GE Showcases VCT for Cardiac Imaging
June 14, 2007 - GE Healthcare recently demonstrated technology advances in Helical Shuttle imaging, using the company’s LightSpeed VCT by generating CT Scans with an expanded image coverage of 210 millimeters on a 40-millimeter detector for both cardiac and liver exams.
Helical shuttle scanning continues to hold promise by providing wider image coverage for both dynamic angiography and perfusion studies. 210millimeters of coverage enables whole organ anatomical and physiological assessment on existing Computed Tomography (CT) technology.
"The underlying technical concept behind Helical Shuttle was to break through the old paradigm that helical scans must be performed at a constant table speed or pitch, relative to the slice thickness," said Brian Duchinsky, General Manager of Global CT at GE Healthcare. "This breakthrough is enabled by an innovative, real-time scan control architecture. Additionally, our engineers have been developing improved reconstruction algorithms that work to produce images acquired with “Helical Shuttle” without artifacts previously associated with varying table speed. These powerful combinations of technology enhancements have the potential to unlock a host of exciting new advanced clinical applications."
The research was performed at Osaka and Kinki Universities, Japan, by Professor Takamichi Murakami, Chairman, Department of Radiology at Kinki University Hospital.
GE Gets FDA Clearance on Cardiac “Snapshots”
GE Healthcare announced today at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics annual meeting that the FDA gave it 510(k) clearance on the new Snapshot Cine, a multislice computed tomography (CT) feature designed to enable clinicians to obtain quality images of a patient’s heart with up to a 70 percent reduction in dose per exam independent of heart rate.
Snapshot Cine automatically responds to a patient’s heart rate by turning the CT X-ray on and off at desired times during a patient’s heart rate cycle, a process called prospective triggered gating. SnapShot Cine significantly reduces a patient’s X-ray exposure time as the X-ray is only on for portions of a scan.
With Snapshot Cine the multislice scanner is reportedly capable of performing CT angiographic (CTA) studies where the table moves from one location to the next to cover the entire volume of the patient’s heart, a mode of scanning called step-and-shoot.
GE Introduces Neuro Perfusion Solution for CT
June 14, 2007 - GE Healthcare recently introduced an analysis software package, Perfusion 4 Neuro, that aids in the assessment of the extent and type of perfusion, blood volume and capillary permeability changes, which may relate to stroke or tumor angiogenesis and the treatment thereof.
Perfusion 4 Neuro automated software for computed tomography (CT) provides reportedly quick and reliable assessment of the type and extent of cerebral perfusion disturbances by providing qualitative and quantitative information on various perfusion-related parameters such as regional blood flow, regional blood volume, mean transit time, capillary permeability and Tissue Classification Index.
The Tissue Classification Index is a new tool in the software designed to aid the physician in determining the status of the tissue based on various perfusion-related parameters, during the first six hours after the onset of symptoms.
GE, International Aid Deliver Medical Equipment to Developing Countries
June 12, 2007 — Global humanitarian healthcare agency International Aid and GE Healthcare, a leading developer of transformational medical technologies and services, announced a strategic partnership dedicated to bringing vital, potentially life-saving medical equipment to communities in developing countries.
Under the terms of the partnership, GE Healthcare will donate previously used anesthesia machines and ventilators to International Aid. Going forward, GE Healthcare and International Aid plan to expand their partnership to cover a variety of GE Healthcare’s medical equipment, including maternal and infant care equipment, patient monitors and ultrasound systems.
GE will provide training to International Aid engineering staff to enable International Aid to service the equipment. International Aid will refurbish and distribute the products overseas. International Aid will also provide education and product support to help local hospitals successfully deploy the donated equipment. The new initiative, which combines the complementary resources and expertise of two leaders in their respective fields, is expected to involve the global distribution of more than 200 devices annually.
During its 2006 fiscal year, International Aid shipped nearly 1,400 donated therapeutic and diagnostic devices to needy communities worldwide.
GE's Workstation Adds 64 Bit, Autobone Xpress
June 14, 2007 - GE’s Advantage Workstation (AW) introduces its latest advanced image visualization and analysis tool, AW VolumeShare 2, a platform that delivers 64 bit technology, designed to enable the Advantage Workstation to process large data sets for more accurate diagnosis using thin slice CT data.
The new hardware features two dual core processors to provide an increase in performance. Also, image storage capacity has been doubled.
Advantage Workstation is also showcasing the new cardiovascular clinical application, Autobone Xpress. Autobone Xpress is optional software that offers 0-click bone removal and 1-click calcification removal. The optimized layouts for each anatomy provided are intended to speed relevant visualization for the latest CTA acquisition techniques.
