Diagnostic Imaging's Blog

Desk-sized MR scanner shows potential for rheumatoid arthritis patients

May 7, 2008 Desk-sized MR scanner shows potential for rheumatoid arthritis patients Greg Freiherr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Assessment with MR is essential for the early detection of rheumatoid arthritis in the hands and the monitoring of drug therapy, but hand studies are not cost effective. That's where the Japanese firm MR Technology of Tsukuba, in the prefecture of Ibaraki, comes in. The company, working with the Institute of Applied… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 7, 2008 at 10:30pm — No Comments

Cardiac coil boosts data acquisition on Toshiba 1.5T

May 7, 2008 Cardiac coil boosts data acquisition on Toshiba 1.5T Greg Freiherr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quality Electrodynamics has constructed and tested a 32-channel cardiac array for use on the Toshiba 1.5T Vantage Atlas that its developers say will provide acceleration factors in any direction, including oblique phase-encoding, which is often applied in cardiac imaging. In a presentation May 7 at the ISMRM meeting, the development team… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 7, 2008 at 10:30pm — No Comments

Report from ISMRM: Prostate imaging studies weigh diagnostic power of MRI methods

May 7, 2008 Report from ISMRM: Prostate imaging studies weigh diagnostic power of MRI methods -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A clinical trial presented Monday demonstrated how complicated the quantification of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI of suspected prostate cancer can be. Investigators hold great hope for DCE-MRI for this application because of the insensitivity of contrast-enhanced T2-weighted imaging and the considerable convenience of… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 7, 2008 at 12:00am — No Comments

Philips advances quantitative MR

May 7, 2008 Philips advances quantitative MR Greg Freiherr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quantitative MR, characterized by the precise measurement of data points that underlie MR images, may one day provide an exact and definable basis to recognize the early signs of disease and response to therapy. Philips Healthcare is moving toward that day, developing techniques that quantify the presence of cancerous tumors and heart disease. Stefanie… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 7, 2008 at 12:00am — No Comments

Report from ISMRM: Society expands educational scope, global reach

May 6, 2008 Report from ISMRM: Society expands educational scope, global reach James Brice -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Radiologists can anticipate access to more web-based educational programming from the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and a more intense international flavor in the society's future work. Education and global outreach are key elements of the ISMRM's three-year strategic plan, said society president… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 6, 2008 at 7:00pm — No Comments

Prostate imaging studies weigh diagnostic power of MRI methods

May 6, 2008 Prostate imaging studies weigh diagnostic power of MRI methods James Brice -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A clinical trial presented Monday demonstrated how complicated the quantification of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI of suspected prostate cancer can be. Investigators hold great hope for DCE-MRI for this application because of the insensitivity of contrast-enhanced T2-weighted imaging and the considerable convenience of performing… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 6, 2008 at 12:00am — No Comments

MR elastography shakes up assumptions about body MR

May 6, 2008 MR elastography shakes up assumptions about body MR James Brice -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MR elastography debuted on Tuesday as a clinical application ready for diagnostic uses in the liver and many diagnostic niches elsewhere in the body. Modality inventor Dr. Richard Ehman noted during the morning plenary session that though elasticity is the physical property of tissue most changed by disease, it has never before been… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 6, 2008 at 12:00am — No Comments

Merck plans evaluation of spin-signal MR

May 6, 2008 Merck plans evaluation of spin-signal MR Greg Freiherr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GE Healthcare's gas-based MRI imaging strategy may find a home, if tests of the technology by Merck pan out. The pharmaceutical company plans to audition GE's Spin Signal Technology (SST) utilizing hyperpolarized xenon 129 gas for use in assessing its experimental respiratory treatments. GE Healthcare has granted Merck access to the technology and… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 6, 2008 at 12:00am — No Comments

Medrad launches prostate education

May 6, 2008 Medrad launches prostate education Greg Freiherr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Medrad unveiled an educational program at the ISMRM meeting designed to teach the operators of GE Signa scanners how to perform prostate MR with its eCoil Endorectal Coil. The correspondence program will be led by John Kurhanewicz, Ph.D., director of the Prostate Cancer Imaging Research Program at the University of California, San Francisco and Dr.… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 6, 2008 at 12:00am — No Comments

Ultrasound proves as good as MRI for presurgical staging of endometrial cancer

May 5, 2008 Ultrasound proves as good as MRI for presurgical staging of endometrial cancer Wendy Despain -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Transvaginal ultrasound exams conducted by expert practitioners can replace MR imaging for preoperative staging of endometrial cancer. Researchers conclude that expensive MRIs should be reserved for patients whose ultrasound exams are unclear. Dr. Luca Savelli from the department of obstetrics and gynecology at… Continue