Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. has introduced an upgrade program for its Vantage™ 1.5T MR systems. Promoted as a cost-effective alternative to purchasing a new system, the renew ™ program offers Toshiba Vantage users a number of options throughout the entire Vantage suite, including upgrade paths to a Vantage Atlas® or a Vantage Titan™.

GE Healthcare late last week announced FDA clearance of its new Optima™ MR430s 1.5T scanner. Intended to deliver precise imaging of the arm, including the elbow, wrist, and hand; or the leg, including the knee, ankle, and foot, the musculoskeletal MR system delivers 70mT/m of strength and 300T/m/s of slew rate. Short echo spacing and a high signal

Soteria Imaging Services, Louisville, Ky., recently completed the sale of two of its imaging facilities, with Plattsburgh, N.Y.-based CPVH Medical Center acquiring Champlain Valley Open MRI, also located in Plattsburgh; and Center For Diagnostic Imaging (CDI), Burnsville, Minn., acquiring Open MRI of Lafayette, Lafayette, Ind.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted to Toshiba America Medical Systems clearance to market Auto-IMT ™ , an ultrasound software tool that can measure the thickness of the intima-media layers of the carotid artery. The tool is intended to assist physicians in evaluating asymptomatic patients’ risk of developing cardiovascular disease

The looming deadline of January 1, 2012, is prompting many MRI scan providers to apply for accreditation. According to section 135 of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act, as of this date, any provider of advanced imaging services billing under Medicare Part B must be accredited to receive payment. Choosing the cheapest service

Breast cancer screening with MRI can detect invasive cancers missed by mammography in women who have been treated with radiation therapy to the chest for other conditions, according to a new study published online today in Radiology and slated to appear in print in the magazine’s April issue.

Opening the door for commercial availability in Europe, The European Union (EU) has granted CE marking to Philips Healthcare’s Ingenuity TF whole body PET/MR system. Billed as the first commercially available unit of its kind, the system—which combines the molecular imaging capabilities of PET with the soft tissue contrast of MR to image the

Following a seven-month-long investigation of a security breach at St Joseph’s/Candler Health System, Savannah, Georgia, eight hospital employees were disciplined for photographing an x-ray taken of a male patient’s pelvic area, transmitting the image by cell phone, and posting it to Facebook.