The capabilities on GE’s new AW VolumeShare 2 provide diagnostic tools for computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), magnetic resonance (MR), X-ray, Vascular, Mammography and other modalities to optimize workflow, plus 2-D, 3-D and 4-D post processing solutions to help handle the increasing diagnostic and workflow needs of today’s imaging departments.
GE Launches Ultrasound Data, Image Management System for Vascular Reporting
June 12, 2007 — GE Healthcare introduced its ViewPoint Vascular comprehensive ultrasound data management solution for vascular labs at the Society of Vascular Surgeons (SVS)/Society of Vascular Ultrasound (SVU) annual meeting in Baltimore, Maryland.
ViewPoint Vascular combines reporting and image archiving with an innovative database technology that speeds report creation while capturing data for statistical analysis. An integrated DICOM worklist simplifies the patient exam. The system transfers measurements and images from multi-vendor ultrasound machines using DICOM SR. This system offers options for HL7 and DICOM interfaces to EMR, HIS and PACS, allowing vascular labs to reduce or eliminate paper and videotape documentation for ultrasound.
ViewPoint Vascular users are able to create reportedly quick and accurate structured reports for each study, thereby streamlining their documentation process. Physicians can review electronic reports with integrated images and diagrams before electronically signing a final report. The integrated LOGIQworks FX plug-in to ViewPoint vascular allows for advanced ultrasound image review and post-processing.
GE Sets PET Motion Free at SNM
June 5, 2007 - GE Healthcare introduced at SNM a new version of the company’s Discovery Dimension designed to help clinicians advance towards the goal of motion free PET/CT imaging, addressing the PET and CT imaging mismatches related to respiratory and cardiac motion. These include motion correction techniques that effectively improve clinical results and minimize blur caused by motion.
Discovery Dimension provides high definition PET image processing, patient motion management and clinical productivity features that together address motion, which is one of the most significant factors in lesion characterization that degrade PET/CT image quality.
“Our use of PET and CT 4-D respiratory motion imaging provides improved lesion detectability, quantitative accuracy and valuable information for radiation treatment planning,” said Professor Ferruccio Fazio, Director of Hospital San Raffaele (HSR) PET and Radiotherapy Center Milan, Italy. “All are significant in the comparative assessment of lesions in follow up studies before and after therapy.”
GE Gains FDA Approval for New PET Application
April 24, 2007 - GE Healthcare recently announced it has received clearance from U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the company's next-generation volume PET/CT application, PET VCAR (Volume Computer-Assisted Reading), created to help clinicians diagnose, stage, treat and monitor tumors and other lesions in the body.
PET VCAR offers several workflow enhancements for both single- and multi-exam review, including exam-to-exam auto-registration, tumor segmentation and quantification, and multi-planar image review.
The FDA clearance includes a GE-patented Interactive Data Analysis (IDA) tool, which allows physicians to systematically track treatment over time and quantitatively interpret a patient's response to therapy. The new IDA capability reportedly facilitates informed, objective treatment decision-making by automating several previously manual processes and presenting data in an organized, user-configurable format.
GE Dominates PET/CT Market
March 21, 2007 – GE Healthcare announced today that because of its Discovery PET/CT business, the company continues to maintain industry leadership during an era of slowed PET market growth, by increasing market share by over 5 percent to exceed 50 percent of the global market.
GE’s Discovery PET/CT system combines positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) in a single, mildly invasive exam to provide physicians with both metabolic and anatomic information to assist in the detection, diagnosis, treatment planning and monitoring of cancer.
PET/CT Gets New View With GE HD Solution
June 5, 2007 - GE Healthcare introduced at SNM a new application for performing PET image generation, called VUE Point, designed to improve small lesion detectability and exam productivity.
VUE Point incorporates advanced proprietary image reconstruction algorithms, including volume scatter correction and a patented image projection technique, and is enabled by the Volume CT reconstruction technology development. VUE Point is applicable to both 2-D and 3-D PET acquisition modes, static, dynamic and motion imaging.
When combined with Discovery Dimension's workflow, VUE Point allows high-definition PET image generation on reportedly every patient exam and encompasses the full range of clinical care applications and patient sizes, enabling clinicians to perform advanced image generation in a routine clinical setting.
“It will become increasingly important to improve the quantitative performance of PET/CT for the measurement of response to therapy,” said Hadi Moufarrej, General Manager of GE Healthcare’s Global Molecular Imaging Business.
Point is available on the Discovery Dimension with new installations or by Continuum field upgrades for installed base Discovery ST systems.
