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New Products in the Mix at RSNA Tradeshow

by Kathy Mahdoubi, Senior Correspondent | December 03, 2009
Merge makes the
workstation mobile
The integration of health care IT is a big focus this year at the 2009 RSNA Technical Exhibit, currently being held at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago.

Many companies revealed new imaging management software designed to speed up diagnosis and treatment planning with the help of advanced visualization and image reconstruction applications. The newest software allows concurrent viewing of imaging studies from multiple modalities, including PET, CT and MR. Siemens' new syngo.via software was among the big launches in this area.

Hologic also released a new version of the Secureview DX Diagnostic workstation software, which allows radiologists the ability to concurrently view digital breast imaging studies from multiple modalities, including ultrasound, which got a lot of attention in some of this year's scientific presentations.

In another area of women's health, Aurora Imaging Technology brought out both fixed and mobile units for dedicated breast MR, a modality which market analysts say should grow significantly over the next few years.

A number of companies were offering new or improved zero-client, thin-client and cloud-based data and image management products and services and a wide variety of RIS and PACS technology was on display. Cardiac software company Diagnosoft revealed their SENC cardiac MRI software, which the company says provides better visualization of functional images of the heart.

Carestream demonstrated two works-in-progress products expected to come out early next year -- the new EHR-M3 CR mammography screens, which are designed to improve image quality for mammo studies, and the DRX-1 retrofit kits for mobile X-ray generators.

Merge has developed the Remi-d Remote Electronic Medical Imaging Device--a remote and fully digital radiography booth--in partnership with the WHITIA, the World Health Imaging, Telemedicine and Informatics Alliance. The booth does not require on-site personnel and instead links up to a technologist via a remote communications system. The booth could prove ideal in assisting patients in developing countries and throughout the world in the event of pandemic outbreak or other serious circumstances.

Also on display was an iPhone app for Merge's eFilm radiology workstation. The new app would allow radiologists and referring physicians remote access to case images and other useful information on the fly. Merge also developed what they are calling the first computer-aided detection application for liver imaging studies as a part of the company's CADstream platform.

Stay tuned for more on some of these and other technologies from this year's RSNA Annual Meeting concluding Friday, December 4.