dismiss

Webinar : L'évolution du service de l'équipement /Apprenez plus/registre

Other Headlines

Leading job search engine provides notable data.
The American College of Radiology announced it will be among the first to apply for authority to accredit freestanding diagnostic imaging centers as required by new CMS rules.
Get comprehensive ultrasound application training.
Future-focused performance management system prepares hospital leaders for the changing health care environment.
Bringing It In: Injectors are an important part of the imaging process

Have News for Us?

Submit your news on the industry, people, or companies.

Forward to a Friend

More Industry Headlines

ACR Lines Up to Accredit Imaging Centers Under New CMS Rules The American College of Radiology announced it will be among the first to apply for authority to accredit freestanding diagnostic imaging centers as required by new CMS rules.

Shock Wave Therapy Helps Bones Mend Broken long bones that aren't healing could be patched up by shock waves.

Swine Flu Resources Get helpful sites and dashboards to track the spread of the disease and access health information and services.

Freestanding Imaging Centers Slammed by CMS Ruling The announcement of the final rules by CMS, believed to slash imaging reimbursements by 16 percent, could result in mass closings of rural clinics, according to the American College of Radiology.

Analysts See Big Growth in Devices That Make Home Treatments Easier Needle-less, pain-free and home drug delivery devices to show growth in the parenteral market, according to analysts.

Researchers Check Suspicious Looking Mole (Rat) Pint-sized creature proves an interesting riddle.

FTC Extends Enforcement Deadline for Red Flags Rule Enforcement is scheduled to begin June 2010.

Rad Groups Recommend Keeping a Closer Eye on CT Scan Dosage Protocols After Cedars-Sinai Fiasco In the wake of accidental radiation overexposure of hundreds of patients at a Los Angeles hospital, two leading radiologists groups offer guidelines for making sure patients are getting safe scans.

Stereotactic Radiotherapy Halts Lung Cancer in Patients Too Sick for Surgery A recent study presented at this year's ASTRO annual meeting shows that stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) can kill lung cancer tumors and keep them from recurring in medically frail patients ineligible for surgery.

DOTmed Certified Parts Vendor Program Gains Traction A new and better way for Biomedical Engineers to source parts.

MR shows maximum heart
contraction during stress

Courtesy of OSU

High Resolution Heart Images Now Available at Peak Stress

by Barbara Kram, Editor
COLUMBUS, Ohio - While treadmill exercise stress testing is an essential tool in the prevention, detection and treatment of cardiovascular disease, physicians are often challenged to gain clear images of the heart when a patient is at peak stress level.

That is changing at the Ohio State University Medical Center where researchers have designed equipment to provide high resolution images of the heart at a critical stage of testing that have previously been difficult to obtain using standard testing procedures. Superior images of the heart are obtained with a test lasting less than one hour.

"In the past, we were constrained by the time lapse between the completion of exercise and capturing the images," said Orlando "Lon" Simonetti, PhD, associate professor of internal medicine and radiology. "We now have the ability to exercise patients to peak stress and obtain a high definition image of their heart within 60 seconds, which helps us more accurately identify exercise-induced abnormalities. OSU Medical Center is the only place in the world performing treadmill exercise stress tests inside the MRI scan room."

The standard design of treadmills has made exercise stress testing a challenge near the large magnetic field generated by the MRI equipment. Simonetti and his team, working with graduate students from Ohio State's College of Engineering and faculty from the OSU Agricultural Technical Institute, modified a treadmill for use in close proximity to the MRI exam table. Magnetic components were replaced with non-magnetic stainless steel and aluminum equivalents.

While patients perform the treadmill exercise test, they are monitored using a 12-lead electrocardiogram system that is disconnected after exercise. Heart rate and rhythm are then monitored with a wireless, MRI-compatible electrode unit while patients undergo a rapid, real-time imaging procedure that takes less than one minute.

Clinicians are excited about the possibilities. "Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and by combining our medical expertise with other disciplines, we can develop safe approaches for improved diagnosis and treatment," said Dr. Subha Raman, associate professor of internal medicine in OSU Medical Center's division of cardiovascular medicine. "While current forms of stress testing have been helpful, combining exercise stress with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging allows us to better measure the presence and extent of heart disease with a clarity not previously possible."

Interested in Medical Industry News? Subscribe to DOTmed's weekly news email and always be informed. Click here, it takes just 30 seconds.

Please Send us your Comments.

Printable Story
Access and use of this site is subject to the terms and conditions of our LEGAL NOTICE & PRIVACY NOTICE
Property of and Proprietary to DOTmed.com, Inc. Copyright ©2001-2009 DOTmed.com, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED