nd can be useful but are rarely used as intitial screening [there may be an exception with MRI for some women at very high risk due to BRAC geneotype.] There is no blood test for breast cancer; no elisa test. My recommendation would be to discuss your concern with you primary care physician [general internist or family medicine doctor].…
iorities for "Stimulus" funding...
.. The "Stimulus" bill allocated $1.1 billion in Comparative Effectiveness Research(CER) to identify healthcare technologies and practices that work best. Congress asked the IOM to recommend national priorities for the funding, which it does in its new report, "Initial National Priorities for Comparative Effectiveness Research." To download detailed Interactive list of IOM Imaging research recommendations, click here...
... The recommendations are organized into quartiles, with those in the upper quartile having the highest priority. Some of the imaging-related priorities are:
First quartile
* Compare the effectiveness of management strategies for ductal carcinoma in situ.
* Compare the effectiveness of imaging technologies in diagnosing, staging, and monitoring patients with cancer including PET, MRI, and CT.
Second quartile
* Compare the effectiveness of film-screen or digital mammography alone and mammography plus MRI in community practice-based screening for breast cancer in high-risk women of different ages, risk factors, and race or ethnicity.
* Compare the effectiveness of new screening technologies (such as fecal immunochemical tests and CT colonography) and usual care (fecal occult blood tests and colonoscopy) in preventing colorectal cancer.
* Compare the effectiveness and outcomes of care with obstetric ultrasound studies and care without the use of ultrasound in normal pregnancies.
Third quartile
* Compare the effectiveness of traditional risk stratification for coronary heart disease (CHD) and noninvasive imaging (using coronary artery calcium, carotid intima media thickness, and other approaches) on CHD outcomes.
* Compare the effectiveness of traditional and newer imaging modalities (e.g., routine imaging, MRI, CT, and PET) when ordered for neurological and orthopedic indications by primary care practitioners, emergency department physicians, and specialists.
Fourth quartile
* Compare the effectiveness of CT angiography and conventional angiography in assessing coronary stenosis in patients at moderate pretest risk of coronary artery disease.
* Compare the effectiveness of diagnostic imaging performed by nonradiologists and radiologists.
Read on at: http://www.auntminnie.com/index.asp?Sec=sup&Sub=imc&Pag=dis&ItemId=86424&wf=3196
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CC…
supported projects in traumatic brain injury, Ross Zafonte, MD, will lead CIMIT’s effort in guiding this important area of research for the community. CIMIT’s TBI & Neurotrauma Program seeks to explore novel techniques, including systemic and focal pharmacologic regimens, applied energy from lasers and ultrasound, and neuro-technological techniques, as methods to determine the stages at which they may be best applied. This program leverages the innovations of CIMIT Neurotechnology, PTSD, and Trauma & Casualty Care Programs, recognizing that many patients suffer from combinations of conditions that require clinicians to draw on a range of specialty resources.
Read on at: http://www.cimit.org/soldier-medicine-march-2009.html#tab2
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CC
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In the continuing quest to accelerate our collective ability to translate medical technology from laboratory to market, we remain committed to delivering the 3C's of…
rojects that by 2015, that number will almost triple, to approximately $135.8 million. Government investments in public hospitals and national health insurance are two of the key drivers behind industry growth.
"The biggest drive towards the uptake of medical imaging devices and laboratory analysers in Ghana is that government is investing in this area in order to improve the diagnostic capability of the country," said Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Lizelle Wentzel. "Due to the high incidence of various infectious diseases, Ghana has invested significant capital into upgrading hospitals, removing obsolete equipment and replacing it with new and improved devices."
With a goals to improve the quality of healthcare in the country, the government has upgraded 41 public hospitals with new x-ray and ultrasound equipment and has begun to upgrade laboratories by implementing automation systems...
... "In order to meet the needs of both manufacturers and end-users, a mobile unit that would allow hospitals to share particular devices could decrease implementation and maintenance fees and instead operate by charging service and training fees," said Wentzel. "This will be a less capital intensive endeavor for end-user groups in Ghana while still allowing them to have access to the latest technology."
Read on at: http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/study-finds-demand-medical-imaging-technology-ghana
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CC…
eement with the University of Colorado for a process to transform cardiac imaging data into high-quality three-dimensional models used for heart valve product development, clinician training, and pre-procedure planning.
A patient-specific heart model created from CT and MRI scans of the patient, with all internal features and defects. The light gray areas are made of hard plastic, while the darker gray-blue areas are pliable, rubber-like sections suitable for practice and training. Photo (c) 2009 ValveXchange, Inc.
The CU technology converts data from routine medical imaging of soft tissues (ultrasounds and CT and MRI scans) into 3D models, which are then transformed into physical models using 3D printers. ValveXchange will use the technology in conjunction with its implantable heart valve program. ValveXchange is developing a novel artificial heart valve that has all the advantages of today’s tissue-based heart valves, but can be implanted and replaced through a small incision between the ribs. This approach is expected to replace traditional open-heart surgery for many heart valve procedures.
Read on at: http://cutechtransfer.blogspot.com/2009/11/press-release-valvexchange-licenses-cu.html
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CC…
m “Laboratory to Market”, with a focus on government funding, private capital and “Triple Helix” T2 (Technology Transfer) best practices. We hope you find it useful, and I will keep you in mind in regards to ultrasound going forward.
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d transplants are performed in the military.
Funding for two face transplants, at $1 million each, is already earmarked, according to Army doctors, who cautioned those who might think they are candidates that the procedure is not simple... “I think it depends on the anti-rejection therapy,” said Col. Robert Vandre, project director at the Armed Forces Institute for Regenerative Medicine...
While face and hand transplants are still a few years in the future for the Army, regenerative medicine — the growth of skin and muscle — is under way... Two soldiers are recipients of regenerative medicine, according to Vandre. The soldiers were burn patients and, by using a powder that’s made from pig bladders, doctors were able to lengthen their fingers so they could pick up objects and button shirts.
Within a year, he said, the Army will be doing muscle and skin regeneration in five clinical trials with dozens of soldiers who volunteered for the study. Also, a study to reduce scars and burns will be conducted.
Maj. Gen. George Weightman, commanding general of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, spoke at the conference about a variety of additional innovations in medical technology and disease prevention that soldiers can expect to see in the near future.
Researchers are looking at a drug that can be administered intravenously for the treatment of traumatic brain injury in far forward medical facilities...A finger-mounted, minimally invasive ultrasound will be out within the next one to two years, so medics and doctors can look inside the body, he said.
Read on: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/03/army_face_transplant_030809w/
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