Medical Imaging

Physicians utilize medical imaging to see inside the body to diagnose and treat patients. This includes computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), X-ray, ultrasound, fluoroscopy, angiography,  and the nuclear imaging modalities of PET and SPECT. 

Canon Medical Systems USA gains FDA clearance for new ultrasound system

Canon Medical Systems USA announced its Aplio i600 ultrasound system has been cleared by the FDA and will be on display at the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) 2018 annual meeting March 24-28 in New York.

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Skeletal x-rays are on the rise, especially among nonradiologists

Skeletal x-ray utilization among Medicare beneficiaries is up, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology. Utilization is up 5.5 percent among radiologists and more than 11 percent among nonradiologists.

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7-Tesla MRI could be a game-changer for diagnosing, treating brain tumors

A 7-Tesla-strong MRI machine could be changing the way brain tumors are diagnosed and treated, University of Southern California researchers reported this week.

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Machine learning model accurately predicts who would benefit most from mpMRIs

A novel machine learning model could accurately predict which men might benefit most from additional imaging before a prostate biopsy, saving patients both money and discomfort, a new study states.

High-risk breast cancer patients avoid MRIs that could improve early detection of disease

Nearly half of women at a high lifetime risk for breast cancer undergo routine mammograms at practices with onsite breast MR imaging capabilities, but MRI screenings are being vastly underused in the population, reaching just 6.6 percent of high-risk patients, a study in the Journal of Women’s Health states.

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Insurer approves, then denies MRI, forcing man to pay $2,340 out-of-pocket

Patients’ wishes and insurance companies’ approval don’t always line up when it comes to coverage for imaging procedures, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported this week.

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When CT scans are negative for patients with blunt neck injuries, follow-up MRI provides little value

When patients experience blunt neck injuries—after a car accident, for example—follow-up MRI is not necessary after a CT scan comes back negative for spine instability, according to a new study published in JAMA Surgery.

Planmed Oy gains Health Canada approval for new mammography systems

Planmed Oy, a Finland-based manufacturer of imaging solutions, announced this week that its Planmed Clarity 2D digital mammography system and Planmed Clarity 3D digital mammography tomosynthesis system have both received approval from Health Canada.

Around the web

The patient, who was being cared for in the ICU, was not accompanied or monitored by nursing staff during his exam, despite being sedated.

The nuclear imaging isotope shortage of molybdenum-99 may be over now that the sidelined reactor is restarting. ASNC's president says PET and new SPECT technologies helped cardiac imaging labs better weather the storm.

CMS has more than doubled the CCTA payment rate from $175 to $357.13. The move, expected to have a significant impact on the utilization of cardiac CT, received immediate praise from imaging specialists.