Medicexchange.com News

Posts Tagged ‘Ultrasound’

Aplio MX – the advanced ultrasound technology from Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation proved feasible for fetal echocardiography program

 

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta has adopted one for fetal echo program, to enhance clinical performance.

Aplio MX, with the ‘differential tissue harmonics imaging’ technology ensures comprehensive diagnostic information, during fetal heart imaging; augmented contrast resolutions aid care providers tell apart tissues more clearly.

Aplio MX ascertains detailed visualization, for enhanced diagnosis during cardiac examinations; the Aplio MX from Toshiba is about 30% lighter, and consumes 35% less power, in contrast to traditional ultrasound equipment; smaller size, portability features make it easy to work with, for ultrasound procedures.

Swift and more precise cardiac examinations have become possible through Aplio MX system for Sibley Heart Center – make it one for you, too; for more on ultrasound technology of Toshiba, and many other, stay tuned with MedicExchange!

Sonography is feasible for identification and localization of soft tissue foreign bodies: study

 

The study was contributed by: Afshin Mohammadi, Mohammad Ghasemi-Rad, and Maryam Khodabakhsh from the Radiology Department; and Student research committee, School of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.

Penetrating trauma is common in emergency departments (orthopedics); foreign bodies in soft tissues make it more intricate; traditional radiology is only feasible for radio-opaque foreign bodies. Since foreign body can cause grave inflammatory reaction/infection, discovery and elimination of foreign bodies are vital. (Courtesy: BioMed Central)

The research objective was to assess diagnostic precision of Sonography for localization and revelation of non-opaque foreign bodies.

About 47 patients, doubtful of foreign bodies in soft tissues were assessed through 10 MHz linear array transducer, after they showed negative on X-rays; through radiographic evaluations, radio-opaque bodies were corroborated, within soft tissues, viz. metal, stone, glass etc.!

The contra-lateral extremity was evaluated, for all the patients; on foreign body localization – computerized calipers were used for length and depth measurements below the skin; sonographic findings of foreign bodies in soft tissue were assessed by, viz. halo sign, posterior acoustic shadowing, posterior comet tail etc.

About 38% of foreign bodies were neglected at primary examination, in the emergency department; sonography indicated sensitivity of 95% for foreign bodies.

Foreign bodies were identified in following through with Sonography, for the patients: fingers, forearms, toes, calves etc.

Soft tissue foreign body was detected in about 45 cases, as hyperechoic foci; posterior acoustic shadowing was observed in about 36 cases; due to abscess/granulation tissue formation, 5 cases showed up with halo sign; through surgical procedure, 44 foreign bodies were taken out from 39 patients.

Conclusion: Sonography is doable for localization and identification of soft tissue foreign bodies (radiolucent), and this can shun wrong-diagnosis during preliminary emergency assessment.

somo•v ABUS system, from U-Systems has been sanctioned by Medical Devices Bureau of Health Canada for ancillary diagnostic approach with mammography.

 

U-Systems – the market leader in automated breast ultrasound technology has been authorized with medical device license by the Medical Devices Bureau of Health Canada, recently, ratified on basis of clinical evidence.

somo•v ABUS system has now become sole ultrasound equipment for breast cancer screening across European Union countries.

The company can now market and sell its registered brand – somo•v® Automated Breast Ultrasound (ABUS) system as an appendage to mammography for breast cancer cases (symptomatic/asymptomatic), in Canada.

Medical Devices Bureau of Health Canada is responsible for evaluating medical device safety, efficacy and quality; somo•v ABUS system has been one, solely approved by the agency.

FDA has even sanctioned the somo•v ABUS system in the US for ancillary diagnostic approach with mammography.

Elated with the approval, Ron Ho (President and CEO, U-Systems) now is up to make the technology available for breast cancer patients, in Canada, for better diagnosis and treatment.

He said, somo•v Automated Breast Ultrasound System has not been devised to substitute mammography, but the combined efforts of ultrasound & mammography will be utilized for enhanced cancer detection, than mammography alone.

The technology is ideally fit for high-volume set-ups; somo•viewer™ (3D workstation) facilitates for swift review and storage of patient exams, to optimize workflow.

U-Systems has even patronized national SOMO•INSIGHT Clinical Study, to assess feasibility of the combination – digital mammography with somo•v Automated Breast Ultrasound System over routine mammogram for breast cancer detection, in women.

More than 15,000 female subjects partook in the clinical study, and it recognized considerable amount of patients that showed negative on mammogram, but recognized well through ABUS system.

Fetal heart rate less than 100 beats/min discovered at 6.1 weeks or less is not inevitably a poor predictive indicator.

