8) On the road again

We address this in our December magazine, but we witnessed it up close and in person at RSNA: After several years of decline, the mobile imaging industry is enjoying a resurgence.


Acquisitions are reshaping the landscape for the flagship modalities while newer modalities are finding their wheels for the first time. Gamma Medica's LumaGEM molecular breast imaging system for dense breast secondary screening is a prime example, and it's already gained the attention of the Marshfield Clinic, which is using the system to reach its rural patient population.

The mobile imaging industry was initially hit hard by the ACA, but as the value proposition of limited downtime, shared services, and increased patient access find their footing in the new legislative climate, that business model is showing new signs of life. Advanced Mobility's acquisition by Kentucky Trailer is a testament to this.

7) A call for breast density standardization

In the U.S. there are 24 states that have already implemented breast density laws and a handful of others will follow suit shortly. Historically, radiologists have determine density based on their opinion, but that leads to inconsistent scoring.

The industry is in need of a standardized approach for breast density scoring both because many states require that women be notified of their score, and breast density is associated with a higher risk of cancer.

Volpara and iCAD showcased new automated breast density assessment technologies this year. Volpara released its VolparaDensity Version 3.1 and iCAD released its iReveal and both include ACR's BI-RADS 5th edition.

The difference is that VolparaDensity uses a volumetric approach to measure the breast and iReveal uses an area-based approach. But regardless of what approach is used, both standardize the measurement of breast density so that facilities can get more reproducible results each time.

6) Watch out stethoscope, ultrasound is on your tail

For years people have speculated about the possibility of ultrasound replacing the stethoscope. It's a powerful thing to wonder about, after all, the stethoscope has been a key part of the physician's toolkit for 200 years.

You don't have to be a health care professional to recognize the incredible potential of app-based ultrasound systems, and while the market is likely to become more crowded over time, Philips currently leads the charge with its Lumify software.

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