Medtronic Inc. has received CE (Conformité Européenne) Mark for the first-ever MR-Conditional pacemaker system, the EnRhythm MRI TM SureScan TM pacemaker and CapSureFix MRI TM SureScan TM pacing leads (Model 5086MRI). The new system was designed, tested and approved for use with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) under specified scanning conditions, and is now commercially available in select European countries. Patients receiving the EnRhythm MRI SureScan Pacing System will for the first time be able to undergo MRI scans under certain conditions, representing a major milestone in the evolution of implantable cardiac devices.

Doctors from Weill Cornell Medical College and University of California have found evidence which links memory loss to brain damage following mild traumatic brain injury. This recent discovery can prove helpful in diagnosing when a routine concussion can cause lasting cognitive problems. Patients who experience concussion following a head injury show no signs of damage in a traditional MRI scan or CT. On passing the basic neurological test, they are sent back home without a treatment. Researchers examined diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). This advanced form of MRI facilitates the study of microscopic movement of water molecules within the white matter of brain.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted the 501(k) clearance to Aurora Imaging Technology Inc.’s Aurora® 1.5Tesla Dedicated Breast MRI System for AuroraSPECTROSCOPY™, the company’s package of breast magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy. The package was developed as an add-on for the Aurora Breast MRI in order to enhance the image specificity of this innovative technology. It continues to be the only dedicated breast MRI system cleared by FDA which is specifically designed to detect, diagnose and manage breast disease alone.

The United States Food and Drug Administration has given the marketing clearance to Imaging Therapeutics’ OsDx™ Hip Bone Mineral Density (BMD) system. Designed to estimate the BMD of the proximal femur with the use of standard antero-posterior hip or pelvis radiographic images, the stand-alone X-ray image-processing software will assist physicians in assessing osteoporosis. The system will help in making BMD testing more accessible. Earlier detection will facilitate early drug intervention to treat fractures.

GE Healthcare has introduced Discovery PET/CT 600, the company’s latest PET/CT (positron emission tomography/computed tomography) system. Designed for faster and more accurate diagnosis, the scanner will emerge as a useful tool for cancer testing. The device has the highest sensitivity in the industry and includes a scintillator with a proven track record. GE’s BGO technology improves detetion of lesions, reducing dosage.

A study conducted at the PLA 301 Hospital in Beijing has found that Medipattern’s B-CAD Version 2 increases precision in diagnostic process significantly, when used on lesions smaller than 1 cm. A 44 % improvement was recorder in accuracy of the diagnostic process. The company has been developing software solutions for medical use, bringing about advancements in the imaging field. The recent finding reinforces the capability of its products to detect small cancers.

A research conducted at University of California Irvine Medical Center has developed a new therapy that, if delivered endoscopically, in combination with radiation therapy and chemotherapy, can prove beneficial for patients suffering from advanced esophageal cancer. The new biological therapy (TNFerade), in which an agent preventing tumor is injected, was tried on 24 patients of the highly fatal form of cancer. The treatment has a non-replicating virus, engineered to deliver the gene for a protein that fights cancer.

A recent study conducted at Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia indicates that men with early prostate cancer whose PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels have doubled within 6 months of radiation therapy benefit significantly from a hormonal therapy, if initiated sooner. The findings of the research team suggest that the benefit of immediate use of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) was more in patients whose PSA doubled within 6 months than in patients whose PSA had longer doubling times.

Pancreatic cancer, difficult to detect in the early stages and having incidence of recurring in the postoperative stage, has found an effective treatment in chemo-radiotherapy. Gemcitabine, an effective radio-sensitizer, has led to better results in patients suffering with this form of cancer, increasing survival with a clinical benefit. A study conducted by Pancreatic Diseases Branch of Kyushu University in Japan, using a schedule that infused gemcitabine twice weekly for patients suffering with locally advanced pancreatic cancer gave positive results on the survival rate and median survival time.

Swiss doctors have executed the country’s first clinical treatments using RapidArc™ technology from Varian Medical Systems. Clinicians carried out each patient’s scheduled radiotherapy course using RapidArc. IOSI (Istituto Oncologico della Svizzera Italiana) has become the first non-university European hospital to treat with the use of Varian’s RapidArc. The technology delivers a volumetric intensity-modulated radiation therapy in a single or multiple arcs of the treatment machine around the patient, delivering advanced image-guided IMRT much faster than the conventional IMRT.