The feasibility of successive first-trimester survival is notably higher if there is agreement/concordance between gestation age, as calculated by last menstrual period and biometrics than if there is discordance.

The medical research study was conducted by Elizabeth Kagan Arleo and Robert N. Troiano from Weill Cornell Imaging, New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY.

The study is available in American Journal of Roentgenology, and the research objective was to prospectively evaluate concordant and discordant gestational age (GA) calculations in forecasting fetal demise in embryos with a slow heart rate, as decided on early first-trimester ultrasound.

36 successive singleton pregnancies with slow fetal heart rate gauged on a 5.0-6.1 week ultrasound were prospectively recognized. Pregnancies were termed discordant, if there was deviation of more than 5 days amongst gestational age decided by biometrics equated with the same by last menstrual period; while, it were termed as concordant on deviation of less than 5 days amongst gestational age measurements.

20 survived, and 16 died, of 36 embryos with heart rate less than 100 beats/minute, at 5-6.1 weeks’ gestational age. 14 were discordant and 2 were concordant – of 16 that went on to demise; on the other, of 20 that survived – 4 were discordant, while 16 were concordant. The ratio of discordant pregnancies that went on to demise was 14 of total 18, while, the ratio of survival with concordant pregnancies was 16 of 18. The frequency of demise in discordant group was comparatively higher than that of concordant group.

Conclusion: Fetal heart rate less than 100 beats/min discovered at 6.1 weeks or less is not inevitably a poor predictive indicator. The feasibility of successive first-trimester survival is notably higher if there is agreement/concordance between gestation age, as calculated by last menstrual period and biometrics than if there is discordance.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound with sonazoid is viable for histologic grade estimation of hepatocellular carcinomas.

 

The medical research study was conducted by Junichi Arita, Kiyoshi Hasegawa, Michiro Takahashi, Shojiro Hata, Junichi Shindoh, Yasuhiko Sugawara and Norihiro Kokudo from Divisions of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery and Artificial Organ and Transplantation, Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo,Japan.

The study is available in online journal of American Roentgen Ray Society, and the research objective was to precisely evaluate the combined relationship amid findings of contrast-enhanced ultrasound with sonazoid and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) histological grade.

About 239 patients that were going through surgery for hepatocellular carcinoma selected by for the study. Due to exclusion of 33 patients with necrosis of hepatocellular carcinoma, about 374 histologically proved cases were picked up for the detailed study that had well, moderately and poorly-differentiated hepatocellular carcinomas, in varied proportions.

Following-up after liver mobilization and laparotomy procedure, contrast-enhanced ultrasound with sonazoid was performed, in the harmonic mode, and HCC vascularity was assessed by in the vascular phase, and after a time lag – liver was explored during late kupffer phase. Findings of routine execution of dynamic CT in the preoperative stage were evaluated over.

In the vascular phase, the proportion of hypervascular tumors showed the tendency to be higher amid moderately and poorly-differentiated hepatocellular carcinomas than well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinomas. The proportion of hypoechoic lesions on kupffer phase was considerably lower amid well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinomas, in comparison to moderately and poorly differentiated HCCs.

The proportions of hypervascular tumors on primary phase and hypodense tumors on late phase in dynamic computed tomography imaging were considerably lower amongst well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinomas, than moderately and poorly differentiated ones.

Conclusion: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound with sonazoid is feasible for histologic grade estimation of hepatocellular carcinomas.

BIRADS score can be utilized for mucocele-like lesions related with Atypical Ductal Hyperplasia.

Intermediate concern calcifications of breast malignancy were detected more often in mucocele like breast lesions related with ADH.

 

The medical research study was conducted by Sun Mi Kim, Hak Hee Kim, Doo Kyung Kang, Hee Jung Shin, Nariya Cho, Jeong Mi Park and Joo Hee Cha from Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, South Korea; Department of Radiology, Division of Breast Imaging and Intervention, University of Iowa Hospitals, Iowa City, IA; Department of Radiology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam-Si, South Korea; Department of Diagnostic Radiology (Ajou University, College of Medicine, Suwon and Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.)

The study is available in online journal of American Roentgen Ray Society, and the research objective was to assess varied radiological findings of mucocele-like tumors of the breast and tumors related with Atypical Ductal Hyperplasia (ADH) as per Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BIRADS) and sonographic cystic mass classification (Note: though the condition is not cancerous, but women with ADH have greater tendency for cancer.)

In a period of ten years, about 68 women with 72 mucocele like breast lesions were evaluated in a microscopic study at three medical institutions.

Through contemplative study – ultrasound and mammographic findings of 72 mucocele like breast lesions were analyzed by, in accordance with BIRADS scale, and radiological study results were associated with pathological results.

