By Elaine Sanchez Wilson
Taking place this week in Washington DC is the annual meeting of the Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine, and attendees are set to experience the latest in education, tools, and science to bridge their departments with the larger enterprise. Here is a small sampling of diverse vendor solutions you can find at the show:
Blackford Analysis Booth 534
Software provider Blackford will launch a Smart Localizer, designed for users of Philips picture archiving and communications systems, including Philips iSite 3.6 and IntelliSpace 4.4 PACS. The product facilitates radiologic comparison of imaging findings across MRI, CT and PET/CT studies by automating volume registration of current and prior imaging studies. According to the company, the offering increases radiologists’ productivity by 10 to 20 percent per study, when reading comparison studies. For particularly challenging exams, like lung nodule comparisons, the productivity increase may reach up to 50 percent, the company stated. The improved clinical confidence, customer service, and reading capacity ultimately result in both improved quality of care and incremental revenue. For more information, visit Blackford Analysis.
Carestream Booth 425
Carestream will spotlight its Clinical Collaboration Platform and Vue Motion.
Representatives from Carestream Health, Rochester, NY, will demonstrate advanced healthcare IT software solutions that deliver high-quality imaging access and support expediting data sharing among departmental systems, PACS platforms and vendor-neutral archives. The company’s Vue Motion viewer has FDA clearance for clinical reading and is approved for use on popular mobile devices. Using the latest interoperability standards, the Clinical Collaboration Platform allows data to be aggregated, which creates a more holistic view of the patient. It federates multiple devices to mitigate the requirement for expensive data migration from older systems, enabling data sharing for on-site and off-site users and serving the needs of radiologists, clinicians, specialists and referring physicians. The company will also highlight its Vue Connect technology, which allows providers to link disparate PACS from multiple sites to create an enterprise-wide workflow. Management of multiple patient IDs is handled through the use of Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) profiles. Users can add new sites and synchronize all sites regardless of vendor platform, age, location, or network speed.
The company will also join Viztek, Merge Healthcare, and Visage Imaging, in participating in a panel discussion, “Digital Breast Tomosynthesis: Ready for PACS Prime Time?” on Saturday, May 30, from 12 pm to 1 pm at the Innovation Theater in Exhibit Hall CD. For more information, visit Carestream.
EchoPixel Booth 400
EchoPixel, Mountain View, Calif., is set to showcase its True3D Viewer 1.0, a platform that recently received clearance from the FDA to convert anatomical data from patients into fully interactive, three-dimensional virtual reality images. According to the company, the t3D approach is significantly different from current 3D rendering technologies because it enables readers to visualize and interact with tissue and organs in open 3D space, rather than only on a 2D monito, using a hand-directed stylus as if they were real physical objects. Clinical benefits include an enriched anatomical understanding, heightened visual perception, and an enhanced reader tolerance to image noise. Users will be able to identify the anatomy of interest quickly and determine its location in relation to surrounding anatomy. Users, who can take into account depth information and anatomical contours, can interactively dissect malformations for detailed evaluation. The company also offers a True 3D Medical Education Viewer, a software application designed for medical students to build a solid foundation of structural 3D biology.
RedRick Technologies Booth 207
The Canadian provider of ergonomic radiology furniture will debut a new educational infographic that highlights the significant risks to radiologist health and diagnostic accuracy from repetitive stress injuries (RSIs). This release is aligned with the company’s ongoing effort to educate radiology and healthcare design leaders about the benefits of applying ergonomic principles to all aspects of reading room design and development. Recent studies have identified the significant presence of RSIs among radiologists; a recent study in the Journal of the American College of Radiology found that 60 percent of radiologists suffer from neck, back, and wrist, injuries, in addition to visual fatigue. For more information, visit RedRick Technologies.
Visage Imaging Booths 406 to 408
The San Diego-based wholly owned subsidiary of Pro Medicus Ltd will be exhibiting its latest version of the Visage 7 Enterprise Imaging Platform, which uses fast, thin-client, server-side processing technology. The company recently received FDA clearance for the use of Visage Ease Pro for mobile diagnostic interpretation of all imaging modalities, except mammography. A core component of the Visage 7 platform, Visage Ease Pro is a native iOs application that has been optimized for quick, easy access to images and reports. It requires the end user to perform necessary calibration checks to ensure the display and environmental conditions are adequate for diagnostic interpretation. It is a free download from the Apple App Store and requires Visage 7.1.6 or later for use. For more information, visit Visage Imaging.
Viztek Booth 525
Viztek will have its new Exa Mammo Viewer on display.
Viztek, of Raleigh, NC, will unveil its new Exa Mammo Viewer, which leverages advanced technologies to bring the benefits of single workstation viewing and remote access for any 2D or 3D mammography study to the specialty of breast imaging. Specifically, the platform uses true zero footprint viewing and server side rendering to enable viewing of full diagnostic quality images from any modality, including digital breast tomosynthesis. Radiologists can read, diagnose, and compare breast images from any location within the department or off site. The viewer can be used in conjunction with any facility’s current PACS. For more information, visit Viztek.
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