options. Oso Healthcare's customer support center portal allows clients to easily and quickly open a new support case, update existing cases or access a knowledge base, eLearning training modules and user forum. These and other features enable the customer to have greater control and added value over their support encounter. 

Nov. 10, 2009--As leader of the European Union funded HYPERImage research project, Royal Philips Electronics (www.philips.com) announces that the project has achieved a major milestone in its ambitious plan to create a new medical imaging technique called hybrid PET/MR. This new technique is based on the simultaneous acquisition of time-of-flight positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance (MR) images.

The project involves eight partners from six European countries and has a total budget of around EUR 7 million. The ultimate goals of the project are to advance the accuracy of diagnostic imaging in cardiology and oncology and open up new fields in therapy planning, guidance and response monitoring.

A hybrid PET/MR scanner could simultaneously deliver the anatomical and functional information achievable using state-of-the-art MR scanners (e.g. soft tissue contrast and physiological processes in blood vessels) and the molecular imaging information provided by PET. As a result, it would combine the best of both worlds, which could ultimately help to pinpoint and characterize disease sites within the body more accurately than is currently possible.

For a hybrid scanner that offers simultaneous PET and MR image acquisition, two fundamental problems need to be solved: the development of MR-compatible PET detectors and a method of accounting for PET attenuation (the scattering of high-energy gamma rays generated by the PET tracers by parts of the human body).

The milestone that the HYPERImage team has reached is the development of a functional gamma-ray detector that meets the performance requirements of the latest time-of-flight PET scanners. The new gamma-ray detectors have been designed to be compatible with the strong static and dynamic magnetic fields that would be present in a combined PET/MR scanner. Furthermore, the team has achieved major progress with respect to MRI-based static and dynamic PET attenuation correction.

Nov. 10, 2009--USARAD.com (www.usarad.com)--a national sub-specialty radiology and teleradiology firm offering high-quality, on-demand service--has been accredited by The Joint Commission, following a comprehensive survey and inspection process.  USARAD.com passed fully on all inspection criteria during the initial evaluation process with no policies or practices cited for improvement. 

USARAD.com is a fully radiologist-owned and operated company that handles outsourced exam interpretation for medical sites across the country.  Its network of more than 30 board-certified, licensed radiologists nationwide offers expertise from musculoskeletal radiology to coronary CT angiography.  USARAD.com covers all imaging modalities.

Through its unique Radiologist-On-Demand service, USARAD.com is committed to providing timely and responsive image review 24/7 using a highly qualified specialist. Subspecialty interpretations are performed by radiologists who are fellowship-trained and possess additional certifications, including CAQs and subspecialty board diplomas in cardiac CT and nuclear medicine.  USARAD.com offers state-of-the-art proprietary RIS and PACS technology for advanced report communications with client sites via web-based interface and fax.

The company's affordable, high-quality services enable hospitals and imaging centers across the country to expand their expertise with highly qualified radiology sub-specialists to cover a full range of advanced exams as well as to maximize exam volume by having a pool of qualified radiologists on-call as needed.