Mammography demonstrated 53 breast lesions with calcifications, with and without a mass: 39 were calcifications without a mass. Intermediate concern calcifications of breast malignancy were detected more often in mucocele like breast lesions related with atypical ductal hyperplasia, in comparison to pure mucocele-like tumors. About 69 of mucocele-like tumors showed as cystic lesions on sonography.

Septated/clustered cysts in breast and complex cystic breast masses were often visible in mucocele-like tumors related with atypical ductal hyperplasia. Positive value for breast imaging reporting and data system 4 calcifications was 13.3%, whereas that for BIRAD score of 5 it was 50%, respectively.

Conclusion: Mucocele-like lesions related with atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) were often visible as septated/clustered cysts in breast and complex cystic breast masses, associated with intermediate concern calcifications of breast malignancy, and BIRADS score can be utilized for management of mucocele-like tumors.

Compared to traditional 2d ultrasound technology, 4-d ultrasound guided punctures for liver tumors can considerably enhance puncture accuracy for both inexperienced and well-versed physicians.

 

The medical research study was conducted by Katsutoshi Sugimoto, Fuminori Moriyasu, Junji Shiraishi, Masahiko Yamada and Yasuharu Imai from Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, and School of Health Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.

The medical research study is available online in American Journal of Roentgenology. The research objective was to equate the preciseness of ultrasound guided puncture through contemporary 3d/4d ultrasound and 2d ultrasound for focal hepatic mass utilizing a liver phantom. 4 dimensional ultrasound system furnished with 5 MHz 4D probe showed both orthogonal and axial images synchronous to puncture line.

Liver phantom, comprised of 4 artificial spherical masses in an acrylic box with two different positions and sizes (diameter of 15 and 30 mm) was utilized for the study. Well versed and experience physicians and other unskilled, 4-each differently tried punctures on simulated mass through 2d and 4d ultrasound guidance protocol, in a total of about 128 punctures. The error distance calculated by, manually on grounds of 3d volume dataset, on offline analysis tool.

The mean error distance with 4d ultrasound was considerably smaller, in comparison to 2d ultrasound, on simulation model of tumors, other than one that was 30 mm in depth and 15 mm in diameter.

Group with experienced people, the mean error distance was smaller in comparison to that of inexperienced group, on each tumor model with both methods. There was statistical significant deviation amidst both the groups for a tumor model of 30 mm in diameter and 80 mm in depth on 4d ultrasound.

Conclusion: 4-d ultrasound guided punctures for liver tumors can considerably enhance puncture accuracy for both inexperienced and well-versed physicians, in comparison with the traditional 2d ultrasound.

Sonographic measurement of common extensor tendon demonstrates well in diagnosis of lateral epicondylitis

 

The medical research was conducted by Min Hee Lee, Jang Gyu Cha, Wook Jin, Byung Sung Kim, Jai Soung Park, Hae Kyung Lee and Hyun Sook Hong from Departments of Radiology, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital and Kyung Hee University, along with Department of Orthopedics, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Republic of Korea.

The study is available online in American Journal of Roentgenology. The medical research objective was to measure the usefulness of sonographic measurements of the common extensor tendon that attaches to the lateral epicondyle of the humerus, for diagnosis of lateral epicondylitis, which is a painful inflammation of the tendon, ensuing from excessive usage of lower arm muscles.

For the study, about 48 patients with furnished lateral epicondylitis and 63 healthy volunteers were registered that underwent ultrasound of elbow joint.

The common extensor tendon placed over bony landmarks of the elbow was scanned in a transverse manner, along with measurement of maximum thickness and cross section area.

The clinical examination was utilized as measurement baseline for analysis of lateral epicondylitis. Data captured through the study of patient and control groups were equated with constituted optimal diagnostic criteria for lateral epicondylitis through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for sensitivity analysis. Qualitative evaluation with grayscale ultrasound imaging was even executed on healthy volunteers and patients.

Of the result, the common extensor tendon was found considerably thicker in patients with lateral epicondylitis, in comparison to the control group. Tendon thickness more than 4.2 mm with 87.7% accuracy and area equal/larger to 32 mm2 with 84.2% accuracy were highly prognosticative of lateral epicondylitis.

On the other, of qualitative evaluation method with grayscale ultrasound imaging, it showed 76.3% accuracy value for analysis of lateral epicondylitis.

Conclusion: quantitative sonographic measurements demonstrated good analytical performance for lateral epicondylitis, as cross section area equal and more to 32 mm2 and thickness of 4.2 mm of common extensor tendon correlated well with existence of lateral epicondylitis. Prospective study is required further to check on if quantitative ultrasound with these limited values can augment the preciseness of the analysis of lateral epicondylitis.

