Recently revised breast cancer screening guidelines from the American Cancer Society (ACS) share some parallels with practices in Europe and are similar to recommendations from other organizations. They have however generated a considerable amount of debate and controversy in the US.
First ACS revisions since 2013
The revised guidelines are the first from the ACS since 2003, and based on a review of 90 breast cancer screening studies and trials that have been completed since 2000. They were published on October 20, 2015, in the
Pandemics – derived from the Greek pandemos (affecting all people) – are not new events, but have occurred sporadically throughout history. These large, infectious epidemics threaten not only global health but can also have catastrophic social, economic and financial effects. Given the periodic nature of pandemics, we know there will be another one sometime, we just don
Interventional radiology (IR) has been revolutionizing modern medicine for a half century. Today, interventional radiologists diagnose and treat life-threatening conditions in some of the most inaccessible areas of the body.
Both therapeutic and diagnostic
IR originated as an invasive subspecialty within diagnostic radiology, but has become recognized as a specialty in some countries.
According to a Consensus Statement in 2010 by professional IR societies in the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, Korea, Philippines, Singapore, Japan, Israel, Lebanon and the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China), interventional radiology comprises
The conventional method of prostate cancer detection is based on blood tests showing elevated prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels followed by an uncomfortable digital rectal examination (DRE) and a 12-needle biopsy under ultrasound guidance.
Professor Jelle Barentsz, Head of the Prostate MR Reference Centre in Nijmegen, Netherlands, has pioneered a novel approach using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to effectively confirm or exclude suspected prostate cancer as well as determine the aggressiveness and spread of the disease, and even treat it in a number of cases. Despite obvious advantages, this approach has yet to gain wider acceptance, not least among radiologists who need to be trained for the procedure. Insurance companies and national health systems also have to be convinced of the benefits of the MRI-based method.
The limitation of the standard PSA test is its low specificity
Currently obesity is one of the biggest challenges for healthcare providers. According to the WHO 23% of women and 20% of men in Europe are now obese (BMI > 30) and the prevalence is rising rapidly. As well as exacerbating chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis, asthma and hypertension, both sexes suffer from the many life-threatening conditions to which obesity contributes, including several types of cancer, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. However obesity causes additional problems for women, affecting their fertility, the outcome of any pregnancies and the health of their children. Thus ideally the optimal time for appropriate health interventions is prior to a first pregnancy.
Obesity reduces a woman
Low in cost and high in diagnostic value with applications that cover nearly every tissue in the human body, medical ultrasound has become one of the most popular imaging exams worldwide – and not just among healthcare professionals. Its popularity is likely to grow in coming years as practitioners look for ways to reduce costs while improving quality of care. The clinical and cost-saving potential of ultrasound might be better realized if the systems were more efficient and easier to use. Even though the clinical capability of ultrasound has increased remarkably over the last decade and a half, the operational aspects of ultrasound scanners have failed to keep pace with technological advances. Their computing architecture remains based on central processing units. Consoles are still relying on knobs, pods and trackballs. As a new entrant in the ultrasound arena, Carestream was free to seek higher value from leading edge technologies, building a computer architecture based on graphics processors, a touch screen and mechanical innovations that let the sonographer choose the best position for performing exams. International Hospital talked to Fabrizio Benigni about the CARESTREAM Touch Ultrasound System unveiled at RSNA 2014 and ECR this year.
Q. Why has Carestream entered the ultrasound business at this time?
Carestream investigated this market and found many unmet customer needs where we believe we have an opportunity to make things better. The radiology ultrasound market is growing as more imaging is shifting to the non-radiation modality of ultrasound. Carestream can innovate in this space and it represents an opportunity for growth and expansion of our business while utilizing our sales and service infrastructure that we currently have in place.
Q. What segments will Carestream be addressing?
Carestream will initially be entering the premium general imaging/radiology market. The product will be used in the Radiology department. Thus it was designed with a small footprint and advanced solutions from an ergonomic and workflow point of view so that it can easily be transported to image patients in other areas such as the ICU, NICU, Emergency Department, Operating Room, and Labour & Delivery. Last but not least, its imaging capabilities and wide range of probes will make the difference in a wider number of applications.
Q. What is the current product range and what are the intentions moving forward?
This is the first in a family of ultrasound products built with the same innovative architecture and differentiated by imaging performance and specific software features. The first product will compete in the premium tier and future releases will include mid and value tier offerings
Q. What are the significant differentiating features of the Carestream products vs the offering of other vendors?
One of the unique product features is the All-Touch control panel. The panel provides familiarity to the user with etched-patterned primary controls that provide tactile feedback but also has the flexibility of configurable secondary controls. Its sealed, flat surface is easy to clean and the configurable controls allows for easy upgrading to the latest features and functionality.
There are a number of additional user features that set it apart from the competitors including:
Q. Can you tell us a bit about how the product was designed?
First of all by applying Voice of Customer to create a smarter solution; then the design process had the benefit of utilizing the best-in-class strategic suppliers. Because Carestream is new to the market and unhindered by legacy products, we chose to work with a combination of best-in-class suppliers, state-of-the-art technology and our own design innovation team to enable us to get to the market very quickly with a unique product that addresses the unmet needs of ultrasound professionals.
Q. What are Carestream’s mid term sales objectives for this new product line?
The initial primary markets will be the United States and Canada and Europe. We will expand to other regions soon.
April 2024
Beukenlaan 137
5616 VD Eindhoven
The Netherlands
+31 85064 55 82
info@interhospi.com
PanGlobal Media IS not responsible for any error or omission that might occur in the electronic display of product or company data.