MORE HIGHLIGHTS
Integration of imaging techniques and IT
At the ESC 2008, visitors to the fair can see for themselves how interoperability between imaging techniques, reporting tools, documentation and reporting workstations, and the i.s.h.med kardio module is implemented. The i.s.h.med kardio cardiology information system adopts both hemodynamic data from the Sensis workstation and reporting data from the syngo Dynamics PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System).


As a hospital information system, i.s.h.med also supports the workflow by visualizing clinical paths and thus enables seamless documentation of the patient procedure steps within the hospital.

Heart scan with lower dosage possible using Dual-Source CT
The Adaptive Cardio Sequence supplements the step-and-shoot method with intelligent algorithms, which monitor the heart frequency of patients and, if necessary, respond to arrhythmia, such as extrasystoles, additional heart beats. In this case, the recording phase is automatically postponed in order to avoid image errors due to the sudden movement. In addition, the recording window can be widened a little more if required so that, with the Adaptive Cardio Sequence, the robustness of the CT scan can be increased significantly overall.

A new study reveals that, with dual-source computed tomography (DSCT), the effective dosage for a heart examination can be significantly lowered, in comparison to conventional computed tomography (CT). The study also demonstrated that stenoses can be diagnosed with the same high accuracy as with invasive x-ray angiography. At the University Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland, 120 patients with suspected coronary heart disease were scanned with the world's first CT scanner with two X-ray tubes; a Somatom Definition from Siemens Healthcare. The Siemens application, Adaptive Cardio Sequence with the step-and-shoot mode, was also used for the first time with a dual-source CT. The results of the study were published in the June issue of "Heart", the official journal of the British Cardiovascular Society.*

Fully automatic analysis of the cardiac function via MRI
Precise evaluation of the cardiac function is very important in cardiology, particularly during the treatment of patients after heart attack or with other myocardial diseases. For instance, it is a decisive parameter for identifying patients with indication for ICD implant (implantable cardioverter/defibrillator). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the current gold standard for evaluating the cardiac function.

More Industry Headlines