In recent times, few gifted scholars (undergraduates) from the University of Washington researched out a low cost ultrasound system which won them Gates Foundation Scholarship (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation), and they (research team) got hold of whopping $100,000 for this fabulous scientific invention, bringing a new revolution in medical technology and engineering.

These undergraduates (scholars) were one amongst 65 medical research groups that experimented out on different scientific technologies and devices.

Some scientific analysts believe that this medical exploration from the group will surely work out in helping scientists over the globe discover out unverified ways in improving health care system in other budding countries (where medical development services are concerned).

Grantees were selected from over 2400 applications, and they (grantees) embodied 16 different countries on 5 continents of the world, and for the financial support, the contenders had to show how their proposal/suggestion was different than current scientific and engineering prototype, in considerable progress in global health strategies and models of selective attention.

Faculty counselors were very supportive to the undergraduates (scholars) in the process, as believed in their imagination and creativity, and this grant/scholarship really authenticates the belief they had on their students.

The students and faculty members are up on testing and assessing the potential of this low cost ultrasound system (Radiology) on some of the pregnant women (expecting sooner or later). The preparation is on more for utilizing the grant/scholarship for to travel to Africa to test this system (full capacity utilization) as a gizmo in increasing access to the people of ultrasound scan, in lowering down childbirth birth-related deaths/mortalities that kills a projected figure of 1,000 women every day, in different parts, entirely over the globe.

The newly invented device by the team is comprised of an ultrasound probe (array of ultrasonic transducers to guide and focus ultrasonic beam spread) fixed through a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface port to a netbook with touch screen (computer).

The innovative technological solution from the team is reasonably priced, handy, long-lasting and user-friendly by all means. Speaking more on the price front of this new technological gadget, the whole system (inclusive of the software) has been price tagged at $3,500, but the team is even deciding on coming up with cheaper models (by some parts swapping). Currently the team is relying on old technology, but in coming years they hope to see the system in a newer light, with more features and increased affordability.

Talking now more about other portable ultrasound units for sale in the market, which are from different manufacturers and traders fall in the bracket of around $15,000 to $60,000 that is comparably pricey for health ministries association and global health donors to think about buying in bulk quantity. On the downside, these heavily priced equipments that are available in the market are too difficult for to be used by most of the midwives.

The planned out interface (by the team) works well for midwives, as the five slider bars regulate the image settings phase, and other push button switches help in image freezing and accession.

This modular device with simple interface design and control options focuses on recognizing out statistics and parameters of multiple births, breech birth (to name a few). Midwives that work on these equipments can even counsel to direct the high-risk medical cases to be delivered at a medical health care center, instead of helping out the case at home.

The research team (that won the scholarship) is in high spirits, as they were able to come up with this technology system for to facilitate human lives to a greater extent, and they believe this low-cost/inexpensive ultrasound system will surely create big wonders in the medical arena, and more such human centered, dynamic engineering and design divisions have joined the race with these fellow-beings.

The team is planning to image development stages of fetus, as part of their groundwork/preliminary exams in Seattle, and they are even preparing for a field test (research) in Uganda, in coming days. Besides, the swollen with pride (on a positive note) research team will even be presenting its research at the yearly conference on Computing for Development (London, England) that pays attention on computing applications and services for the developing and nurturing community empowerment.

So, be a part of the conference on December 17-18, 2010 (Royal Holloway, University of London) and witness masters of excellence in engineering science and computer technology applications.

The latest training programme in ultrasound has been made compulsory for doctors undergoing specialty training in obstetrics and gynecology is now being implemented nationally.

The ultrasound training will be given by sonographers following discussions between the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG) and the Society and College of Radiographers (SCoR).

Mr Christoph Lees, RCOG national ultrasound training co-coordinator said, “The RCOG programme provides for ‘deanery ultrasound co-coordinators’ who will normally be obstetricians-gynecologists and local ‘ultrasound education

supervisors’ who may, for example, be ultrasound department managers or lead sonographers.”

“The intention is that there are local discussions between these individuals as to how the RCOG training can be delivered, taking into account the number of potential trainees of all disciplines, the numbers already being trained within the department (including sonographer trainees), the available workforce and department capacity.”

NHS trusts and boards will be expected to implement the training as part of the core syllabus requirements. Audrey Paterson, Director of Professional Policy at the SCoR said, “The aim of the training is to improve maternal and woman’s

healthcare, especially outside of normal hours when sonographer cover may not be available. Sonographers have traditionally played a major role in the training of doctors in obstetric and gynaecological ultrasound and their involvement is not new.

“Everyone recognizes the need for an inter-professional approach to ensure the new training programme is delivered effectively.”